I learned today that most people don’t know how to properly prompt their AI – 99% to be exact.
Essentially, AI is only as productive as the quality of the prompts it receives from the user…
Interesting…
We dictate to AI the role we’d like it to play, what we’d like done, how we’d like it done, and you can even provide context/background to increase accuracy…
When I heard this today, I immediately thought of the recruitment profession. Specifically, the degree of frustration that many are feeling towards recruiters…
The bad recruiters should be held accountable!
They’re not only leaving a trail of casualties, but they’re compromising the integrity of what we do as recruiters. Perhaps guardrails need to be imposed around the profession to limit the entrance of any and everyone…
Unlikely to happen realistically…
…but what if those who have been engaged by a recruiter or wish to engage themselves could manipulate the interaction to some degree in the same manner we would with AI?
What if there was a way to prompt that recruiter to ensure optimal results?
If we can prompt a machine, then certainly we can prompt a human!
Of course there are nuances that we’d need to consider, but in theory, what I’m proposing is fundamental…
Too many of us take whatever a recruiter says without questioning them or their legitimacy. They request, we provide. They ask, we answer. They share, we accept as the truth. They no-show, we complain. Rinse and repeat.
Let’s break down this recruiter prompt theory, and leave your comments below if you agree or disagree with this post…
If effectively prompting AI results in desired outcomes and better experiences, and the act of prompting is merely telling the machine what you want from it in order to keep engaging with it, then perhaps my thesis is not entirely senseless…
So, how would one prompt a recruiter to improve the chances of a successful outcome, which would increase the odds of usage again in the future?
The answer lies in the quality of the communication.
Whenever I’m contacted by a job seeker who has recently entered the marketplace, I can quickly glean the caliber of that professional by their initial outreach, which is generally an introduction outlining what they desire from their next opportunity. This usually takes the form of title/seniority, location preferences, headcount responsibilities if a leader, remote/hybrid, and of course, money – i.e., what they desire to earn…
All good variables to consider when you’re exploring a career move/change (I can also tell if that message has been sent to 100 different recruiters. Some even forget to bcc:)…
The average recruiter will receive this sort of message and do 2 things with it:
- Ignore/erase it if they don’t have a position that fits that background
- Respond generically by saying something like, “I will keep you in mind should something arise” (how many have ever heard something from that recruiter in the future?)
What if there was a better way to engage that recruiter, increase your chances of being considered for a real opportunity, go through real meetings with their client, actually receive feedback after every interaction, receive a good offer, and get hired?
What if the variable that could lead to the above happening more often than not rested in the quality of the prompting? Let’s explore an example of an effective prompt scenario with a recruiter you’ve never worked with:
Hi Shawn,
My name is John Smith. Your LinkedIn profile indicates that you’re in the recruitment space and have been in the industry for 10 years now. It wasn’t clear from current and past roles the industries you serve, but a quick look at your corporate site disclosed that your company has client’s in the pharmaceutical, nuclear, and manufacturing sectors. I also noticed through some of your recommendations that some senior professionals within engineering have endorsed your work, suggesting that you’re quite connected in my field of expertise.
I’m a licensed professional engineer within Ontario, and I’ve spent the last 20 years helping manufacturers within the defence space deliver highly engineered and technologically advanced armoured vehicles to their customers. I was recently featured in the attached article for my work on a new autonomous vehicle, slated to hit the market in Q1 2026.
Having completed this project, I am now looking for a new challenge, and I’m selectively reaching out to professionals in your area who can support me on this journey. My last 2 projects were delivered underbudget and earlier than what we quoted to our customer, and I was at the forefront of all design activities. There was a team of 10 people under my coaching, 2 of which went on to receive promotions within the company, and a 3rd being groomed for leadership as we speak.
Before we discuss any further, I’d like to know if I represent the type of professional you typically work with and have had success placing into meaningful positions? Secondly, if I am, I’d like to know more about you and your practices and how you typically go to market with someone of my caliber.
I’ll only provide a resume after we’ve established this as a mutually beneficial relationship, and you actually have clients with goals that I can help accomplish. I’d also like to express that since I am presently employed, I expect utmost confidentiality.
If this makes sense, please reach out via mobile or email, both listed below.
Thanks, Shawn.
John
It’s lengthy, but let’s dissect this…
Firstly, you quickly establish credibility with someone you don’t know when your outreach demonstrates that you actually did your research. John visited Shawn’s profile, actually read it, and cross-referenced with the company site for specific details not mentioned on LinkedIn.
Secondly, his introduction focused on tangible accomplishments, not a wish list. John provided details into his work, referenced a link to support his claims, and offered good information into how the company and the team benefited from his presence.
Lastly, he protected the integrity of his outreach by withholding any further documentation or information, (i.e., resume) until he felt comfortable that Shawn was interested in working with him and could in fact represent his candidacy in the marketplace.
So, what are the prompts that John put into his recruiter algorithm?
- I’d like to work with a recruiter who is credible and has legitimate contacts
- I’d like to work with a recruiter who has partnered with experienced engineers (Professional Engineers to be precise) in their career exploration and has been successful in facilitating connections with suitable organizations
- I’d like to work with a recruiter who understands what a top performer can do and can market this to a potential company
- I’d like to work with a recruiter who is not transactional (sidebar: John never once mentioned what he wanted from his next opportunity)
- I’d like to work with a recruiter who will actually have a conversation to learn about me
- I’d like to work with a recruiter who understands the importance of professionalism and confidentiality
A message like this will definitely prompt Shawn to respond one way or another, and Shawn will undoubtedly take John’s outreach seriously, ultimately pooling him amongst the top prospects in his portfolio.
This is precisely what I mean by “prompting that recruiter”.
Many of us of been ineffective in targeting the right partners, and our approach sounds like the masses.
If this was helpful, let me know in the comments section below. Your feedback matters to me.