Marty’s Screening Assistant automatically generates candidate screening criteria from your job description using AI. These criteria help you evaluate candidates more efficiently and consistently. But you're always in control — you can edit these criteria or write your own to align precisely with your hiring goals.
Why Prompts Matter
Each screening criterion in Marty is powered by a prompt — a short instruction that tells the AI what to look for (and what to ignore). A well-written prompt leads to smarter, more relevant screening outcomes.
What Makes a Great Prompt?
A good screening prompt:
✅ Uses concrete, detectable signals from a résumé
✅ Avoids vague or subjective language (like “strong,” “top,” or “great”)
✅ Includes alternative ways a candidate can meet the requirement
✅ Anchors instructions in reality — think companies, certifications, experience levels, job titles, etc.
Prompt Examples
Example 1: High English Proficiency
✅ Effective Prompt:
“Candidate either:
– Worked 4+ years at a company likely using English as the primary language (e.g., based in the US, UK, Canada, Australia),
– Holds a valid English certificate (TOEFL, IELTS) from the past 2 years at C1 level or above,
– Was born and raised in an English-speaking country, or
– Attended school or university in English.”
This gives Marty clear, résumé-based indicators to assess English proficiency.
🚫 Weak Prompt:
“Candidate has strong English.”
Too subjective. Marty needs specifics to work with.
Example 2: Experience in Top-Tier Tech
✅ Effective Prompt:
“Candidate has worked at top-tier tech companies such as Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple, or Stripe. This can also include well-funded scale-ups — like unicorns, YC alumni with 100+ employees, or companies at Series B or later.”
This defines “top-tier” with measurable, recognizable indicators.
🚫 Weak Prompt:
“Worked at a good tech company.”
“Good” is vague and open to interpretation. Marty needs defined examples or standards.
Positive vs. Negative Criteria
You can frame prompts to identify what a candidate should have — or what they should not have.
✅ Positive Prompt Example:
“Candidate has led B2B sales teams in SaaS.”
✅ Negative Prompt Example:
“Candidate has not worked in early-stage startups with fewer than 10 employees.”
🛑 Use negative prompts carefully — only include exclusions that are both essential and detectable from résumé data.
Binary vs. Flexible Criteria
Binary Prompts are strict — used when something is non-negotiable:
“Candidate has worked at Google.”
Flexible Prompts allow for similar alternatives:
“Candidate has worked at Google or similar top-tier tech companies such as Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, etc.”
📌 Tip: When you're open to interpretation, use phrases like “or similar” and give examples.
What Not to Include in Prompts
To keep your hiring fair and compliant, avoid criteria based on personal characteristics:
🚫 Gender or pronouns
🚫 Age or birth year
🚫 Nationality (unless legally required)
🚫 Marital or family status
🚫 Appearance or photos
🚫 Religious affiliation
✅ Instead, focus on:
Skills
Experience
Certifications
Education
Work history
Achievements
Marty is designed to support inclusive, unbiased hiring. The clearer and more inclusive your prompts, the better the results — for you and your candidates.
Need Help?
Not sure how to phrase a prompt? Start with a clear “if/then” or “either/or” structure. And remember, you can always refine your prompts over time.
Need extra help? Reach out to your Marty support team anytime. We’re here to help you hire smarter.