AI for Hiring: Job Posts, Interview Questions, Onboarding

Hiring is one of the most consequential decisions a small business owner makes—and one of the most time-consuming. AI can streamline every stage of the hiring process, from writing the job post to onboarding your new team member.

1. Writing Job Posts That Attract the Right Candidates

The Perfect Job Post

"Write a job post for a [job title] at my [business type] in [location]. Include: job title, company description (small, growing business), responsibilities (5-7 bullet points), requirements (must-have vs. nice-to-have), compensation range, benefits, and how to apply. Tone should be welcoming and professional. Avoid corporate jargon."

Optimizing for Different Platforms

"Rewrite this job post for three platforms: (1) Indeed—formal, keyword-optimized, (2) LinkedIn—conversational, emphasizing company culture and growth opportunity, (3) Facebook local groups—casual, community-focused, short. Keep the core requirements consistent across all three."

Writing Inclusive Job Posts

"Review this job post for inclusive language. Flag any phrases that might discourage qualified candidates from underrepresented groups. Suggest gender-neutral alternatives and ensure the requirements are truly essential vs. preferences."

2. Screening and Shortlisting

Resume Screening Criteria

"I'm hiring a [job title] and expect to receive [N] applications. Create a screening rubric with 5 criteria, scored 1-5 each, that I can use to quickly rank applicants. For each criterion, describe what a 1, 3, and 5 looks like."

Cover Letter Evaluation

"Here is a cover letter from an applicant: [paste]. Evaluate it for: (1) relevance to the job requirements, (2) evidence of relevant skills, (3) communication quality, and (4) genuine interest in this specific role (vs. generic). Give it a score out of 10 and flag any red flags."

3. Interview Questions That Reveal Real Capability

Generating Interview Questions

"Create an interview question set for a [job title] position. Include: (1) 5 behavioral questions (tell me about a time...), (2) 3 situational questions (what would you do if...), (3) 3 skills-based questions specific to [key skills], (4) 2 culture-fit questions for a small business environment, and (5) 1 wildcard question that reveals problem-solving ability. For each, tell me what a strong answer looks like."

Scenario-Based Questions

"Create 3 realistic work scenarios for a [job title] at my [business type]. Each scenario should test a different skill: [skill 1], [skill 2], and [skill 3]. For each, describe the scenario and ask the candidate how they would handle it. Provide scoring criteria."

Reference Check Questions

"Create a reference check question set for a [job title]. Include: 5 questions about work quality and reliability, 3 questions about teamwork and communication, 2 questions about areas for growth, and 1 question about whether they'd hire this person again. Keep it conversational."

4. Onboarding New Hires

Welcome Email

"Write a welcome email for a new [job title] starting on [date]. Include: warm welcome, first-day logistics (arrival time, parking, what to bring), who they'll meet, what their first week looks like, and what they should do before day 1 (if anything). Keep it friendly and organized."

First-Week Onboarding Plan

"Create a detailed 5-day onboarding plan for a new [job title] at my [business type]. For each day, include: morning priorities, training activities, who they should meet, tasks to complete, and end-of-day reflection questions. Balance learning with hands-on work."

Training Materials

"Create an onboarding checklist for [job title] covering: (1) tools and software they need access to, (2) key processes to learn, (3) people they need to meet, (4) documents to review, (5) first-month goals, and (6) performance review timeline. Format as a checkbox list."

30-60-90 Day Plan

"Create a 30-60-90 day performance plan for a new [job title]. For each milestone: (1) learning goals, (2) performance expectations, (3) specific deliverables, and (4) metrics for success. Make it ambitious but achievable for a small business environment."

5. Employee Handbook Essentials

"Create an outline for a simple employee handbook for my small [business type]. Cover: company values, work hours and attendance, dress code, communication guidelines, performance expectations, time off policy, confidentiality, and termination conditions. Keep it simple—this is for a business with under 10 employees."

Compliance Note

Next: the 10 prompt templates you can start using immediately.