Quick Prompts: Recruitment
Real-time AI assistance for interviewers, hiring managers, and recruiters evaluating candidates.
Recruitment quick prompts help you conduct more effective interviews and make better hiring decisions. Whether you're a seasoned interviewer or occasionally helping with hiring, these prompts help you assess candidates fairly, dig into important areas, and ensure you're making well-informed decisions.
Each goal category supports a different aspect of the recruitment process. Use "First Impressions" for initial assessment, "Dig Deeper" to probe beyond surface-level answers, and "Close Strong" to end interviews professionally while gathering final insights.
Goal: First Impressions
When this applies: You're forming initial assessments about the candidate's fit for the role. First impressions matter, but you also need to ensure you're evaluating fairly and looking beneath the surface.
Ideal settings: Early stages of interviews, screening calls, first-round assessments, when you're getting oriented to the candidate.
💡Do they fit this role?
What it does: Analyzes what the candidate has shared about their experience and skills, comparing it to what you're looking for to assess basic fit.
When to use it:
You want to check your initial assessment of candidate-role alignment
The candidate's background is complex and you need to map it to your needs
You want to identify gaps you should probe further
You need to quickly assess whether to continue investing time
Example scenario: You're interviewing for a senior product manager role. The candidate has an interesting background spanning consulting, operations, and product—but does it add up to what you need? You want an objective assessment of fit based on what they've shared.
What to expect: An analysis of how the candidate's stated experience and skills align with the role requirements, including areas of strong fit and potential gaps worth exploring.
💡Why are they looking?
What it does: Analyzes the candidate's stated and implied reasons for seeking a new job, assessing whether their motivations make sense and align with what you're offering.
When to use it:
You want to understand what's really driving their job search
Their reasons for leaving seem vague or rehearsed
You want to assess whether this role meets their actual needs
You're checking for red flags in their motivation
Example scenario: The candidate said they're "looking for new challenges" and "ready for the next step," but these are generic responses. What's really driving them away from their current role? Is what they're seeking something you can actually provide?
What to expect: An analysis of their stated and implied motivations, including whether they seem genuine, whether your opportunity addresses their needs, and any concerns worth probing.
💡Something feels off
What it does: Helps you identify inconsistencies, vague answers, or potential red flags in what the candidate has shared—things worth investigating further.
When to use it:
Your gut tells you something doesn't add up
Answers seem evasive or overly polished
You want to make sure you're not missing something important
You need help articulating what's bothering you
Example scenario: The candidate presents well, but something feels off. They glossed over their departure from their last role, their timeline has some gaps, and their examples seem to lack specificity. You want help identifying what to probe.
What to expect: Identification of specific inconsistencies, vague areas, or potential concerns in what's been shared, along with suggestions for how to probe them professionally.
💡Are they interested?
What it does: Assesses the candidate's genuine interest level in the opportunity based on their engagement, questions, and enthusiasm.
When to use it:
You need to gauge how serious they are about your opportunity
You're competing for talent and need to know where you stand
Their enthusiasm seems either too low or suspiciously high
You want to calibrate how hard to sell the role
Example scenario: The interview is going well technically, but the candidate hasn't asked many questions about the role, team, or company. Are they genuinely interested, or are they just going through the motions?
What to expect: An assessment of their apparent interest level based on their questions, engagement, and enthusiasm, along with suggestions for how to gauge or increase their interest.
Goal: Dig Deeper
When this applies: You need to get beyond surface-level responses to understand the candidate's true capabilities, experiences, and fit. Good interviewing means probing past rehearsed answers.
Ideal settings: Technical deep-dives, behavioral interviews, any situation where you need to verify claims or understand specifics.
💡Tell me more about that
What it does: Suggests follow-up questions to explore an interesting or important point the candidate mentioned, helping you get beyond surface-level responses.
When to use it:
The candidate mentioned something worth exploring in more depth
Their answer was interesting but lacked specific detail
You want to understand their role in a project or achievement
You need to verify the depth of their experience
Example scenario: The candidate mentioned they "led the digital transformation initiative" at their previous company. That could mean anything from driving strategy to attending meetings. You need questions that reveal what they actually did.
What to expect: Specific follow-up questions designed to elicit concrete details about their actual contribution, decision-making, and impact.
💡Are they hands-on?
What it does: Helps you determine whether the candidate is actually doing the work or primarily managing/overseeing it—understanding their real day-to-day involvement.
