Write a job post that gets better applicants

Who it's for

Owners hiring their first or fifth employee, for any role: counter staff, a helper, a front-desk coordinator, a stylist, an apprentice.

The situation today

• The post is a list of adjectives ('self-starter, team player') copied from somewhere else, so it draws applicants who can't do the job and misses the ones who can.
• It's written late at night, leaves out pay and schedule, and the same questions come back by phone.
• Rough estimate: 1 to 2 hours to write a post from scratch, plus the time sorting applicants who were never a fit.

Time figures marked "rough estimate" are our estimates, not survey data.

The AI-assisted workflow

Step by step

1. Answer five questions in plain words: What will this person do on a normal day? What must they already know? What can you teach? What are the pay and schedule? Why would someone like working for you?
2. Paste your answers into the prompt below.
3. Cut anything that isn't true about the job. Add the pay range, and check whether your state requires one.
4. Add one short screening question from the draft (for example: 'Tell us about a time you dealt with an unhappy customer'). It sorts applicants faster than resumes.
5. Ask a current employee to read it and tell you what's missing or wrong.

Write a job post for a [job title] at my [type of business] in [town].
A normal day: [what they actually do]
Must already have: [skills, licenses, physical requirements that are truly required]
We'll train: [what you can teach]
Pay and schedule: [range, hours, days]
Why work here: [honest reasons: steady hours, tips, training, small team, etc.]

Format: a 2-sentence intro, 'What you'll do' (4-6 bullets), 'What you need' (only the must-haves), 'What we offer', 'How to apply'.
Also write one screening question that would show whether someone can do this job.
Rules: plain language, under 300 words, no buzzwords like 'rockstar' or 'fast-paced family'. Don't add requirements or perks I didn't list. Avoid any wording about age, gender, or other personal traits; describe the work and the skills only.

Works in any AI chat assistant. Replace everything in [brackets].

Watch-outs

• Job ads can't show a preference for, or discourage, applicants based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The EEOC gives 'recent college graduates' as an example that may violate the law. Read the draft for words like 'young', 'energetic' or 'digital native'.
• Some states require a pay range in job posts; Colorado, for example, requires compensation in every posting. Check your state's labor department.
• Don't paste a current or past employee's name, pay or performance details into the AI to 'describe the role'.

When not to use AI

• Screening or ranking real applicants' resumes with AI. It can carry bias you can't see, and you'd be accountable for it. Read every application yourself.
• Writing an offer letter or contract without review by your attorney or HR advisor.

Educational content, not legal, tax or financial advice.