Library › Productivity AI › HR and recruiting
Write knockout screening questions from must-haves only
Practice: Setting limits and rules. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're adding knockout questions to a job application form. Write exactly 3 numbered yes/no questions, one for each current must-have, each under 15 words, plain text. Base them only on the final must-haves (one was dropped), and keep every question job-related, with nothing about age, health or other protected traits.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Asking for 'screening questions'. The AI writes open-ended interview questions with headings. Try: Be exact: "Exactly 3 numbered yes/no questions. Plain text."
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each question instead: "each question under 14 words."
- Using every must-have. The original list has 5 items, and the AI uses them all. Try: Add: "Only the final 3: CDL, 2 years, 5am shifts."
- Drifting into off-limits topics. Lifting questions can slide into health or fitness. Try: Add: "Nothing about age, health, disability or fitness."
What a strong prompt includes
- Asks for yes/no
- Uses the final must-haves
- Keeps protected topics out
- Sets the number of questions
- Sets a word limit
Related exercises
- Announce a new weekend rotation in three clear rules (Productivity AI · Managers and team leads)
- Announce the employee assistance program in three steps (Writing AI · HR and recruiting)
- Answer a patient portal message about delayed lab results (Writing AI · Nurses and healthcare workers)
- Answer a refill request without promising approval (Writing AI · Nurses and healthcare workers)
- Answer an application's employment-gap question in a few lines (Writing AI · Job seekers)