When to use it:
You need someone who can execute, not just manage
Their seniority makes you wonder about their current skill level
Titles can be misleading and you need to understand actual work
The role requires hands-on contribution, not just leadership
Example scenario: You're hiring a senior developer who needs to write code, not just review it. The candidate has impressive titles but you're not sure how hands-on they've been recently. What questions will reveal their actual technical involvement?
What to expect: Questions designed to distinguish between hands-on execution and oversight, revealing what the candidate actually does day-to-day.
💡Numbers don't add up
What it does: Helps you politely probe inconsistencies in timelines, numbers, or claims that don't quite make sense.
When to use it:
Dates, numbers, or facts seem inconsistent
Their claims seem exaggerated or implausible
You need to verify without being accusatory
Something in their story doesn't match up
Example scenario: The candidate claims they grew revenue by 300% in 18 months in a mature market. That's remarkable if true—but also worth verifying. How can you probe this claim without seeming suspicious or hostile?
What to expect: Tactful questions that seek clarification or verification of claims that seem inconsistent, framed professionally rather than accusatorially.
💡Check that skill
What it does: Suggests a scenario or question that would reveal the true depth of a skill the candidate claims to have.
When to use it:
The candidate claims expertise you need to verify
You suspect their stated skill level might be inflated
This skill is critical to the role's success
You want to distinguish theoretical knowledge from practical ability
Example scenario: The candidate says they're "expert" in data analysis and decision modeling. You need someone who can actually do this work, not just talk about it. What scenario or question would reveal their real capability?
What to expect: A scenario, problem, or question designed to test the claimed skill in a realistic way, revealing actual competence rather than just familiarity.
Goal: Team & Culture
When this applies: You're assessing how the candidate would work with your team and fit your culture. Skills matter, but so does how someone collaborates, communicates, and handles workplace dynamics.
Ideal settings: Culture fit interviews, leadership assessments, team dynamics discussions, when assessing soft skills and work style.
💡How do they lead?
What it does: Helps you understand the candidate's leadership and collaboration style—how they work with others, manage conflict, and drive results through people.
When to use it:
The role involves leading or influencing others
You want to understand their management philosophy
You need to assess how they handle difficult people situations
Team dynamics are critical to success
Example scenario: You're hiring a team lead. The candidate has the technical skills, but you need to understand how they handle difficult conversations, develop team members, and navigate conflict. What questions will reveal their real leadership approach?
What to expect: Questions designed to reveal leadership style, with suggestions for what to listen for in their responses.
💡Will they fit in?
What it does: Assesses cultural alignment based on how the candidate communicates, what they value, and how they describe past work environments.
When to use it:
Culture fit is important to team success
You want to predict how they'll integrate with your team
You need to identify potential culture clashes early
Their communication style seems notably different from your team's
Example scenario: Your team is collaborative, transparent, and moves fast. The candidate comes from a more formal, hierarchical environment. Will they adapt, or will there be friction? What signals can you look for?
What to expect: An assessment of cultural alignment based on how they've described their preferences, work style, and past environments, along with potential areas of fit or friction.
💡Pressure test
What it does: Suggests questions to understand how the candidate handles stress, pressure, and difficult situations—critical for demanding roles.
When to use it:
The role involves high-pressure situations
You need someone who stays calm under stress
Past performance under pressure predicts future behavior
You want to go beyond hypotheticals to real examples
Example scenario: You're hiring for a customer-facing role where things regularly go wrong and emotions run high. You need someone who can stay professional and solve problems under pressure. How can you assess this reliably?
What to expect: Questions designed to elicit real examples of handling pressure, along with what to listen for in their responses.
💡Remote work style
What it does: Helps you assess the candidate's ability to work effectively in remote or hybrid environments—their communication, self-management, and collaboration approaches.
When to use it:
The role involves remote or hybrid work
Self-direction and communication are critical
You've had issues with remote workers in the past
You need to assess their remote work readiness
Example scenario: Your team is fully remote. You need someone who can thrive without in-person supervision, communicate proactively, and maintain productivity from home. How can you assess their remote work capabilities?
What to expect: Questions and assessment criteria for remote work effectiveness, including communication style, self-management, and collaboration in distributed teams.
Goal: Practical Matters
When this applies: You need to address the practical aspects of the opportunity—compensation, availability, logistics—without making the conversation awkward.
Ideal settings: Later stages of interviews, offer discussions, when you need to qualify candidates on practical criteria.
💡Let's talk money
What it does: Suggests natural ways to bring up compensation discussions and understand the candidate's expectations and current situation.
