Recruiter
AI Prompts for Structured Interview Questions
Start with Step 1See an example
- Who it is for
- Recruiters, HR generalists and hiring managers who want every candidate for a role to get the same fair, job-related questions, and want interviewers to know what a good answer covers.
- Outcome
- A question set for one role, grouped by the skills the job actually needs, with follow-up probes, notes on what a strong answer covers and a blank scorecard layout. You review it with HR or legal before anyone uses it. No candidate information goes into the chat.
These prompts are plain text, so they work in whichever AI chat tool you use. Paste each step into the same chat so the AI keeps the context from earlier steps.
Step-by-step prompts
How to use it: replace the words in [brackets] with your details, paste Step 1 into your AI tool and answer any questions it asks, then paste the next steps into the same chat. Read and edit the result before you use it.
Step 1
Set the role and the rules
I'm preparing a structured interview for one role. I'll give you the job description or the must-have skills; I won't share anything about candidates. Rules for everything you write in this chat: - Every question must relate directly to a requirement of the job. - Never ask about or hint at age, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, family or marital status, disability or health, genetic information, military or veteran status, citizenship or immigration status, arrest or conviction history, or other protected characteristics, or anything that would reveal them (such as graduation year, maiden name or childcare plans). - Don't write questions about salary history. Here is the role: [PASTE JOB DESCRIPTION OR MUST-HAVE SKILLS]. First, list the 4–6 skills or competencies the job really requires, in plain words. Don't write questions yet.
Step 2
Draft the questions
For each competency, write 2 questions: - One behavioral question ("Tell me about a time you…") - One situational question based on a realistic task from this job ("How would you handle…") Keep every question open-ended, job-related and answerable by someone from any background. Flag any question you're unsure about so I can check it with HR.Step 3
Add probes and what a strong answer covers
For each question, add: - 2 neutral follow-up probes (for example, "What did you do next?" or "What would you change?") - 2–3 bullet points describing what a strong answer covers, based only on the job requirements Don't describe ideal candidates by personality, background or "culture fit". Describe observable things they would explain or show.
Step 4
Build a blank scorecard
Create a blank scorecard I can copy into a document: one row per competency, a rating scale from 1 to 4 with a one-line description of each level for that competency, and a notes column for what the candidate actually said. Add a reminder at the top: rate each answer against the job requirements, take notes during the interview, and score before discussing with other interviewers.
Step 5
Review the set for fairness
Review the full question set and scorecard as an HR reviewer would. List any question that: - isn't clearly tied to a job requirement - could lead a candidate to reveal a protected characteristic - assumes a particular background, schedule or life situation - is so vague that interviewers would score it differently Suggest a replacement for each one. Then give me the final set.
Example of good output
Illustrative example, fictional role; not real interview data or model output:
Competency: Prioritizing a busy workload (Office coordinator)
Behavioral question: Tell me about a time several urgent requests landed at once. How did you decide what to do first?
Probes: What did you tell the people who had to wait? What would you do differently?
A strong answer covers:
- How they judged urgency and impact
- How they communicated changes in timing
- What they learned or changed afterward
Scorecard row: Prioritizing | 1–4 | Notes: ________
Tips and pitfalls
- Have HR or legal review the set. Employment laws differ by country and state. Check the final questions with your HR team or employment counsel before using them.
- Ask every candidate the same core questions. A consistent set is fairer and makes comparisons meaningful. Follow-up probes can vary with the answer.
- Keep candidates out of the chat. Use an AI tool your organization allows, and don't paste resumes, names or interview notes. These prompts are for preparing questions, not for evaluating people.
- People make the decision. The scorecard helps interviewers organize their own notes. Hiring decisions stay with the interview team, following your company's process.
- Watch for "culture fit" wording. Replace it with specific, job-related behaviors so it can't become a cover for bias.
FAQ
How is this different from the HR manager job descriptions playbook?
The HR manager job descriptions playbook helps you write the posting. This one starts from that posting and builds the interview questions and scorecard for it.
Can the AI score candidates' answers for me?
These prompts deliberately stop at preparing questions and a blank scorecard. Interviewers score answers themselves, so the decision stays with people who can explain it.
Can I use this for internal promotions?
Yes, the same approach works. Base the questions on the requirements of the new role, and check with HR about any internal process you need to follow.