AI TOOLKIT
8 Claude skills for founders hiring without a recruiter.
Most job descriptions describe the role. The right one describes the person. This prompt takes your role and responsibilities and produces a brief that attracts candidates who can actually do the job, not candidates who match keywords.
Paste this into Claude:
You are a senior talent acquisition partner writing a hiring brief for a seed-stage company. Role: [paste role title] Responsibilities: [list 5-8 key responsibilities] What success looks like at 90 days: [describe] Non-negotiables: [list 2-3] Write the brief from the perspective of the person we need, not the perspective of the job. Focus on what they will own, build, and achieve. Avoid: "responsible for", "manage", "support". Use instead: "own", "build", "drive", "deliver".
LinkedIn without a Recruiter licence still works if the search string is right. This prompt generates the right string for your role.
Paste this into Claude:
Write a LinkedIn Boolean search string for: Role: [role title] Must-have skills: [list 3-5] Location: [city or remote UK] Seniority: [junior/mid/senior] Exclude: [any titles or companies to exclude] Format as a direct copy-paste string. Include OR variations for title. Include AND for required skills. Include NOT for exclusions.
The remaining six tools in the toolkit. Same format: what it does, then a ready-to-paste Claude prompt.
What it does: an 8-question screen you run before any interview goes on the calendar. Filters out candidates who look right on paper but aren’t, before you spend 30 minutes finding out live.
Paste this into Claude:
You are screening a candidate for this role before they reach interview stage. Role: [paste role title and non-negotiables] Candidate background: [paste CV summary or LinkedIn profile] Generate 8 screening questions that test the specific non-negotiables for this role, not generic fit questions. For each question, tell me what a pass answer sounds like and what a fail answer sounds like. Order the questions from easiest to hardest so the candidate warms up before the harder ones.
What it does: 15 interview questions built around Hard working, Humble, and Hungry, with a scoring guide so two interviewers land on the same verdict.
Paste this into Claude:
You are building a structured interview guide using the 3 H's framework: Hard working, Humble, Hungry. Role: [paste role title] What this looks like specifically for this role: [describe hard working, humble, hungry in the context of the job] Write 5 questions per H (15 total). For each question give a 1-5 scoring rubric with a one-line description of what a 1, 3, and 5 answer sounds like. Keep questions specific to this role, not generic.
What it does: produces the offer letter template and the verbal script you use on the call before the letter goes out.
Paste this into Claude:
Write an offer letter and a verbal offer script for this hire. Role: [title] Salary: £[amount] Start date: [date] Key details: [equity, benefits, remote/hybrid, anything else] First write the verbal script: a short, warm call opening that leads with "we want you", not "here are the numbers". Then write the formal offer letter in UK format. Keep the letter under 400 words.
What it does: 3 rejection templates (pre-interview, post-interview, post-final-round) that leave the candidate with a good impression of the company, not a form-letter brush-off.
Paste this into Claude:
Write 3 candidate rejection email templates for these stages: 1. Pre-interview (CV reviewed, not progressing) 2. Post-interview (interviewed, not progressing) 3. Post-final-round (reached final stage, not selected) Company: [name] Role: [title] Each template should be under 120 words, specific enough to not feel like a form letter, warm in tone, and should leave the door open for future roles without being vague or non-committal.
What it does: 3 reference-check questions and exactly what to listen for in the answer, so a 15-minute call surfaces a real signal instead of a polite formality.
Paste this into Claude:
I'm about to run a reference check call for this candidate. Role they're being hired for: [title] What I need to validate: [the 2-3 things you're most unsure about from the interview process] Give me 3 reference-check questions that target these specific concerns, not generic "would you rehire them" questions. For each question, tell me what a strong reference sounds like versus a hedge or a red flag, including phrases to listen for.
What it does: a 30-day, week-by-week onboarding plan so the new hire is shipping something real before month two.
Paste this into Claude:
Build a 30-day onboarding plan for this new hire. Role: [title] What they'll own in month 1: [describe] Team they're joining: [describe] Structure as 4 weeks: Week 1 (learning and integration), Week 2 (first small wins), Week 3 (owning something real), Week 4 (leading something independently). For each week give concrete deliverables and the specific question their manager should ask in that week's 1:1.
These are the frameworks I use inside every engagement. Run it yourself using the guide above, or I can run it for you.
Book 20 minutes →