When to use it:
You need to qualify on budget before going further
Compensation hasn't been discussed and should be
You want to handle the money conversation professionally
You need to understand their expectations without anchoring
Example scenario: You're nearing the end of a promising interview but haven't discussed compensation. You need to ensure alignment before investing more time. How do you bring this up naturally?
What to expect: Natural, professional ways to raise compensation discussions that get you clear information without creating awkwardness.
💡When can they start?
What it does: Helps you understand the candidate's availability, notice period, and any constraints that might affect their start date.
When to use it:
You need to fill the role by a certain date
Notice periods or commitments could affect timing
You want to understand their situation without applying pressure
Start date flexibility is important for your planning
Example scenario: The candidate seems great, but you need someone to start within 6 weeks. They're currently employed and you need to understand their notice period and any flexibility. How can you explore this sensitively?
What to expect: Ways to understand their availability and constraints without seeming pushy, including how to discuss notice periods and start date flexibility.
💡Location check
What it does: Helps you confirm the candidate's thoughts on location, relocation, travel requirements, or remote work arrangements.
When to use it:
The role has specific location requirements
Relocation or travel might be involved
Their current location doesn't obviously align with the role
You need to confirm their flexibility on location
Example scenario: The candidate currently lives in a different city. Your role is hybrid and requires some in-office time. You need to understand their situation—are they willing to relocate? What are their constraints?
What to expect: Questions to clarify location preferences and constraints, along with how to discuss relocation or travel requirements professionally.
💡Other interviews?
What it does: Helps you understand where the candidate is in their job search, what other opportunities they're considering, and your competitive position.
When to use it:
You're competing for the candidate and need to know the timeline
You want to understand your competition
You need to calibrate urgency in your process
You want to know what they're comparing you to
Example scenario: The candidate seems great, and you don't want to lose them. You need to understand their timeline and other opportunities without seeming desperate or pushy. How do you ask about this professionally?
What to expect: Comfortable ways to ask about their job search status and other opportunities that provide useful competitive intelligence.
Goal: Close Strong
When this applies: You're wrapping up the interview and want to ensure a positive conclusion—addressing concerns, selling the opportunity to strong candidates, and setting clear expectations for next steps.
Ideal settings: End of interviews, when you want to leave strong candidates excited, when concerns have been raised that need addressing.
💡Handle their concern
What it does: Helps you address concerns or reservations the candidate has raised about the role or company, responding honestly while presenting the opportunity positively.
When to use it:
The candidate has expressed hesitation or concerns
You want to address issues before they become deal-breakers
You need to be honest while still selling the opportunity
Their concern is valid and needs a thoughtful response
Example scenario: The candidate asked about work-life balance, and you can tell they've heard rumors about long hours. This is a valid concern—you do have demanding periods. How do you address this honestly while keeping them interested?
What to expect: Guidance on addressing their specific concern with honesty and positivity, acknowledging the reality while presenting the full picture.
💡Sell the opportunity
What it does: Helps you emphasize the aspects of the role and company that are most likely to appeal to this particular candidate based on what you've learned about their priorities.
When to use it:
You've decided this candidate is strong and want to close them
You need to compete against other offers
You want to end the interview with them excited about the opportunity
Their interests have become clear and you can tailor your pitch
Example scenario: This is a great candidate and you want them on the team. Based on the interview, they care most about growth opportunities, working with smart people, and interesting problems. How can you pitch the role to match what they're looking for?
What to expect: A tailored pitch for this specific candidate, emphasizing the elements of your opportunity that best match their stated priorities and interests.
💡Set expectations
What it does: Helps you clearly communicate next steps in the process, setting appropriate expectations for timeline and what comes next.
When to use it:
The interview is ending and you need to explain what's next
You want to keep them engaged through the process
Clarity on next steps reduces uncertainty for good candidates
You want to be professional and organized in your closing
Example scenario: You're ending the interview and need to explain what happens next. There are two more rounds, a take-home assignment, and a final team interview. How do you communicate this clearly without overwhelming them?
What to expect: Clear, professional language for explaining your process and setting expectations, keeping candidates engaged while being transparent about what's ahead.
💡End on a high note
What it does: Suggests ways to wrap up the interview positively, leaving the candidate with a good impression regardless of the outcome.
When to use it:
You want to end the interview professionally and warmly
First impressions matter—so do last impressions
You want candidates to feel good about your company
A positive close keeps good candidates engaged
Example scenario: The interview has gone well and you want to end on a high note. You want the candidate to leave feeling excited and respected, regardless of whether an offer ultimately comes. How do you close strong?
What to expect: A positive, professional way to close the interview that leaves the candidate with good feelings about the experience and your company.