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 — Model HR Operating Model Scenarios
Replace everything in brackets before you run it.
Help me pressure-test HR operating model options.
Current state: [structure, headcount, what works, what breaks, and the undocumented workarounds holding it together]
What is driving the change: [cost / speed / consistency /capability / growth]
Primary constraint: [the one thing that matters most]
Volumes: [requisitions, cases, employees, whatever you track]
Fixed constraints: [budget, systems, geography, union agreements]
Model 2-3 genuinely different options. For each:
- How the work is divided, and what each part owns.
- What gets better, specifically.
- What gets worse, specifically — do not tell me an option has no downside.
- What falls between the boxes and would need someone to explicitly own it.
- What this model assumes about manager capability, system quality, or data hygiene that may not be true for us.
- Rough transition cost and time and where the productivity dip lands.
Then trace these through each option and tell me where theyvbreak: [a grievance / a hiring surge / a policy change / an acquisition / a routine employee query]
Rules:
- Do not present a preferred option with weak alternatives.
- Do not invent benchmarks, ratios, or industry standards.
- Be direct about downsides.
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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