Draft job ads and position descriptions
A practical way to use AI for this job in a small business, with a prompt you can copy.
You need a new team member yesterday, but writing a job ad means staring at a blank page and wondering what to say about pay, hours and 'company culture'. So the ad goes up late and says very little.
The prompt
Write a job ad for a [role] at my [type of business] in [location]. Hours: [hours]. Pay: [rate or range]. Must-haves: [list]. Nice-to-haves: [list]. What it's like to work here: [honest description]. Keep it under 300 words, plain and inclusive.
Replace everything in [square brackets] with your own details. Don't paste in anything you wouldn't want stored by the AI provider.
Steps
- Write down the honest facts about the role.
- Run the prompt.
- Check it complies with Fair Work and anti-discrimination requirements (ask your adviser if unsure).
- Post it.
A worked example
A Ballarat bakery needs a part-time baker for early starts. The owner fills in the brackets: 4am starts, four days a week, pay under the relevant award plus a little extra, sourdough experience preferred, small friendly team. ChatGPT drafts a job ad with a clear headline, what the job is, what they're looking for, pay and hours, and how to apply.
It also produces a one-page position description. The owner checks the pay rate against the award and removes a line saying 'young and energetic', because that could be age discrimination. Posted the same afternoon.
Where it goes wrong
AI loves job-ad clichés: 'fast-paced environment', 'rockstar', 'wear many hats'. Cut them. It also invents benefits you don't offer, like 'career progression' in a three-person business. Make sure every promise is true. Biggest risk: wording that excludes people unfairly. Read it with that in mind before posting.
Time saved
A job ad and position description can take 1 to 2 hours to write. With AI, 30 to 45 minutes including checks. These are my estimates for a typical small business, not measured results.
What it costs (AUD)
Free plans are fine. Job board fees (Seek, Indeed and others) are a separate cost; check their current pricing.
The free plans of ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini handle this fine. If you end up using AI every day, the paid plans are roughly: ChatGPT Plus approx. A$30 a month, Claude Pro approx. A$29 a month billed monthly (US$20, or about A$24 a month if you pay yearly), and Google AI Pro approx. A$33 a month through the App Store. Prices approx., October 2026. Some are billed in US dollars, so your bank may add a foreign transaction fee. Check the vendor's pricing page before you buy.
Australian notes
Check the pay rate against the relevant modern award using the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay Calculator. Avoid wording that discriminates on age, sex, race or other protected attributes. Words like 'young' or 'digital native' can get you in trouble. Include super if you're quoting a package.
Privacy: the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) cover most businesses turning over more than $3 million, plus some smaller ones such as health providers. Even if you're under the threshold, treat customer details with care: strip names, phone numbers and addresses before you paste anything into an AI tool.
My verdict
Saves time. You're responsible for legal compliance, not the AI.
Common questions
Should I include the pay rate?
Yes. Ads with clear pay usually get more relevant applicants.
What's a position description for?
It sets clear expectations from day one and helps with performance conversations later.
Can AI screen the applications too?
It can help summarise them, but make hiring decisions yourself and keep applicant data private.
Do this today
Write down the five things the new person will do most each week. That's the core of your ad. Run the prompt and post it today.
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