How to Write Job Descriptions With AI That Attract Good Hires

Give AI the inputs a good hire actually weighs: what they'll achieve in the first six months, what the work is like day to day, the few genuine must-haves, the pay range, the working pattern and what's hard about the job. Ask for a draft in your voice, then cut generic phrases and inflated requirements. AI supplies fluency; attraction comes from specifics.

Left to itself, AI writes the average job advert: "fast-paced environment", "passionate self-starter", twelve bullet points of requirements and "5+ years' experience". That combination puts off capable people who don't tick every box and attracts people who apply to everything. The model isn't being lazy; it simply has nothing specific to work with. The quality of the advert is decided by the input sheet you give it, which is why most of this tutorial is about the inputs and the edit, not the prompt.

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Job description or job advert? You need both

The two get used interchangeably, but they do different jobs, and asking AI for "a job description" usually produces a muddle of both.

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Write the internal description first, from your notes, then ask AI to turn it into the advert. The advert then can't promise anything the role doesn't include.

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Getting the internal description right with AI

The internal description is the duller document and the one you'll use for longest: in the contract, at the three-month review, when you discuss pay a year later. AI is good at structuring it from rough notes. Ask for four parts: responsibilities with a rough share of time each ("editing client films, about 60%; social cut-downs, 20%; on-set support, 10%; kit and file management, 10%"), what the person decides on their own versus what needs sign-off, who they report to and work with, and how success will be judged at six and twelve months. That last part is the one small firms skip and later regret, because without it a review becomes a conversation about impressions.

Check the shares of time add up to roughly 100% and match what you actually expect. If AI produces a list of 15 responsibilities with no weighting, the job looks bigger and vaguer than it is, and candidates who later see it will wonder which parts matter.

The input sheet that decides the result

Fill this in before opening any AI tool. It takes 30-45 minutes and it's the most valuable half-hour in the whole hiring process. Here's an illustrative sheet for an eight-person video production company hiring a mid-level editor:

ROLE TITLE (as candidates search for it): Video Editor
LEVEL: mid-level (can run an edit alone; doesn't manage others)
PAY: $50,000-$58,000; overtime paid as time off in lieu
PATTERN: full-time; 4 days in the edit suite, 1 flexible; shoots
         occasionally need an editor on set (about 2 days a month)

WHAT THEY'LL DO IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS:
- Cut 3-4 corporate films a month from rushes to final delivery
- Turn each long film into 4-6 social cut-downs
- Own the edit on at least one client project end to end, including
  presenting cuts to the client

WHAT THE WORK IS REALLY LIKE:
- Typical turnaround: 3-5 working days per corporate edit
- 1-2 same-day social cuts a week, often on short notice
- Clients give feedback in timecoded comments; two review rounds is standard

MUST HAVE (be ruthless - 4 or 5 only):
1. Cut complete client projects to deadline (any sector)
2. Fluent in Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve (we use both)
3. Can take client feedback and turn around revisions without drama
4. A showreel or portfolio showing narrative edits, not only montages

NICE TO HAVE (say so in the advert): motion graphics, colour grading,
sound mixing, drone footage experience
NOT REQUIRED: a film degree, a set number of years

WHAT'S HARD ABOUT THE JOB: short-notice social cuts; some clients
change their minds late; shoot days start early
WHY SOMEONE GOOD WOULD WANT IT: variety (12-15 clients a year), own
projects early, a senior editor to learn from, kit budget for training
HOW TO APPLY: showreel link + a 150-word breakdown of one project

The "what's hard" line feels risky to write. It's the most useful filter in the advert: people who hate short-notice work self-select out, and people who thrive on it notice you were honest. Note also the software naming: Adobe's editor is now simply called Adobe Premiere (it dropped "Pro" in early 2026), and DaVinci Resolve is on version 21. Getting the names right is a small signal to candidates that you know the work.

