Athena starters for hr and recruiting are 10 ready-made prompts grouped into Recruiting, People operations and Training. 4 run on a schedule: Athena runs them once, delivers a spreadsheet, PowerPoint deck and Word document, emails them to you, and repeats on the cadence you pick. None need a connected app.
Contents
01Recruiting
Weekly hiring report
Open roles, pipeline by stage, and roles at risk. See how it runs →
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- Every Monday at 7am, or every weekday or monthly instead
- Outputs
- spreadsheet, PowerPoint deck, Word document; emailed to you after every run
Show the prompt
Build the weekly hiring report. Ask me for the latest export from our applicant tracking system (a spreadsheet in Athena or an upload). Show open roles, pipeline by stage, time to fill, offers out, and the roles at risk of missing their date. Deliver three files in my company's brand. If I have Word, PowerPoint, or Excel templates in Athena, ask once which to use and build every file from them, keeping their layouts, styles, and formulas. For the brand, use my company's design system if one exists. Otherwise find my company's website (search the web if you are not sure of the domain), run design_system_retriever on it to get the real logo, colors, and fonts, and save the result with create_design_system so every run matches. Use the real logo image; never redraw it or type the company name in its place. The files: (1) a spreadsheet with one row per role (role, team, candidates by stage, days open, offers out, risk); (2) a PowerPoint deck with the logo on the title slide, a one-slide summary, a slide per section with a chart wherever there are numbers, and a so-what slide; (3) a Word document with the logo in the header, the full brief, and every source cited. Brand colors and fonts throughout, one idea per slide, no walls of text. Finish with a short summary in chat that links all three. When each run finishes, this one included, email me the three files from Athena: send them to my own email address with the chat summary in the body. If Athena cannot send email in this workspace, say so instead. When you are done, ask me if I want this every Monday at 7am (or every weekday, or monthly instead). Also ask which sections to keep and confirm my IANA time zone (for example America/New_York), and pass it explicitly when creating the schedule. If I choose a schedule, set up a scheduled agent that runs this same brief on it, keeps the spreadsheet asset ID and any template IDs in its instructions, reads the latest dated tab before each run, and reports only what changed since the last run. It says plainly when nothing material changed, and says comparison is unavailable if the prior tab cannot be read. Each run adds a dated tab to the same spreadsheet and makes a new dated deck and document. Whenever I give feedback on a run, in this chat or a later one, update the scheduled agent's instructions (and the template or design system when the feedback is about how the files look) so every later run follows it, then tell me exactly what you changed.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
Talent market watch
What rivals hire for and pay, and who may be open. See how it runs →
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- Every weekday at 7am, weekly on Mondays at 7am, or monthly on the 1st
- Outputs
- spreadsheet, PowerPoint deck, Word document; emailed to you after every run
Show the prompt
Run a talent market watch for my company (from my work email domain and profile; if you cannot tell, ask me). Cover the last 30 days: what competitors are hiring for, pay ranges in their postings, layoffs and leadership moves, and the skills in demand. Cite every item. Deliver three files in my company's brand. If I have Word, PowerPoint, or Excel templates in Athena, ask once which to use and build every file from them, keeping their layouts, styles, and formulas. For the brand, use my company's design system if one exists. Otherwise find my company's website (search the web if you are not sure of the domain), run design_system_retriever on it to get the real logo, colors, and fonts, and save the result with create_design_system so every run matches. Use the real logo image; never redraw it or type the company name in its place. The files: (1) a spreadsheet with one row per signal (date, company, role, signal, pay range, source link); (2) a PowerPoint deck with the logo on the title slide, a one-slide summary, a slide per section with a chart wherever there are numbers, and a so-what slide; (3) a Word document with the logo in the header, the full brief, and every source cited. Brand colors and fonts throughout, one idea per slide, no walls of text. Finish with a short summary in chat that links all three. When each run finishes, this one included, email me the three files from Athena: send them to my own email address with the chat summary in the body. If Athena cannot send email in this workspace, say so instead. When you are done, ask me how often I want this: every weekday at 7am, weekly on Mondays at 7am, monthly on the 1st, or not now. Also ask which sections to keep and confirm my IANA time zone (for example America/New_York), and pass it explicitly when creating the schedule. If I choose a schedule, set up a scheduled agent that runs this same brief on it, keeps the spreadsheet asset ID and any template IDs in its instructions, reads the latest dated tab before each run, and reports only what changed since the last run. It says plainly when nothing material changed, and says comparison is unavailable if the prior tab cannot be read. Each run adds a dated tab to the same spreadsheet and makes a new dated deck and document. Whenever I give feedback on a run, in this chat or a later one, update the scheduled agent's instructions (and the template or design system when the feedback is about how the files look) so every later run follows it, then tell me exactly what you changed.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
Job description
What the role does in year one, without biased wording.
