Prompt Engineering for HR — Write Better Prompts for Recruitment, L&D, and Policy

Beyond Basic Prompts: Why HR Needs Prompt Engineering

Most HR professionals type simple requests into ChatGPT and get generic results. Prompt engineering is the skill of crafting instructions that produce specific, high-quality outputs tailored to your exact needs.

The difference is dramatic. A basic prompt produces a generic job description. An engineered prompt produces a job description with inclusive language, specific competencies, correct salary benchmarks, and your company's tone of voice.

Core Prompt Engineering Techniques for HR

Technique 1: Role Prompting

Tell the AI to assume a specific expert persona before answering.

Basic prompt: "Write interview questions for a marketing manager."

Engineered prompt:

You are a senior HR consultant with 15 years of experience in talent acquisition for technology companies in Southeast Asia. You specialise in competency-based interviewing. Generate 8 interview questions for a Marketing Manager role at a B2B SaaS company in Singapore. For each question, specify: the competency being assessed, what a strong answer looks like, and a red flag answer.

Technique 2: Constraint-Based Prompting

Set explicit boundaries on format, length, tone, and content.

Example for policy writing:

Draft a Remote Work Policy for a Malaysian financial services company with 200 employees. Constraints:

• Maximum 2 pages (A4)
• Plain language (avoid legal jargon)
• Must reference Malaysia Employment Act 1955 where relevant
• Include a table summarising eligibility by role type
• Tone: professional but approachable
• Include sections: Purpose, Eligibility, Equipment, Working Hours, Performance, Data Security

Technique 3: Chain-of-Thought for Complex Analysis

Break complex tasks into sequential reasoning steps.

Example for compensation benchmarking:

I need to assess whether our compensation package for a Senior Software Engineer in Singapore is competitive. Think through this step by step:

1. First, identify the relevant market benchmarks for this role in Singapore (2025-2026 data)
2. Then, compare our package: base S$8,500/month + 2 months bonus + stock options worth S$20,000/year
3. Analyse each component separately (base, bonus, equity)
4. Finally, recommend adjustments and explain your reasoning

Technique 4: Few-Shot Examples

Show the AI examples of the output quality you expect.

Example for job descriptions:

Write a job description for a Data Analyst following this format:

[Example — Senior Marketing Manager] Role: Senior Marketing Manager Department: Marketing | Reports to: CMO | Location: Singapore Impact: Lead demand generation strategy that drives 40% of company revenue Responsibilities: [3-5 bullet points starting with action verbs] Requirements: [4-6 requirements, each with specific benchmarks] Nice-to-haves: [2-3 items] Why join us: [2 sentences on culture and growth]

Now write one for: Data Analyst, Analytics team, reports to Head of Analytics, Singapore office.

HR-Specific Prompt Templates

Recruitment

Sourcing message:

Write a LinkedIn InMail to a passive candidate for a [Role] position. The candidate currently works at [Current Company] as [Current Role]. Our key differentiators are: [list 3]. Maximum 150 words. Tone: professional, not salesy. Include a specific compliment about their background.

Interview scorecard:

Create an interview scorecard for a [Role] position. Include 6 competencies: [list them]. For each competency, provide: the assessment question, a 1-5 rating scale with descriptions for each level, and space for interviewer notes. Output as a table.

Learning & Development

Training programme design:

Design a 3-month leadership development programme for first-time managers in a [Industry] company. Think step by step:

1. What are the top 5 skills new managers need?
2. For each skill, design a learning module (objective, format, duration, assessment)
3. Create a monthly schedule that balances learning with work
4. Suggest 3 metrics to measure programme effectiveness Output the full programme in a structured table format.

Employee Engagement

Survey analysis:

Analyse these engagement survey results using the following framework:

1. Group responses into themes (categorise by: leadership, compensation, growth, culture, workload)
2. For each theme, calculate the sentiment (positive/neutral/negative)
3. Identify the top 3 strengths and top 3 improvement areas
4. For each improvement area, suggest 2 evidence-based interventions
5. Prioritise interventions by impact (high/medium/low) and effort (high/medium/low)

Data: [paste anonymised survey data]

Policy Development

Policy comparison:

Compare these two versions of our AI Usage Policy. For each section, note:

1. What changed
2. Whether the change strengthens or weakens the policy
3. Any gaps or missing considerations
4. Recommended revisions Output as a comparison table with columns: Section, Version 1, Version 2, Assessment, Recommendation

Version 1: [paste] Version 2: [paste]

Common Mistakes HR Professionals Make with Prompts

Mistake 1: Being Too Vague

Bad: "Help me with hiring." Better: "Generate 6 competency-based interview questions for a Finance Manager role at a Singapore bank, focusing on regulatory compliance, team leadership, and stakeholder management."

Mistake 2: Not Specifying Context

Bad: "Write an employee handbook section on leave." Better: "Write the Annual Leave section of an employee handbook for a Malaysian company. Must comply with the Employment Act 1955. Company offers 14 days AL for < 2 years service, 18 days for 2-5 years, 22 days for 5+ years."

Mistake 3: Forgetting the Audience

Bad: "Explain our new benefits package." Better: "Explain our new benefits package in an all-hands presentation script. Audience: 150 employees across 3 countries. Tone: enthusiastic but clear. Highlight the top 3 changes and what they mean for each employee level."

Mistake 4: Not Iterating

The first output is rarely perfect. Good prompt engineering involves refining:

• "Make the tone more formal"
• "Add Malaysian regulatory references"
• "Shorten each section to 100 words maximum"
• "Include a FAQ section with 5 questions"

Building Your HR Prompt Library

Organise your best-performing prompts by category:

1. Recruitment — Job descriptions, screening criteria, interview questions, offer letters
2. Onboarding — Welcome emails, first-week schedules, buddy assignments
3. L&D — Training needs analysis, course design, assessment creation
4. Engagement — Survey analysis, action planning, communication templates
5. Policy — Drafting, comparison, compliance checking
6. Operations — Letters, SOPs, reporting templates

Store these in a shared document (Google Docs, Notion, SharePoint) so the entire HR team can use and improve them.

Related Reading

• ChatGPT for HR — Practical ChatGPT skills for HR professionals
• Prompt Library for HR — Ready-to-use prompts for recruitment, L&D, and engagement
• AI Training for HR Teams — Comprehensive AI training designed for HR departments