The Recruiter’s Prompt Playbook: Practical AI prompts recruiters can use across the full hiring lifecycle
1. Crafting Attractive Job Descriptions (JD) 📝
1. “Rewrite this job description to sound exciting and people-centric, while still highlighting responsibilities clearly. Emphasize growth, learning, and real-world impact instead of only listing skills.” 💡
E.g. Instead of “Must have 5 years’ experience,” say: “Bring your expertise to help us build solutions that millions will use.”
2. “Turn this technical role description into a story: what problem will the candidate solve, how will they create impact, and what will a ‘day in the life’ look like?”
3. “Summarize this JD into a 2-sentence pitch I can use in LinkedIn posts or quick messages to attract attention.”
4. “Make this JD inclusive and bias-free, ensuring it appeals equally to diverse candidates without jargon or corporate clichés.”
5. “Reframe this JD with ‘what’s in it for the candidate’ as the central theme instead of what the company wants.”
2. Briefing Candidates About Open Positions 📢
6. “Summarize this role in a way I can explain it over the phone in 30 seconds, focusing on growth, impact, and learning opportunities.”
7. “Turn this job description into a candidate-friendly FAQ that answers: What’s exciting about the role? Who will they work with? What skills will they develop?”
8. “Draft a ‘candidate briefing sheet’ that makes me look like a career coach, not just a recruiter.”
9. “Simplify this highly technical role so a non-specialist candidate can still understand its appeal.”
10. “Create three different candidate ‘hooks’ I can use to spark curiosity about this role.”
3. Positioning Company Culture 🌍
11. “Write a 3-line ‘culture pitch’ that highlights why people love working here, with examples of real values in action.”
12. “Turn these employee testimonials into a culture pitch I can share during interviews.”
13. “Rewrite our EVP (Employee Value Proposition) into a short, story-driven pitch for candidates.”
14. “Frame our culture in terms of how it benefits employee growth and well-being, not just what the company gains.”
15. “Give me a set of analogies/metaphors to describe our culture in a warm and relatable way.”
4. Pitching Technical Jobs 💻
16. “Make this software engineering role appealing by showing how the team solves real-world problems.”
17. “Explain the impact of this technical job in simple, everyday language so it resonates beyond coders.”
18. “Create a JD that highlights tools, tech stack, and learning opportunities in a way that excites engineers.”
19. “Rewrite this JD to show engineers how their work links to innovation and business outcomes.”
20. “Build a 30-second pitch that shows how this technical role shapes the future of our industry.”
5. Searching for Candidates 🔎
21. “Generate Boolean search strings for this role across LinkedIn, GitHub, and job boards.”
22. “Suggest 10 unconventional sources or platforms where candidates for this niche role might be found.”
23. “List keywords I might be missing while sourcing for this role.”
24. “Create a candidate persona profile (skills, interests, motivations, online hangouts) for this role.”
25. “Draft creative outreach lines for candidates who aren’t actively looking but might be curious.”
6. Writing Impactful Emails ✉️
26. “Rewrite this outreach email to sound warm, personal, and candidate-first — not like a bulk message.”
27. “Make this cold outreach feel like a genuine career opportunity, not just a job listing.”
28. “Turn this role into a candidate-centric pitch in under 100 words.”
29. “Add a storytelling hook to this email that makes it stand out in the candidate’s inbox.”
30. “Rewrite this rejection email into a nurturing note that keeps the candidate warm for future roles.”
7. Pre-Screening Questions 🎤
31. “Draft 5 questions that assess cultural fit without sounding like a test.”
32. “Suggest behavioral questions to uncover how a candidate solves problems under pressure.”
33. “Give me icebreaker questions that make candidates comfortable before diving into assessments.”
34. “Frame questions to uncover whether the candidate is motivated by growth, stability, or innovation.”
35. “Create a set of empathetic but sharp pre-screen questions for fresh graduates.”
8. Enhancing Recruiter’s LinkedIn Profile 💼
36. “Rewrite my LinkedIn headline to position me as a recruiter who opens doors, not just fills roles.”
37. “Craft a profile summary that feels like a career partner’s story, not a sales pitch.”
38. “List engaging post ideas that show me as a recruiter who cares about people and careers.”
39. “Suggest keywords to make my LinkedIn profile more discoverable by candidates.”
40. “Draft a recruiter’s About section that balances credibility and empathy.”
9. Enhancing Reach & Network 🌐
41. “Generate 10 post ideas I can share weekly that highlight industry trends and jobs.”
42. “Write a LinkedIn poll idea that sparks conversation among job seekers.”
43. “Suggest ways to engage with candidates’ posts without sounding transactional.”
44. “Draft a short, authentic LinkedIn DM to connect with potential candidates.”
45. “Build a content calendar with a mix of jobs, culture stories, and career advice.”
10. Building a Passive Talent Pool 🌱
46. “Suggest nurturing email templates to stay in touch with passive candidates quarterly.”
47. “Draft a LinkedIn post that attracts passive candidates to join my talent community.”
48. “Write a newsletter idea recruiters can send monthly with career tips + job highlights.”
49. “Create engaging surveys for passive candidates to know their interests and motivators.”
50. “Frame passive talent as part of a long-term career community, not just a database.”
11. Negotiating Offers 🤝
51. “Draft empathetic negotiation scripts that show candidates we value them, even if we can’t match every expectation.”
💡 E.g. ‘I completely understand your perspective on salary — let’s explore total rewards including growth, learning, and flexibility.’
52. “Suggest counter-offer wording that keeps tone positive, respectful, and aspirational.”
53. “Frame an offer as part of a candidate’s long-term career growth, not just a number today.”
54. “Provide tactful language to explain company constraints while emphasizing future opportunities.”
55. “Draft negotiation FAQs I can share with hiring managers to align expectations.”
12. Employer Branding Through Storytelling 📖
56. “Turn employee success stories into short LinkedIn features that highlight career growth.”
57. “Frame company milestones as people-first stories (e.g., new markets = new career paths).”
58. “Convert leadership vision statements into relatable career narratives.”
59. “Create story templates recruiters can use to showcase culture during outreach.”
60. “Draft 5 storytelling prompts I can use with employees to source authentic content.”
13. Coaching Hiring Managers 🎯
61. “Suggest 5 high-quality, open-ended questions hiring managers should always ask.”
62. “Draft a guide to structured interviewing using STAR format.”
63. “Write prompts hiring managers can use to evaluate cultural contribution, not just culture fit.”
64. “Create coaching tips on avoiding bias in interviews.”
65. “Draft a candidate feedback framework managers can use to give respectful and actionable notes.”
14. Bonus: Elevating Candidate Experience 🌟
66. “Write a warm, respectful regret email that leaves the door open for future opportunities.”
67. “Frame rejection messages as ‘not this role, but maybe the next,’ encouraging long-term connection.”
68. “Draft onboarding welcome notes that reinforce culture and make new hires feel celebrated.”
69. “Create empathetic prompts for handling candidates who drop out mid-process.”
70. “Generate survey questions to capture candidate experience feedback after each hiring stage.”
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