Copilot prompts for human resources: 8 ready-to-copy examples
Eight Copilot Chat prompts for human resources: procedure, job description, job advert, appraisal grid and usage policy, from Beginner to Expert level.
When to use it
The job description prompt illustrates a frequent trap: an adjective such as "young" or "dynamic" in the instruction comes out amplified in the answer. Describing observable skills and asking for a review of risky wording avoids that bias at the source.
To adapt one of these prompts, open the composer and choose the "Human resources" template in the list of job templates.
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Beginner
1. Explain a procedure to a new joiner (Beginner)
BeginnerContext. To turn an internal procedure into a short, concrete explanation. Paste the procedure, never an individual file.
Explain the procedure below to a new joiner who has never used the tool, in 150 words, starting with what they must do from tomorrow. Everyday vocabulary; explain any internal term in brackets at its first appearance. End with the person to contact for questions: [first name, role].
Procedure: [pasted text]Expected result. A 150-word explanation that starts with tomorrow's action, with every internal term explained.
Mistake to avoid. Asking to "explain the new procedure" with no audience and no length: the answer is a generic reminder nobody reads.
Related lesson. Your first useful conversation: summarise, rephrase, translate
2. Job description without discriminatory wording (Beginner)
BeginnerContext. The prompt imposes neutral wording and asks for a review of risky phrases.
Write a job description for a [job title] position. Describe the missions, the observable skills and the expected results. Use neutral wording, with no reference to age, gender, origin or personality traits. Format: title, missions (five bullets), skills (five bullets), conditions. End with a review that lists any wording that could be discriminatory under French employment law.
Context: [team size, reporting line, location, remote work].Expected result. A job description in four blocks, phrased in observable skills, followed by a review of the risky wording.
Mistake to avoid. Writing "a dynamic, young sales rep" in the prompt: the age and the stereotype come out amplified in the description.
Related lesson. Writing a good prompt: the four ingredients
Intermediate
3. Job advert from the company template (Intermediate)
IntermediateContext. You attach the advert template approved by the department and give the context of the role, to obtain an advert that follows the template.
Write a job advertisement for a [job title] following exactly the structure of the attached file advert_template.docx: same subheadings, same order, same length per section. Context: industrial company with 300 employees, site on the outskirts of town, permanent contract, two-year degree, three years of experience, one day of remote work per week. Rules: observable skills only, no reference to age, gender, family situation or personality traits, 200 words, in English. If the template contains a section the context does not allow you to fill, write "to be completed".Expected result. An advert in the department's template, neutral on the prohibited criteria, with the unfilled sections flagged.
Mistake to avoid. Using an existing advert with its age or gender criteria as the example: Copilot reproduces them faithfully.
Related lesson. Giving examples and a role to set the style
4. Sort the requests of a shared mailbox (Intermediate)
IntermediateContext. To sort anonymised messages into closed categories, with an explicit rule for doubt.
Sort each of the messages below into a single category among: Leave, Payroll, Training, Mobility, Other. If a message belongs to two categories, choose the one that requires an action and flag it with an asterisk. If you hesitate, sort it as Other and explain in five words. Output: table Number, Category, Justification (one sentence).
Messages, anonymised: [pasted list]Expected result. A table with one row per message, closed categories, and the doubtful cases made visible by the asterisks.
Mistake to avoid. Asking to "sort these messages by category" with no closed list and no doubt rule: Copilot invents categories.
Related lesson. Hallucination hunt: an exercise on a doctored output
Advanced
5. Annual appraisal grid in three steps (Advanced)
AdvancedContext. You build a consistent grid for a family of roles, step by step, with validation between each.
You are an assessment consultant. Create an annual appraisal grid for maintenance technicians. Proceed in three steps and wait for my validation after each one. Step 1: propose five assessment areas tied to the duties of the role. Step 2: for each area, two open questions and a scale from one to four with an observable descriptor per level. Step 3: add a career development section of three questions. Format: table of area, questions, scale, descriptors. Rule: no question about private life, health or opinions.Expected result. A consistent grid, reusable from one technician to the next, with observable descriptors, approved area by area.
Mistake to avoid. Closed questions such as "are you satisfied?": they feed no decision and the grid stays decorative.
Related lesson. Breaking a task down into three chained prompts
6. Review of a memo with a grid (Advanced)
AdvancedContext. In a new conversation, have an HR memo assessed against five criteria before circulation.
You are a reviewer. Assess the memo below against this grid, with a score from 0 to 2 and a one-sentence justification per criterion: 1) every figure is sourced, 2) the target audience is visible from the first sentence, 3) the final recommendation is actionable (who, what, when), 4) no sentence exceeds 25 words, 5) the tone is neutral. End with the three priority corrections, phrased as rewriting instructions.
Memo: [pasted text]Expected result. One verdict per criterion with its justification, then three concrete corrections; you apply them, run it again, and the score rises.
Mistake to avoid. Asking "is this good?": the answer is a compliment. A grid of criteria produces a useful judgement.
Related lesson. Writing an evaluation grid and having Copilot apply it
Expert
7. Synthesis of twelve anonymised interview reports (Expert)
ExpertContext. The reports are anonymised and attached; the synthesis must be traceable back to the quotations and must state its limits.
From the attached file anonymised_interviews.docx only, proceed in four steps. Step 1: identify the three most frequent expectations, with the number of reports expressing each. Step 2: file each report under a single theme. Step 3: for each expectation, quote the exact sentence from a report that supports it. Step 4: state the limits of the analysis (sample size, ambiguous wording) and what it does not allow you to conclude. Format: a one-page synthesis, then appendices as a table. Do not drop any report from the count.Expected result. A reasoned synthesis, every expectation tied to a quotation, with a section on the limits.
Mistake to avoid. Concluding without a quotation: with no traceability the synthesis does not survive a challenge, and Copilot readily smooths over minority views.
Related lesson. Sycophancy, prompt injection, drift: the failure modes
8. Copilot usage policy for the HR department (Expert)
ExpertContext. You write the rules of the department: what may be pasted, how to anonymise, how to check before circulation.
Write a Copilot Chat usage policy for an HR department of [number] people, in one page. Sections: 1) permitted content (procedures, templates, anonymised lists), 2) prohibited content (individual files, health data, named pay, interview reports that are not anonymised), 3) a three-step anonymisation method, 4) mandatory review of risky wording before any publication, 5) the notice to put on a document prepared with the help of the tool, 6) what to do in case of doubt. Phrase every rule positively and in a checkable way. Context: conversations are logged by the organisation and attached files are stored in the work OneDrive.Expected result. A one-page policy, written as positive and checkable rules, ready to submit to management and to the data protection officer.
Mistake to avoid. A list of vague prohibitions ("no sensitive data"): without an anonymisation method, nobody knows what to do.
Related lesson. Writing your team's AI usage policy
Frequently asked questions
Can I paste an employee's file into Copilot Chat?
No. You paste a procedure, a template or an anonymised list, never an individual's file. Enterprise data protection prevents the models from being trained, but conversations are logged, and the file falls under the GDPR and your internal policy.
How do I avoid bias in a job description?
Describe duties, observable skills and expected results, with no personality adjective and no reference to age or gender, then ask for a review that lists risky wording. A bias present in the prompt comes out amplified in the answer.