The HR Writing Problem

HR professionals are among the heaviest writers in any organization — and also the least likely to have dedicated writing support. Job descriptions, offer letters, performance improvement plans, policy updates, termination documentation, and culture communications all land on the HR desk. Most of it is repetitive, time-consuming, and high-stakes (legal exposure is real).

AI handles the first draft of all of it. The key is giving it the employee context, company context, and tone constraints it needs to produce something you can actually use — not just a generic template that reads like it came from a 2008 HR handbook.

⚡ Important: AI + HR = First Draft Only

AI-generated HR content is a first draft. Always review for legal compliance, company policy alignment, and sensitivity — especially for performance management, disciplinary actions, and terminations. These prompts are designed to save you drafting time, not replace your professional judgment.

Job Description Prompts

Job descriptions written by AI alone tend to be generic and full of buzzwords. The key is front-loading the specific skills, team context, and company culture so AI produces something that actually attracts the right candidates — not just anyone who can fog a mirror.

Bad Prompt
Write a job description for a marketing manager.
Good Prompt
Write a job description for a Senior Growth Marketing Manager at a B2B SaaS company (150 employees, Series B, project management software). The role owns paid acquisition (Google, LinkedIn), SEO strategy, and conversion rate optimization. Reports to VP Marketing. Team: 2 direct reports (a content marketer and a paid ads specialist). Must-have skills: 5+ years B2B growth experience, strong analytics (proficient in Mixpanel or Amplitude), experience managing $500K+ annual ad budgets. Nice-to-have: experience in PLG (product-led growth) motions. Company culture: data-driven, async-first, no-fluff. Tone: direct and specific — avoid generic phrases like "fast-paced environment" and "collaborative team player." Include: job title, 1 paragraph about the role, 5 key responsibilities, 5 must-have qualifications, 3 nice-to-have, and a brief company intro. Use plain language.

Performance Review Prompts

Writing performance reviews is one of the most time-consuming HR tasks. Managers often struggle to translate vague impressions into concrete, fair, and actionable language. AI can help — given specific examples and behavioral observations.

Bad Prompt
Write a performance review for a good employee.
Good Prompt
Write a mid-year performance review for a software engineer (senior level, 3 years at the company). Key accomplishments this half: led the refactor of the authentication service (reduced load time by 40%), mentored 2 junior engineers, and was the primary on-call engineer for 3 production incidents — all resolved within SLA. Areas for development: tends to work in isolation on complex problems rather than pulling in teammates early; has missed 2 sprint planning meetings without notice. Overall performance: Meets Expectations, trending toward Exceeds in H2. Tone: balanced, constructive, specific — avoid vague phrases. Format: 3 sections (Strengths, Development Areas, Goals for H2). Each section 3-4 sentences. Use behavioral language (what they did, what impact it had), not personality judgments.

Difficult Conversation Scripts

HR is often called in to support managers having hard conversations — performance issues, policy violations, or behavioral concerns. AI can help you draft talking points that are direct without being harsh, and compliant without being cold.

Good Prompt — Difficult Conversation Prep
Help me prepare talking points for a conversation with an employee about chronic lateness. Facts: The employee (individual contributor, 2 years with the company) has been late to work 11 times in the past 6 weeks, typically arriving 20–40 minutes after their scheduled 9am start. This has been informally flagged twice. This meeting is the first formal discussion. The employee is generally a good performer in their role. Goals for the meeting: (1) make clear this is a formal conversation and lateness must improve, (2) understand if there are any underlying circumstances we should accommodate, (3) agree on a specific improvement standard for the next 30 days. Write: an opening statement (30 seconds, direct but not aggressive), 3-4 discussion questions to understand their perspective, the specific improvement standard I'll communicate, and how to close the conversation with a clear next step. Avoid legalese.
Good Prompt — Employee Communication on Policy Change
Write a company-wide email announcing a change to our remote work policy. Current policy: fully remote, no in-office requirement. New policy: hybrid — employees must be in the office Tuesday and Thursday each week, starting April 1, 2026. Context: The decision was made by the executive team due to collaboration and culture reasons. Some employees will react negatively. There are no exceptions except for employees with approved medical accommodations. Tone: empathetic but firm — this is a decision, not a consultation. Include: what is changing and when, the reason (briefly, without over-explaining), what hasn't changed, what employees should do if they have questions, and what the accommodation process looks like for those who need it. Keep it under 350 words.

Onboarding Plan Prompts

A structured 30-60-90 day onboarding plan sets new hires up for success and reduces early attrition. AI can draft the plan framework once you provide the role context and team structure.

Good Prompt — 30-60-90 Day Onboarding Plan
Create a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan for a new Head of Customer Success joining a B2B SaaS company (200 employees, $12M ARR, 150 enterprise customers). The role owns the entire post-sales lifecycle: onboarding, adoption, renewals, and expansion. They'll manage a team of 8 CSMs. Key context: the team is struggling with renewal forecasting accuracy and has a 78% gross retention rate (target is 85%). The new hire comes from a larger company and will need to adjust to a leaner, more hands-on environment. Structure: for each 30-day phase, list 5-6 specific goals/milestones, key relationships to build, deliverables expected, and a success metric that indicates they're on track. Format as a structured plan with headers and bullet points.

Policy Writing Prompts

HR policies need to be clear, consistent, and comprehensive — but most HR teams don't have time to write them from scratch. AI can produce a solid first draft that you then review and adapt to your specific company context and jurisdiction.

Good Prompt — Policy First Draft
Draft a company expense reimbursement policy for a 200-person tech company. Key parameters: reimbursable categories include business travel (economy class only, prior approval required for trips over $500), client meals (up to $75 per person, max $300 per meal), home office equipment (up to $500 annually, one-time $1,000 for new hires), professional development (up to $1,500 annually with manager approval). Non-reimbursable: alcohol (except at company events), personal items, fines or penalties. Process: employees submit via Expensify within 30 days of expense, manager approval within 5 business days, finance processes by end of month. Tone: professional but conversational — this will be read by all employees. Sections needed: purpose, scope, reimbursable expenses by category, non-reimbursable expenses, submission process, approval process. Approximately 400 words.

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