How to hire for free with AI tools

Act as the manager who is hiring for this role. We'll do this hire together in 7 steps, and I'll give you one prompt per step:
1. Work out the responsibilities and requirements (this prompt)
2. Build a skills profile
3. Write the questions for your apply form
4. Write the job post
5. Build your apply form in Tally
6. Compare applicants
7. Send interview invites
Only do the step I've given you. When I approve a step, tell me the name of the next step's prompt to copy from the kit, and wait for me to paste it. Don't start the next step yourself.

For this step, I want your help to work out the responsibilities and then the requirements. Start from the work the person will actually do, not from a job title or a wish list.

First, ask me these questions, one or two at a time, and wait for my answers. I'll answer by voice, so my answers may be long and messy. Pull out what matters.

1. What's the job title, and is it full-time, part-time or a contract?
2. What does the company do, who for, and where is it based?
3. Where will this person work: office, remote or a mix? Which city?
4. Which team will they join, and who will they report to?
5. Why are you hiring now? What isn't getting done, or who left?
6. What should they have achieved after 3 months?
7. Do you have a rough list of what they'll do, or an old job post? Say it or paste it, however rough.
8. Is there anything they must have from day one, like a certificate, a driving licence, a language or a number of years in a similar job? It's fine if there's nothing.

PART 1: RESPONSIBILITIES
Write 4 to 7 responsibilities:
- If I gave you a rough list, keep what's in it, just written better.
- Fit them to this company. The same job title means different work at a startup, a restaurant group or a school.
- Check them against what's normal for similar roles in this industry and city, including any tools or rules that matter in this industry.
- Start each with a verb and say clearly what gets done.
- Describe the job honestly. Don't make it sound bigger than it is.
- Put the most important responsibility first.
- Use plain, inclusive words. No "rockstar", "ninja" or "dominant".
- One responsibility per line, each starting with a hyphen.
- Don't list skills or qualifications yet. In part 2 you'll turn these responsibilities into the skills the person needs, so make each one specific enough to show what it takes to do it well.
Then stop and ask me what to change. Don't start part 2 until I say the responsibilities are right. When I do, say part 1 is done and go on to part 2.

PART 2: REQUIREMENTS
Using the responsibilities I approved, write 7 to 10 requirements:
- Only what they need on day one. Leave out anything a good person could learn in the first few weeks.
- Keep each one short and specific, one line each.
- Include anything I said they must have.
- Mix the job-specific skills with the working skills the job needs, like planning their own week or dealing with customers. Fit both to this company and industry. For example, an accountant at a factory needs to know stock accounting, while an accountant at a software company needs to know how to account for software they've built.
- Check them against what's normal for similar roles in this industry and city, including the tools and rules that matter here.
- Write working skills as things people have done, not personality traits. "Has managed a team of 3 or more", not "natural leader".
- Don't add a language requirement unless I asked for one.
- Use plain, inclusive words, free of gender or other bias.
- No overlaps. "Teamwork" and "works well with others" are the same thing; keep one.
- Under each requirement, add one short line: how an applicant could show it. For example, a portfolio link, a certificate, numbers from a past job, or a short task.
Finish by asking me what to change. When I say the requirements are right, say step 1 is done and tell me: "Next, copy the prompt from Step 2: Build a skills profile, and paste it here." Then wait.

Using the requirements above, build a skills profile for this role. I'll use it to compare applicants' CVs and answers, so everything in it must be something you could actually see in a CV, an application answer or a portfolio.

1. Pick 4 to 6 skills that matter most for this job. Base each one on a requirement, or on a few requirements that really test the same thing. Explain each skill in one plain sentence.

2. For each skill, describe three levels:
- Beginner: does the work with guidance, templates or someone checking it.
- Intermediate: does the work on their own and handles the usual surprises.
- Expert: leads the work, makes the hard calls, and has an impact beyond their own tasks.
For each level, write one short sentence on what it looks like in this job, and 2 examples of what a person at that level would write on their CV. Examples should be things they did, owned, decided or achieved, not personality traits. Don't use years of experience, job titles or well-known employers to tell the levels apart.

3. For each skill, say which level this job really needs, and why in a few words, so I can change it if I disagree. Pick the lowest level at which someone could do this job well. Asking for more than you need shuts out people who would do it well. Use expert only where a mistake would be costly, or where the job is built around that skill.

4. Last, check every example: could I find this in a normal CV or application answer? If not, rewrite it.

Show it as a short list per skill, not a big table. Finish by asking me what to change. When I say the skills profile is right, say step 2 is done and tell me: "Next, copy the prompt from Step 3: Write the questions for your apply form, and paste it here." Then wait.

Using everything above, write the practical questions for my apply form. They check the applicant's situation, not their skills: where they live, whether they can work here legally, the hours, the start date, and whether their qualifications are recognised here. Their CV will show their skills, so don't ask about skills or experience.

First, ask me these and wait for my answers. Skip anything I've already told you.
- Can you sponsor a visa for this role?
- When do you need the person to start?

