These 25 prompts are for HR managers who need interview questions drafted, structured, and ready to use this week — not a framework to build from scratch. Paste a prompt into ChatGPT or Claude, fill in the variables, and walk into the room with a finished script.
These prompts pair well with Jasper AI for HR Managers-specific tone control, or Copy.ai for fast iteration.
Competency-Based Interview Question Sets
You are an HR manager preparing a structured interview for a specific role.
Role: {job_title} Seniority level: {seniority_level: junior / mid / senior / leadership} Department: {department} Top 3 competencies required: {competency_1}, {competency_2}, {competency_3} Interview length: {interview_duration_in_minutes} minutes
Write a structured interview script with exactly 8 competency-based questions using the STAR framework (Situation, Task, Action, Result). For each competency, write at least 2 questions — one that tests a past behaviour and one that probes depth with a follow-up. Format as: Question → Competency it tests → What a strong answer includes. Keep follow-ups to one sentence each. Total output 400 to 500 words.
When to use it: The Tuesday before a Wednesday panel interview when you have the job description but no agreed question set yet.
Pro tip: If the role has a technical component owned by another team, strip out that competency and let the hiring manager own it — this script covers the behavioural layer only. Trying to blend both in one set usually produces questions that satisfy neither.
You are an HR manager writing interview questions for a senior individual contributor role with no direct reports.
Role: {job_title} Industry: {industry} Key deliverable this person must own: {primary_deliverable} Biggest risk in hiring wrong: {hiring_risk} Must-pass threshold: {deal_breaker_skill_or_trait}
Write 6 competency-based interview questions designed to surface whether the candidate can operate with autonomy and produce {primary_deliverable} without hand-holding. One question must address how they handle ambiguity. One must probe self-direction when priorities shift. Format each question with a “Listen for:” note of 2 to 3 bullet points. Total output 350 to 450 words.
When to use it: When you are hiring a senior IC into a team where the manager is stretched and cannot provide close oversight — you need the questions to do more work.
Pro tip: The “Listen for:” notes are not just for the debrief — share them with the hiring manager before the interview so they know what they are evaluating, not just what they are asking.
You are an HR manager building a values-alignment interview section for a candidate at the final stage.
Company values: {value_1}, {value_2}, {value_3} Role: {job_title} Stage of interview: final round One value the team has flagged as a tension point in this hire: {tension_value} Tone: {conversational / formal}
Write 5 values-alignment questions, one per value, plus one extra question specifically probing {tension_value} from a different angle. Each question must be open-ended and avoid leading language (do not name the value in the question itself). Include a 1-sentence interviewer note after each question explaining why the phrasing was chosen. 300 to 380 words total.
When to use it: When the hiring manager has informally flagged that the shortlisted candidate “seemed a bit sales-y” or “might not handle the flat structure” — you need a structured way to test the concern without bias creeping into the question wording.
Pro tip: Avoid naming the company value inside the question. Candidates who have read your careers page will mirror the language back at you without demonstrating the actual behaviour.
You are an HR manager preparing a structured scorecard and question set for a volume hiring campaign.
Role: {job_title} Number of interviewers: {number_of_interviewers} Interview format: {format: panel / sequential / paired} Core skill being screened at this stage: {core_skill} Red flag to watch for: {known_red_flag}
Write a 4-question interview block where every interviewer asks the same questions in the same order. Each question targets {core_skill}. After the 4 questions, write a one-paragraph calibration note (100 words) explaining how interviewers should align scores before the debrief call, with specific guidance on what to do when one scorer rates a response a 5 and another rates it a 2. Total output 350 to 420 words.
When to use it: When you are running 30-plus interviews across a two-week window and debrief calls keep going off the rails because every interviewer asked different things.
Pro tip: The calibration note matters more than the questions in volume hiring. Interviewers with different expectations of what “good” sounds like will torpedo consistency even when they are reading from the same script.
You are an HR manager writing a structured question set for a leadership role where the candidate will inherit a struggling team.