The drafting prompt

Paste the sheet into the prompt, and add a sample of your own writing so the advert sounds like your company rather than a template:

Write a job advert from the input sheet below.
Audience: experienced video editors skimming job listings on a phone.
Structure: 2-line summary with title, pay and working pattern first |
What you'll do in your first six months | What the work is really like
(include the hard parts honestly) | What you need (must-haves only) |
Nice to have | Why join us | How to apply.
Voice: match the tone of the writing sample - plain, direct, warm.
Rules: use only facts from the sheet; don't add requirements, years of
experience, degrees or perks that aren't listed; no clichés such as
"fast-paced", "rockstar", "passionate", "dynamic", "family";
350-500 words.
Writing sample: {{a paragraph from your website's about page}}
Input sheet: {{sheet}}

The "don't add requirements" rule is the one that matters most. Without it, models reliably add a degree, a number of years and three software packages you never mentioned.

What came back, and what to change in it

An illustrative extract of the first draft:

Video Editor | $50,000-$58,000 | Full-time, 4 days in the edit suite

We're looking for a talented Video Editor to join our growing team and
help bring our clients' stories to life. You'll cut 3-4 corporate films
a month and turn each into social content...

What you need
- Proven experience cutting client projects to deadline
- Fluency in Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve
- Excellent communication skills and a keen eye for detail
- A showreel demonstrating narrative editing
- Ability to thrive under pressure

It's good: the summary line is right and the must-haves are mostly faithful. What to change:

• "Talented Video Editor to join our growing team and help bring our clients' stories to life" says nothing. Replace it with a fact: "You'll cut 3-4 corporate films a month for 12-15 different clients a year, and own your first client project within three months."
• "Excellent communication skills and a keen eye for detail" is filler every advert has. The real requirement from the sheet is "take client feedback and turn around revisions without drama". Use that.
• "Ability to thrive under pressure" wasn't on the sheet. The honest version is in "what the work is like": short-notice social cuts. Say that instead and cut the bullet.
• The on-set days are missing from the summary. They affect whether someone can take the job, so they belong in the first lines.

Eight edits that make a fluent draft attractive

Run every AI draft through these. Each comes with an illustrative before and after.

1. Swap adjectives for facts. "Fast-paced studio" becomes "typical turnaround is 3-5 working days per edit, plus one or two same-day social cuts a week."
2. Cut requirements to the real must-haves. A twelve-bullet list becomes four. Everything else moves to "nice to have" with a line saying you don't expect all of it.
3. Replace years with capability. "5+ years' editing experience" becomes "you've cut complete client projects from rushes to delivery." Some people do that in two years; some haven't in ten.
4. State the pay range. "Competitive salary" becomes "$50,000-$58,000". If you can't publish pay, expect fewer and less suitable applicants.
5. Say what's hard. Add one or two honest lines: "Shoot days can start at 6am, about twice a month, with the time given back."
6. Name the actual tools. "Industry-standard software" becomes "Adobe Premiere or DaVinci Resolve (we use both); After Effects is a bonus."
7. Delete the clichés. "Rockstar", "ninja", "work hard, play hard", "we're a family", "self-starter". They attract people who like clichés.
8. Ask for something specific in the application. "Send your CV" becomes "send your showreel and 150 words on one project: the brief, what you did, and what you'd change." That one request tells you more than a CV and discourages mass applicants.

Then do a separate pass for exclusionary wording, the kind that quietly puts off groups of candidates. That's covered properly in writing job adverts with ChatGPT without biased language, so this tutorial won't repeat it.

Five ways AI-written adverts backfire

These are realistic mistakes, each with how it tends to show up. All five get past a quick read, which is why the edit pass needs to be deliberate.

• An invented requirement. Because the sheet mentioned on-set days, the draft added "full driving licence essential". Applications were noticeably thinner, and a strong candidate who travelled by train asked whether it was a deal-breaker. It wasn't; the crew van always has a driver. Check every requirement in the draft against the sheet, line by line.
• A pay range reworded into a ceiling. "$50,000-$58,000" became "up to $58,000". Candidates anchored on the top figure, and two negotiations started from it. Keep the range exactly as written.
• A working pattern softened. "4 days in the edit suite" became "hybrid working". Two shortlisted candidates expected two days at home and dropped out at interview. Vague words in adverts cost you interview slots later.
• A placeholder left in. "[Company name] is an award-winning studio" went live on one job board. It happens more than anyone admits, usually with the version adapted for a second channel. Search every final version for square brackets before posting.
• A promise the job can't keep. The draft added "clear progression to senior editor within 18 months", which nobody had said. If it isn't on the sheet, it isn't in the advert; a new hire will remember that line at their first review.