PRACTICAL QUESTIONS (2 to 5, yes or no only)
- Start each one with the fact it comes from, then ask. "We work from our Dubai office five days a week. Do you live in Dubai, or can you move before you start?"
- Write them so that "yes" means they meet it. "We can't sponsor a visa for this role. Can you work in the UAE without sponsorship?"
- If the job is remote, ask whether they can work in our time zone.
- Only ask about a visa if we can't sponsor one. If we can, almost everyone would say yes, so the question doesn't help.
- If the job needs a degree, ask whether it's attested in this country (in the UAE, by the Ministry of Education or MOFA).
- Include anything else practical I mentioned, like a driving licence or weekend shifts.
- Vary how the questions start, so it doesn't read like a form letter.

Finish by asking me what to change. When I say the questions are right, say step 3 is done and tell me: "Next, copy the prompt from Step 4: Write the job post, and paste it here." Then wait.

Using everything above, write the job post that will sit at the top of my apply form.

First, ask me these and wait for my answers. Skip anything I've already told you.
1. What's our website? If you can't open it, I'll paste a few lines about us.
2. What benefits or perks do we offer? Only use what I tell you. Never make one up.
3. Do we help with relocation?
4. Do you want to show the salary? If yes, what's the range?
5. What are the working hours and days?
6. What happens after someone applies, and when will they hear back?

Then write the job post with these parts, in this order:

The basics: job title, full-time or part-time, location and work model, salary (only if I said to show it), visa sponsorship and start date. One short line each.

Opening (no heading): speak to the reader as "you". Say what they'll do here and why it matters to the company. Up to 3 sentences.

About us: 2 or 3 sentences about the company, from our website or what I told you.

Perks of working with us: a short list of the benefits I gave you. Include remote or hybrid work if it applies. If I gave none, use only relocation, visa and work model, and don't invent any.

A week in the life: a typical week, built from the responsibilities, with the perks woven in. Grounded, not hype. Up to 5 sentences.

What you'll do: 3 to 5 responsibilities, each starting with the result it brings. For example: "Guide management decisions: keep the financial records the managers rely on."

Your experience and skills: up to 5 lines from the skills profile, using the examples from the level this job needs, hardest first. Let the wording show the level without naming it: a skill needed at beginner level reads as "You're comfortable...", one needed at expert level reads as "You've led...". Never write "beginner", "intermediate" or "expert". Write about what the person can do, not a list of things they must already have done, or good people will decide not to apply. Put certificates, qualifications and software in one last line starting "You'll also need". End by saying they don't need to match every point.

What happens next: one or two lines on what happens after they apply.

Why this role: 2 or 3 sentences on why the role matters and how they can grow. Don't add "Apply now"; the form is right below.

Style: warm and plain. Use "you". No buzzwords. Short lists that are easy to scan. Use bias-free words, and avoid masculine-coded words like "ambitious", "driven", "decisive" or "fast-paced".

Finish by asking me what to change. When I say the job post is right, say step 4 is done and tell me: "Next, copy the prompt from Step 5: Build your apply form in Tally, and paste it here." Then wait.

Using everything above, build my apply form in Tally.

- Title: the job title and the company name.
- Put the job post at the top, exactly as I approved it.
- Then ask for their full name, email and phone number, and a CV upload (PDF).
- If it makes sense for this role, add a field for a portfolio or LinkedIn link, and make it optional.
- Then the practical questions, each as a choice of Yes or No.
- Make every question required, except the portfolio or LinkedIn link.
- Don't ask for a photo, date of birth, age, nationality, gender or ID numbers.
- End with a short, kind thank-you message. Say what happens next, using the timing from the job post: if they're shortlisted, we'll email them by then. Make it clear that if they don't hear from us by then, we've gone ahead with other applicants this time, so nobody is left waiting. Close by thanking them and wishing them all the best.

When it's built, give me the link to the form and the link to edit it. Then say step 5 is done and tell me: "Next, share your form link. When the applications are in, copy the prompt from Step 6: Compare applicants, and paste it here." Then wait.

The applications for this job are in my Tally form, and I've attached the applicants' CVs. Read all the applications and all the CVs, and compare everyone against the skills profile above.

1. First, tell me how many applications you found, and whether you could read all the CVs I attached.
2. When you judge someone, ignore their name, age, gender, nationality, photo and where they studied or worked. Look only at what they did.
3. For each applicant and each skill in the skills profile, give the level their evidence shows (none, beginner, intermediate or expert), with the evidence in a few words from their CV or answers. Only count what they actually show. A claim like "proficient in" with nothing behind it isn't evidence.
4. Flag any practical question they answered "No" to. Don't drop anyone for it; I'll decide.
5. Show a short table, ranked best to worst: each applicant, their level for each skill, and any practical flags. Rank by who meets the level this job needs on the most skills, with the strongest evidence. Don't give scores out of 100; the levels say more.
6. Suggest a shortlist of 2 to 4. For each, give one line on why, and one thing to ask them in the interview.

Don't reject anyone. I make the final decision. Ask me who I want to shortlist. When I tell you, say step 6 is done and tell me: "Next, copy the prompt from Step 7: Send interview invites, and paste it here." Then wait.

Write an interview invite email for each person I shortlisted. For each one:
- Use their name and the email address from their application.
- A subject line with the job title and the company name.
- Mention one specific thing from their answers or CV that stood out.
- Say the interview is 30 minutes on video, and include my booking link: [paste your Cal.com link here]
- Ask them to pick a time in the next week.
- Keep it warm and short, under 120 words, and sign off with my name.

When you're done, say step 7 is done and that all 7 steps are finished. Remind me that people will pick a time with my link, and that I can ask you for interview questions for anyone on the shortlist.