How to Use AI to Write Better Job Postings (In 20 Minutes)

Most small business job postings are either copied from somewhere else, written in a rush, or both. The result is a generic wall of text that attracts generic applicants — and filters out the specific person you actually want.

The good news: this is one of the most straightforward things to do with an AI like ChatGPT or Claude. You don't need any special tools or accounts beyond the free tier. You just need to give it the right information.

Here's how to do it in about 20 minutes.

Step 1: Write Down What You Actually Need (Don't Filter)

Before you open ChatGPT, spend five minutes writing down the answers to these questions in plain, unpolished language:

• What will this person do on a typical day?
• What would make someone great at this job vs. just okay?
• What kind of person tends to fit well with your team and culture?
• What experience or skills are truly required (not just nice to have)?
• What are the hours, pay range, and any perks or benefits?
• Is there anything that would disqualify someone immediately?

Don't write this for a job posting — write it like you're telling a friend what you're looking for. That messiness is exactly what the AI needs to produce something that sounds like you, not a template.

Step 2: Give It All to the AI with a Clear Prompt

Open ChatGPT (chat.openai.com) or Claude (claude.ai) — both have free tiers that work fine for this. Then use a prompt like this:

"I'm a small business owner in Canada hiring for a [role]. Here's what I'm looking for: [paste your notes from Step 1].

Please write a job posting that sounds human and specific to my business — not generic corporate language. Keep it under 400 words.

Lead with what makes this a good opportunity, then cover what the person will do, what we're looking for, and how to apply."

Hit send. Read what it gives you.

It won't be perfect on the first pass — but it will be a strong draft in seconds. From there, you're editing, not writing from scratch. That's a much faster and easier process.

Step 3: Ask It to Adjust Until It Sounds Right

If the tone is too formal, say: "Make this sound more casual and approachable — we're a small team and we want people to feel like they're applying to work with real people."

If it's too long: "Trim this to 300 words without losing the key points."

If a section isn't right: "The responsibilities section lists too many things — we really just want someone focused on [X]. Simplify it to reflect that."

The back-and-forth is fast. Most business owners are happy with the result after two or three exchanges.

Step 4: Review Before You Post

Before the posting goes live, read it once with fresh eyes and check a few things:

• Does it sound like your business? If it could have been written by any company, add one or two specific details about your team or work environment.
• Is the compensation included? Postings with salary or hourly rate ranges consistently outperform those without. Candidates spend more time applying, and you waste less time screening people whose expectations don't align.
• Are there any requirements that might screen out good candidates unfairly? In Canada, job postings can't discriminate on protected grounds. If the AI included anything about age, appearance, or anything else that isn't directly job-related, remove it.
• Is the application process clear? Tell people exactly what you want — email a resume, fill out a form, call a number — and what happens next.

Bonus: Ask AI to Generate Interview Questions Too

Once you have a posting you're happy with, paste it back into the AI and say:

"Based on this job posting, give me 8 interview questions that would help me evaluate whether someone is actually the right fit.

Not generic questions — ones specific to this role and what we're looking for."

You'll get a customized interview framework in under a minute. It's not a substitute for your own judgment, but it's a much better starting point than improvising questions on the spot.

The Bigger Point

The value of AI for tasks like this isn't that it knows your business better than you do — it doesn't. The value is that it takes your knowledge and converts it into polished, well-structured output faster than you could write it yourself. You supply the substance; it handles the form.

That's a pattern that applies to dozens of things in your business. Job postings are just one of the easiest places to start.