A second example: a PR consultancy account manager

The same method gives a very different advert in a different business, which is the point. Take an illustrative PR consultancy hiring an account manager. Its input sheet surfaces facts that would never appear in a generic draft: each account manager runs four or five retained clients; about a third of the week is spent on the phone with journalists; news breaks at inconvenient times, so there's an out-of-hours rota roughly one week in six; and the consultancy's clients are mostly in two sectors.

The generic AI draft said "manage a portfolio of clients in a dynamic, fast-moving environment". The edited version says "run four or five retained accounts, mostly in consumer technology and food and drink; expect a third of your week on the phone with journalists and one week in six on the out-of-hours rota, paid as a flat supplement". The first sentence could be any agency. The second tells a good account manager exactly whether this is their job, and tells a weak one that it probably isn't.

The must-haves change too. For the editor, a showreel mattered; for the account manager, the specific ask becomes "tell us about a story you placed: the angle, the journalist you pitched and why". A candidate who can't answer that in 150 words isn't the hire, and the question does the filtering before you read a single CV.

The first two lines do most of the work

On job boards and in search results, candidates see a title and a line or two before deciding whether to click. Three rules:

• Use the title people search for. "Video Editor", not "Storytelling Specialist" or "Post-Production Wizard". If the level matters, add it: "Video Editor (mid-level)".
• Lead with pay and pattern. "Video Editor | $50,000-$58,000 | Full-time, 4 days in studio + 1 flexible | Occasional on-set days". That line alone filters out most mismatches.
• Keep the company introduction for later. Candidates care about the job before the company's history. One sentence about you after the role summary is plenty.

Some platforms offer their own AI drafting when you post; LinkedIn, for instance, has a "Write with AI" option on job posts for some accounts, working from the title and basic details. Treat any platform draft as generic by definition, since it knows nothing about your role that isn't in the title, and paste in your own edited advert instead.

Test the advert before it goes live

Four quick tests, about 20 minutes in total:

1. The swap test. Replace your company name with a competitor's. If the advert still reads as true, it isn't specific enough.
2. The team test. Ask someone who does a similar job in your business: "Is this what the job is really like? What's missing?" They'll spot the missing on-set days or the unmentioned client calls instantly.
3. The candidate role-play. Ask AI to read the advert as three different candidates and say whether each would apply.
4. The count. Count the must-haves (four or five), check the pay is in the first two lines, and check the "how to apply" asks for something specific.

The role-play prompt and an illustrative response:

PROMPT
Read this job advert as each of these candidates and say, in 2-3
sentences each, whether you'd apply and what would make you hesitate:
1. A strong editor with 3 years at an agency, who hates vague adverts
2. A senior editor, 12 years, looking for more stability
3. A career changer with a good showreel from freelance work

RESPONSE (extract)
1. Would apply: the pay, turnaround times and client count are clear.
   Hesitation: "own a client project" - does that include presenting to
   clients? Say so.
2. Probably wouldn't: this reads mid-level and the top of the range is
   below what I'd expect. That's fine if you want mid-level.
3. Would apply, because no degree or years are required. Hesitation: I'm
   not sure a freelance showreel counts as "complete client projects".

Two useful edits came out of that: clarify that presenting cuts to clients is part of the job, and add "freelance projects count" to the first must-have. The senior editor's reaction confirms the advert is pitched where it should be.

Variations for freelance, part-time and senior roles

The same input sheet adapts, but each type of role needs different facts up front:

• Freelance call-out: dates, day rate, number of days, deliverables, and whether kit is supplied. A freelance editor deciding between three bookings wants those five facts in the first three lines, and almost nothing else.
• Part-time role: the exact hours and days, whether they're fixed or flexible, and what happens in busy weeks. "Part-time, flexible" means something different to every reader; "Tuesday to Thursday, 9:30 to 3:00, fixed" doesn't.
• Senior role: less about tasks, more about outcomes and authority: what they'll be responsible for in a year, what decisions are theirs, who they report to, what budget they control. Senior candidates skip adverts that list duties.

