AI prompting do's + don't's: Writing a job description for recruiters

The best recruiters have their pick of opportunities. They're not just looking for another role. They evaluate which companies offer the most compelling recruiting challenges, growth trajectory, and business impact. Yet most recruiter job descriptions read like copy-paste templates that could apply to any company in any industry.

AI can help you write job descriptions that attract top recruiting talent. But only if you give it the proper context to work with.

The difference between a generic AI-generated job description and one that attracts top recruiting talent is context. AI agents are generalists who can write everything from poetry to strategy documents, but they don't understand what drives great recruiters or what makes your specific opportunity worth pursuing. Without proper guidance, you'll get output that reads like every other posting on LinkedIn.

The don'ts: How generic prompts fall flat

Here's what happens when you use a basic prompt like "Write a job description for a recruiter position":

"We are looking for a recruiter to join our team. You'll source candidates, manage the interview process, and work with hiring managers to fill open positions. The ideal candidate has 3-5 years of recruiting experience and strong communication skills."

This description tells recruiters what the job involves, but not why they'd want it. Hundreds of companies could post the duplicate content, and an experienced recruiter has no compelling reason to choose your opportunity over others.

The same problem applies when you get more specific. A prompt like "Write a job description for a senior technical recruiter" produces requirements-focused content that fails to differentiate your company or connect recruiting work to meaningful business outcomes.

The do's: Context-rich prompting for stronger results

Transform your AI output by providing comprehensive context about your company, recruiting challenges, and ideal candidates. Here's how to write an effective prompt:

• Include company context: Share your company stage, growth trajectory, and what you're building. Instead of just "recruiter," try: "Write a job description for a senior technical recruiter at our cybersecurity startup (Series B, 120 employees) that's scaling engineering from 25 to 60 people in the next 18 months."

• Define the recruiting environment: Specify the types of roles, hiring volume, and unique challenges. Are you building entirely new teams? Competing for talent in a specialized market? Working with distributed teams across multiple time zones?

• Describe impact: Connect the recruiting work to business outcomes. For a scaling startup, highlight how the recruiter's success directly impacts product development speed and market competitive advantage.

• Target the right audience: Identify who you're trying to attract. Are you targeting recruiters from high-growth startups who thrive in ambiguous environments? Those with deep technical recruiting experience at larger companies? Recruiters passionate about cybersecurity and protecting digital infrastructure?

Better AI prompting, better results

The output from this detailed prompt leads with opportunity rather than requirements:

"Join [Company]'s mission to protect businesses from evolving cyber threats. As Senior Technical Recruiter, you'll build our engineering organization from the ground up, partnering directly with our CTO to identify and attract the security engineers who will define our product's future. Your recruiting success directly accelerates our ability to stay ahead of emerging threats and protect thousands of businesses."

This description stops people from scrolling because it connects recruiting challenges to meaningful business impact — precisely what experienced recruiters look for when considering their next move.

Advanced AI prompting tips

Iterate and refine: Treat AI like a recruiting partner. If your first result feels too corporate, ask for a more authentic or conversational tone. Request a concise version focused on the most compelling growth opportunities if it's too long.

Show what to avoid: Be explicit about what you don't want. "Don't use buzzwords like 'recruiting rockstar' or 'people person.' Instead of generic HR jargon, focus on business impact and career development opportunities."

Request multiple options: Ask for three versions—one emphasizing the technical recruiting challenges, one highlighting company culture and mission, and one focusing on career growth potential. This gives you options to test different approaches.

Use two-shot prompting: Share examples of job descriptions that have worked well for similar roles at companies in your space. This teaches the AI your specific style and what resonates with your target recruiters.

Why does this matter for recruiting roles?

The recruiters you want aren't just looking for another sourcing job. They want to understand the business impact of their work, the company's growth trajectory, and why this role represents the next step in their career. Experienced recruiters evaluate opportunities based on the recruiting challenges they'll solve, the hiring managers they'll partner with, and the growth they'll enable.

Give AI the complete picture of your company, recruiting challenges, and ideal candidate, and you'll create job descriptions that turn passive job seekers into active applicants.

Stop asking AI to write job descriptions and start asking it to craft compelling reasons for top recruiters to join your team's mission.

Want more AI prompting tips? Watch our on-demand webinar featuring AI prompting experts for advanced techniques to improve your recruiting content.