Role: {job_title} Current team size: {team_size} Known team challenge: {team_challenge: high turnover / low morale / performance gap / restructure aftermath} Business pressure on the new hire: {business_pressure} Reporting line: {reports_to_title}
Write 7 interview questions designed to test whether this candidate can stabilise a {team_challenge} situation while delivering on {business_pressure}. At least 2 questions must probe how they diagnose team health before acting. At least 1 question must test how they manage upward when timelines are unrealistic. Format: Question → What it is testing → Green flag response → Red flag response. 450 to 550 words.
When to use it: When the outgoing leader left under difficult circumstances and the board is watching this hire closely — you cannot afford a candidate who walks in with a change agenda before understanding the room.
Pro tip: The red flag column is the most valuable part of this output. Share it with the hiring manager and ask them to flag any red flags they would actually be comfortable living with — that conversation will tell you more about the real hiring bar than the job description ever will.
Screening Call Scripts and Opening Questions
You are an HR manager running a 20-minute phone screen for a mid-level role.
Role: {job_title} Must-confirm facts before advancing: {fact_1}, {fact_2}, {fact_3} Salary range disclosed to candidate: {salary_range} One deal-breaker eligibility requirement: {eligibility_requirement: right_to_work / specific_certification / location_requirement} Tone: {warm and conversational / efficient and direct}
Write a complete phone screen script I can read from. Open with a 3-sentence intro that sets expectations for the call. Then write 6 questions in order: 2 eligibility checks (including {eligibility_requirement}), 2 motivation questions, and 2 role-fit questions. End with a closing script that explains next steps without committing to a timeline. 300 to 380 words total. Write it as spoken dialogue, not bullet points.
When to use it: Monday morning when you have 12 screens booked this week and no time to prep a fresh script for each one.
Pro tip: Write the eligibility checks first in the script and read them before you warm up the conversation. Reversing the order — building rapport and then asking about the deal-breaker — makes it harder to deliver a rejection cleanly if the candidate fails the eligibility check.
You are an HR manager preparing opening questions for a first-round video interview with a passive candidate who was headhunted.
Candidate’s current role: {current_role} What attracted them initially (from recruiter notes): {initial_hook} Your company’s key selling point for this hire: {company_sell} Role being discussed: {target_role} Stage: first conversation, candidate has not applied formally
Write an opening 5-question sequence for the first 15 minutes of the interview. Questions should feel like a two-way conversation, not an interrogation. Question 1 must acknowledge that the candidate was approached and thank them for their time. Questions 2 and 3 explore their current situation and motivations without pushing. Questions 4 and 5 introduce the role using {company_sell} as context and invite their reaction. Write as a flowing script with natural transitions between questions. 280 to 350 words.
When to use it: When your recruiter has set up a call with a passive candidate who is 80% happy where they are and one clumsy question will end the conversation.
Pro tip: Do not open with “tell me about yourself” with a passive candidate — they did not apply and they do not owe you a pitch. The script above acknowledges the power dynamic and earns the conversation before asking for anything.
You are an HR manager preparing a screening script for a high-volume entry-level role where most candidates drop off before the first interview.
Role: {job_title} Volume of applications: {application_volume} applications this week Top reason candidates self-select out at screen: {dropout_reason} Key selling point to retain interest: {retention_hook} Non-negotiable requirement: {non_negotiable}
Write a 5-question asynchronous video screening script the candidate reads and records their answers to. Each question is followed by a “Time limit: X seconds” instruction. Question 1 is a role-reality statement that surfaces {dropout_reason} openly, so candidates who will leave anyway do so before the panel stage. Questions 2 to 5 cover motivation, availability, {non_negotiable} eligibility, and one role-specific scenario. End with a one-sentence instruction telling the candidate what happens next. 250 to 320 words total.
When to use it: When you are screening 200 applications for a frontline role and need a consistent, auditable filter that does not require a recruiter on every call.
Pro tip: The role-reality statement in question 1 is a legal and practical safeguard. If the role requires weekend shifts, cold calling, or physical demands, state it plainly and ask the candidate to confirm they have read and understood it. You will halve your early-stage attrition.
You are an HR manager writing an internal briefing note for a hiring manager who has never run a structured interview before.
