Compare a resume with the must haves

Use whenA resume looks promising and you want to see what is proven and what is missing.

Here are the must haves for a [job title] role: [list]. Here is an anonymized resume: [paste]. For each must have, say "clear evidence", "some evidence" or "no evidence" and quote the line from the resume that supports it. Do not give an overall score or a hire recommendation. List three questions to ask on the screening call to fill the gaps. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Watch outNever reject someone on this output alone. Read the resume yourself.

Plan a screening call

Use whenYou have a call booked for a role you have not screened for before.

I have a 20 minute screening call with a candidate for [job title]. The must haves are [list] and the gaps I noticed are [list]. Write a call plan: a two line opener, five questions in order with what a strong answer sounds like, two questions to check motivation and pay expectations, and a close that explains the next steps. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Turn call notes into a submission summary

Use whenThe call went well and the hiring manager needs a summary they will actually read.

Here are my rough notes from a screening call: [paste notes, no contact details]. Write a candidate summary for the hiring manager: three bullet highlights tied to the must haves, one honest concern, pay expectation, notice period and availability for interviews. Use only what is in my notes. Mark anything you had to infer so I can check it.

Write a structured interview scorecard

Use whenEvery interviewer is judging something different and nobody agrees what good looks like.

Create an interview scorecard for [job title] based on these must haves: [list]. For each one, give one behavioral question, what a 1, 3 and 5 answer looks like, and a space for evidence. Keep the language neutral and job related. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Watch outTest the 3 and 5 descriptions against someone already doing the job well before you use them.

Turn panel feedback into a hiring decision

Use whenInterviewers disagree and the debrief keeps going around in circles.

Below is feedback from [number] interviewers for a [job title] candidate, with names replaced by Interviewer A, B and C: [paste feedback]. The must haves were [list]. For each must have: 1) list what the interviewers actually saw or heard, kept apart from their opinions; 2) show where they disagree and whether they are judging the same thing; 3) name what nobody tested and what one more conversation would need to cover. Then set out the strongest case for hiring and the strongest case against, side by side. Point out any comment about personality, looks, accent, age or "fit" that is not tied to a must have. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Watch outThis sorts the evidence for the people making the call. It does not make the call.

Write a respectful rejection

Use whenSomeone did not make it through an early stage and deserves a clear, kind no.

Write a short rejection email to a candidate who reached the [stage] stage for [job title]. Thank them for their time, be clear that we are not moving forward, and give one line of honest, general feedback: [feedback]. Do not mention AI screening, scores or other candidates. Under 90 words. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Write useful feedback after an interview

Use whenA candidate who met the team asks why, and a template would be an insult.

A candidate for [job title] reached the [stage] stage and was not chosen. Here is what the interviewers recorded against the must haves: [paste notes, no names]. Write feedback I can send them: thank them, say clearly the answer is no, give two specific reasons linked to the role's requirements, and one practical suggestion they could act on next time. Warm but direct, with no hint the decision might change. Leave out anything about age, health, family, background or other candidates. Under 180 words. Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Watch outRead it as the candidate would. If your company has a policy on written feedback, check it first.

Check scope and direction, not just keywords

Use whenThe keywords line up, but you are not sure the person has done the job at this size.

Here is an anonymized resume: [paste]. Here is the role: [paste job spec or search brief]. Look past matching words. Tell me: 1) how the scope of their work compares with this role, using what the resume says about team size, budget, accounts or results; 2) which gaps someone could learn in the first few months and which would stop them doing the job; 3) whether this role looks like a step up, a sideways move or a step down from where they are now, and what that means for their interest and pay; 4) three screening questions that would confirm or disprove the fit. Quote the resume line behind each point and write "not stated" where the resume is silent.

Watch outA resume that leaves out team size is not proof the person never managed one. Ask before you rule them out.

Questions that separate doers from bystanders

Use whenEvery candidate says “we” launched it, and you need to know who actually did the work.

I am screening for [job title] in [industry]. In the first six months this person must deliver: [two or three outcomes]. Write six screening questions that tell apart someone who did this work themselves from someone who was on the team while others did it. Tie every question to one of the outcomes. For each, describe what a strong answer includes (their own decisions, numbers, what went wrong and what they changed) and what a rehearsed but thin answer sounds like. Skip generic questions such as "tell me about a time you faced a challenge". Use only the details I give you here. If something you need is missing, write [missing] and tell me what to add, rather than making it up.

Watch outNerves make good people sound thin. Ask one follow up before you mark an answer weak.