How to write a job description with ChatGPT

The brief to copy

Don't paste anyone's CV or personal details into a personal AI account; see what not to paste.

A worked example

Illustration: a made-up business. A 30-person home-insurance agency in Albany, New York, is hiring someone to run customer support. The owner's first draft title was "Customer Happiness Hero". The brief gives the real job, and ChatGPT returns a 410-word post. Without the benefits list, it reads:

The owner checks two things. New York State's pay transparency law covers businesses with four or more employees, so the range, the job description and "no commission" stay in. And the owner's notes had asked for "an energetic recent graduate with 3+ years": the post names the experience itself instead, because the EEOC gives "recent college graduates" as wording that may discourage applicants over 40, and Acas, the UK's workplace advice service, lists "recent graduate" and "highly experienced" as wording that can discriminate on age.

Check before you post

1. The title is one a candidate would search for.
2. Every must-have is something you'd reject someone for lacking; there are five at most.
3. The pay line meets the rules where the role can be filled: New York State and California require it in the post, and other places have their own rules.
4. The wording doesn't prefer or discourage a protected group.
5. How to apply says what to send, the steps, and how to ask for adjustments.

Next step: keep the brief

With several roles open, you'll paste this brief often. HR prompts, saved shows where to keep it with your company's style. For the rules around AI in hiring, see the HR guide to an employee AI policy.

Questions

Can ChatGPT write a job description?

Yes, from a brief you write: the role, the first six months of work, what you'd reject a candidate for lacking, and a real pay range. Without those it fills the post with generic requirements and buzzwords.

Do I have to put a salary range in a job post?

In some places, yes. New York State requires a compensation range from employers with four or more employees, and California requires the pay scale in the posting itself from employers with 15 or more. Check the rules where the role can be filled.

What wording should a job post avoid?

Anything that shows a preference for a protected group or discourages people from applying. The EEOC gives 'recent college graduates' as an example that may discourage people over 40; 'rockstar' and 'ninja' just tell candidates nothing.