SHRM developed this guide using the same general-purpose AI tools it describes. The prompts are intended as starting points and may need to be adapted, reviewed, and validated for your specific use case.
AI can help you get more done with the HR work you already do, from drafting and summarizing to organizing information and generating ideas. But it does not know your organization, your people, your policies, or your obligations unless you provide that context. This prompt gives you a starting point, with space to add the unique information AI needs to support your work.
Prompt 1 — Auditing Job Description Template (Optional)
Skip this if your job description template is already in good shape. If you have never looked at it critically, start here — the fix carries into every description you write afterward.
I am going to paste the standard job description template my organization uses. Review it critically.
Tell me:
- Any phrasing that is vague, dated, or generic boilerplate that adds nothing about the role.
- Any language that is exclusionary — gendered wording, ageist signals, ableist phrasing, or assumptions about background, schedule, or physical ability.
- Any structural element that is missing, such as where location or work arrangement should sit.
For each issue: quote the exact text, explain the problem in one sentence, and give me a replacement.
Do not rewrite the whole template. I want a list I can work through and decide on. Flag anything you are unsure about rather than making the change silently.
Here is the template:
[PASTE TEMPLATE]
Prompt 2 — Drafting Job Descriptions
Replace everything in brackets before you the prompt.
Write a job description for [TITLE] at [ORGANIZATION], a [SIZE]-person [INDUSTRY] organization.
Use this template structure exactly:
[PASTE YOUR CORRECTED TEMPLATE]
Inputs from the role's supervisor:
[PASTE NOTES]
Rules:
- Open with what this person will accomplish in a year, not a list of tasks.
- Write requirements as demonstrable skills, not years of experience. or degrees, unless the credential is legally required for the role.
- Maximum 8 responsibilities and 6 requirements.
- Plain language at a 9th-grade reading level, no internal acronyms.
- No gendered, ageist, ableist, or other exclusionary phrasing.
- Do not invent reporting lines or team size.
After the draft, list this separately:
(a) any requirement you included that could present a legal compliance challenge.
(b) anything in my notes that was too vague to use.
Write in plain, everyday language. Do not use jargon or invented terms; if a simpler word exists, use it.
Optional, if available: give the AI your organization's style guide, brand voice guide, or writing standards document alongside this prompt so the output matches how we write.
Check Before You Publish
Before you publish, review the AI-generated draft carefully. You are responsible for the final version.
- Check facts, figures, dates, requirements, and other details against the information you supplied or the original source.
- Paste in any legally required or compliance-sensitive language yourself. Do not let AI generate it.
- Confirm nothing was invented, assumed, or taken out of context.
- Verify that the final version reflects your organization, your audience, and the purpose of the work.
Use your judgement as an HR professional. AI can assist with the work, but you make the final call. Looking for more prompts? Explore the AI Prompts Guide for HR for more prompts and templates to support your HR work.
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