Role they are interviewing for: {job_title} Interview format: {format: in-person / video / panel} Number of questions the hiring manager is responsible for: {question_count} Competency the hiring manager owns: {hm_competency} Common mistake this hiring manager makes in interviews: {known_issue: talks_too_much / asks_hypotheticals / shares_the_answer / goes_off_script}
Write a one-page briefing note the hiring manager reads the morning of the interview. Include: a 3-sentence reminder of the candidate’s name, the role, and what stage this is; a plain-English explanation of how to ask a STAR question without telegraphing the answer; their {question_count} questions written out in full; and a 4-sentence section on what not to do, directly addressing {known_issue}. 350 to 420 words. Tone: direct, collegial, no jargon.
When to use it: When a functional lead is joining a panel for the first time and you know from experience they will fill silences with opinions about the role rather than listening to the candidate’s answers.
Pro tip: Name the specific bad habit in the “what not to do” section. “Avoid leading questions” will be ignored. “If you hear yourself explaining what a good answer looks like, stop and ask the candidate to continue” will not.
You are an HR manager preparing a structured question set for a culture-add interview section run by a peer, not a manager.
Role: {job_title} Peer interviewer’s name: {peer_name} Team dynamic being protected: {team_dynamic_description} One behaviour the team has flagged they cannot work with: {team_dealbreaker} Interview duration for this section: {section_duration} minutes
Write a 4-question peer interview script for {peer_name} to run. Each question probes working style, communication, or collaboration without duplicating the competency questions run earlier in the process. Frame the intro as {peer_name} introducing themselves and explaining the format — 3 sentences. End with a suggested close the peer can use to hand back to the HR manager. Include a “What you are listening for” note under each question. 300 to 380 words. Tone: natural, peer-to-peer.
When to use it: When you have asked a senior IC to sit on a panel and they show up with their own list of questions — this gives them a structured alternative that protects both the process and the candidate experience.
Pro tip: Brief {peer_name} that their job is to listen and take notes, not to sell the company or share their own stories. Peer interviewers often bond with candidates rather than evaluate them — a written script with specific “what to listen for” notes reduces this significantly.
Technical and Role-Specific Interview Question Drafts
You are an HR manager drafting a technical interview question block for a role you do not have deep expertise in.
Role: {job_title} Technical domain: {technical_domain} Skills the hiring manager says are essential: {skill_1}, {skill_2}, {skill_3} Level of depth required: {depth: working_knowledge / expert / lead_level} Output of this interview section: a scored assessment the hiring manager reviews
Write 5 technical interview questions at {depth} level for the {technical_domain} domain. For each question, include: the question itself, the skill it targets, a “minimum pass” answer description, and an “excellent answer” description. Questions must be open-ended and avoid yes/no answers. Do not include trick questions. The final question must test how the candidate communicates a technical concept to a non-technical stakeholder. 400 to 480 words.
When to use it: When the hiring manager sends you a list of skills and says “just add some technical questions” — this gives you a draft they can react to rather than building from nothing in the interview.
Pro tip: Send the draft to the hiring manager with the “excellent answer” descriptions and ask them to correct anything inaccurate. This forces them to engage with the scoring criteria before the interview rather than improvising during the debrief.
You are an HR manager writing a case study brief for a second-round interview for a strategy or analytical role.
Role: {job_title} Case scenario: {case_scenario_one_sentence} Data or information the candidate receives in advance: {advance_materials} Presentation time: {presentation_time} minutes Panel members: {panel_member_1}, {panel_member_2} What a strong recommendation looks like: {strong_output_description}
Write the candidate-facing case study brief that is emailed to them 48 hours before the interview. Include: a context paragraph (4 to 5 sentences) setting the business scenario, a clear task statement, the specific questions they must answer in their presentation, the format requirements (slides vs. verbal, time limit), and a short FAQ section with 3 pre-answered questions candidates typically ask. Write it as a polished brief the candidate receives, not an internal document. 350 to 430 words.
When to use it: When a second-round case study is scrambled together the night before and the candidate receives a vague brief that wastes their prep time and produces inconsistent outputs.
Pro tip: The FAQ section does more work than it looks. If you answer “should I use real company data?” and “how many slides?” upfront, you prevent six individual emails from candidates and ensure everyone is evaluated on the same basis.
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