For roles that are shaped around AI tools, such as an admin assistant expected to run automations, the tutorial on writing a job advert for an AI-savvy admin assistant covers what to ask for. And if AI is changing the role itself, redesigning job roles once AI handles routine tasks is worth reading before you write the brief.

Did it attract good hires? Check after two weeks

Don't judge an advert by the number of applications. Judge it by how many applicants you'd genuinely consider. After the first week or two, check:

• Share meeting all must-haves. If only a small fraction of applicants meet them, the advert or the channel is wrong; if nearly everyone does, your must-haves may be too loose to help.
• Quality of the specific ask. Were the 150-word project breakdowns thoughtful? If most are thin, the request may need a clearer example.
• Where the good ones came from. Tag each application's source. It usually turns out that one or two channels produce most of the strong candidates.
• What the shortlist said. Ask shortlisted candidates at interview what made them apply. The answer is often a single line in the advert, which tells you what to keep next time.

Keep the input sheet, prompt and final advert together. The next hire starts from them, and the one after that. The advert is one stage of a longer process; setting up an AI-assisted hiring process joins it to screening and offers, and building interview questions and scorecards with AI turns the same must-haves into what you'll ask on the day.

Job description questions for small employers

Should I put the salary in the advert?

Yes, as a range. Candidates filter on pay first, and 'competitive salary' reads as 'below what you want'. A growing number of places also require a pay range in job adverts by law, so check the rules where you hire. A range of about 10-15% either side of your target leaves room for experience without being meaningless.

How long should a job advert be?

Long enough to answer what the job is, what it pays, what the first months involve, what's genuinely required and how to apply: usually 350-600 words. Beyond that, cut. Candidates skim on phones, so put pay, working pattern and the role summary in the first few lines, where listings show them.

Is it a problem if my advert sounds AI-written?

It's a problem if it sounds generic, which is what AI drafts do by default. Candidates increasingly recognise the stock phrases and skip them. The fix isn't hiding AI use; it's replacing adjectives with facts about the job and editing in your own voice, so the advert could only have come from your business.

Further reads

• How to Hire a Part-Time Marketing Assistant Who Uses AI — A worked example of hiring a part-time role around AI.
• AI or a New Hire? How to Decide Before You Recruit — Check the work justifies a hire before advertising.
• AI Recruiting Tools for Small Businesses: What's Worth Paying For — Where to post and which recruiting tools are worth paying for.
• Claude vs ChatGPT for Business Writing, Proposals and Reports — Which assistant writes in your voice more easily.
• AI Employee Onboarding: Plan a New Starter's First Two Weeks — Plan the new starter's first fortnight once they accept.
• How to Test Job Candidates' AI Skills in an Interview — Check how candidates use AI if the role needs it.
• Employment Contracts With AI: Drafting Steps and Legal Checks — Draft a clear employment contract with AI from a job facts sheet, then send the right clauses to a lawyer instead of paying for the whole thing.
• AI for HR in Small Businesses: 12 Tasks You Can Hand Over Safely — Twelve HR jobs AI can draft or sort for a small team, each with an example and a watch-out, plus the people decisions that stay human.
• AI Words to Avoid: A Banned-Phrase List for Your Brand — A ready-made banned-phrase list for AI drafts: the words and sentence patterns that sound generic, what to write instead, and a five-minute check.
• Questions to Ask a Recruitment Agency About Its AI Screening — Stage-by-stage questions on an agency's AI screening, how to grade the answers, and how a grooming salon found good candidates its agency's filter had rejected.
• AI Tools and AI Development: The Complete 2026 Guide — the AI hub, including every tutorial in the AI-for-business series.

Sources: LinkedIn Help on AI-assisted job descriptions; Adobe and Blackmagic Design product pages via the project fact sheet (Adobe Premiere naming, DaVinci Resolve version). Checked September 2026.