Most recruiters know AI tools like ChatGPT can help with writing. Fewer have figured out how to use them to meaningfully accelerate sourcing — the part of recruiting that actually determines whether you're talking to the right people.
The difference is in how you prompt. Vague inputs produce generic outputs. Specific, structured prompts produce genuinely useful sourcing strategy. Here are five prompts that experienced recruiters use daily to move faster without cutting corners.
Prompt 1: Source by Skill, Region, and Availability
"I'm sourcing candidates for a [role title] at a [company stage] company in [location]. The core requirements are [3-4 key skills]. Generate five non-obvious sourcing channels I should explore, including online communities, niche job boards, professional associations, and content platforms where this type of person is likely to be active."
This works because it pushes AI beyond the obvious (LinkedIn, Indeed) and into the spaces where less-competed-for talent actually lives — Discord servers, Substack communities, YouTube comment sections, and industry-specific forums.
Prompt 2: Write a High-Converting Job Post
"Write a job posting for a [role title] that is honest, specific, and written from the candidate's perspective rather than the company's. Avoid corporate jargon. Lead with what the candidate will learn and accomplish in their first 90 days. Include the actual salary range. Keep it under 400 words."
Research consistently shows that shorter, candidate-first job postings out-convert traditional format postings. This prompt forces the output in that direction.
Prompt 3: Craft Personalized Outreach
"Here is a LinkedIn profile summary: [paste summary]. Write a three-sentence outreach message for a [role title] opportunity that references something specific from their background and doesn't sound like a template. Avoid starting with 'I hope this finds you well.'"
The specificity of the reference is what makes cold outreach convert. Generic messages get ignored. AI can generate personalized angles faster than humans can, especially at volume.
Prompt 4: Refine the Ideal Candidate Profile
"I'm hiring for a [role title]. Based on the following job description, help me identify the three most important skills that predict success in this role, three skills that commonly appear in resumes but are actually less predictive, and three non-obvious backgrounds that might transfer well."
This prompt helps you challenge and refine your own assumptions about who can do the job — surfacing candidate populations you might not have considered.
Prompt 5: Identify Red Flags in a Profile
"Here is a candidate's LinkedIn profile: [paste profile]. Based on this profile, identify any patterns that might warrant clarification during a screening conversation. Do not make assumptions — flag things worth discussing, not things worth rejecting."
Used responsibly, this prompt helps you prepare better interview questions. It surfaces gaps in experience progression, unexplained tenure changes, or skill claims that warrant verification.
Used together with Braintrust AIR for automated first-round screening, these prompts can significantly compress the time between sourcing and shortlist.