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- When you ask
- Outputs
- An answer in chat
Show the prompt
Write a job description for a [title] on the [team] team: what they will own in year one, must-have and nice-to-have skills, and the pay range [range]. Keep the wording plain and free of biased terms.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
Screen resumes
Resumes scored against the must-haves and ranked.
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- When you ask
- Outputs
- spreadsheet
Show the prompt
Screen these resumes for the [title] role: [attach]. Score each against the must-haves [list], rank them, and give two sentences on each top candidate.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
02People operations
Employment law update
New laws and rulings where you employ people. See how it runs →
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- Every weekday at 7am, weekly on Mondays at 7am, or monthly on the 1st
- Outputs
- spreadsheet, PowerPoint deck, Word document; emailed to you after every run
Show the prompt
Track employment law changes. Ask me which states and countries we employ people in. Cover the last 30 days: new laws, rulings, and agency guidance on leave, pay, hiring, classification, and safety, with effective dates and what HR needs to change. Cite every item. Deliver three files in my company's brand. If I have Word, PowerPoint, or Excel templates in Athena, ask once which to use and build every file from them, keeping their layouts, styles, and formulas. For the brand, use my company's design system if one exists. Otherwise find my company's website (search the web if you are not sure of the domain), run design_system_retriever on it to get the real logo, colors, and fonts, and save the result with create_design_system so every run matches. Use the real logo image; never redraw it or type the company name in its place. The files: (1) a spreadsheet with one row per change (jurisdiction, rule, what changed, effective date, action, source link); (2) a PowerPoint deck with the logo on the title slide, a one-slide summary, a slide per section with a chart wherever there are numbers, and a so-what slide; (3) a Word document with the logo in the header, the full brief, and every source cited. Brand colors and fonts throughout, one idea per slide, no walls of text. Finish with a short summary in chat that links all three. When each run finishes, this one included, email me the three files from Athena: send them to my own email address with the chat summary in the body. If Athena cannot send email in this workspace, say so instead. When you are done, ask me how often I want this: every weekday at 7am, weekly on Mondays at 7am, monthly on the 1st, or not now. Also ask which sections to keep and confirm my IANA time zone (for example America/New_York), and pass it explicitly when creating the schedule. If I choose a schedule, set up a scheduled agent that runs this same brief on it, keeps the spreadsheet asset ID and any template IDs in its instructions, reads the latest dated tab before each run, and reports only what changed since the last run. It says plainly when nothing material changed, and says comparison is unavailable if the prior tab cannot be read. Each run adds a dated tab to the same spreadsheet and makes a new dated deck and document. Whenever I give feedback on a run, in this chat or a later one, update the scheduled agent's instructions (and the template or design system when the feedback is about how the files look) so every later run follows it, then tell me exactly what you changed.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
Payroll exception check
Pay changes, overtime spikes, and errors each period. See how it runs →
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- Every weekday at 7am, weekly on Mondays at 7am, or monthly on the 1st
- Outputs
- spreadsheet, PowerPoint deck, Word document; emailed to you after every run
Show the prompt
Check payroll for exceptions. Ask me for this period’s and last period’s payroll registers (spreadsheets in Athena or uploads). Flag new and terminated employees, pay changes over 10%, overtime spikes, missing deductions, and duplicates, with the reason each needs a look. Deliver three files in my company's brand. If I have Word, PowerPoint, or Excel templates in Athena, ask once which to use and build every file from them, keeping their layouts, styles, and formulas. For the brand, use my company's design system if one exists. Otherwise find my company's website (search the web if you are not sure of the domain), run design_system_retriever on it to get the real logo, colors, and fonts, and save the result with create_design_system so every run matches. Use the real logo image; never redraw it or type the company name in its place. The files: (1) a spreadsheet with one row per exception (employee ID, department, exception, this period, last period, reason); (2) a PowerPoint deck with the logo on the title slide, a one-slide summary, a slide per section with a chart wherever there are numbers, and a so-what slide; (3) a Word document with the logo in the header, the full brief, and every source cited. Brand colors and fonts throughout, one idea per slide, no walls of text. Finish with a short summary in chat that links all three. When each run finishes, this one included, email me the three files from Athena: send them to my own email address with the chat summary in the body. If Athena cannot send email in this workspace, say so instead. When you are done, ask me how often I want this: every weekday at 7am, weekly on Mondays at 7am, monthly on the 1st, or not now. Also ask which sections to keep and confirm my IANA time zone (for example America/New_York), and pass it explicitly when creating the schedule. If I choose a schedule, set up a scheduled agent that runs this same brief on it, keeps the spreadsheet asset ID and any template IDs in its instructions, reads the latest dated tab before each run, and reports only what changed since the last run. It says plainly when nothing material changed, and says comparison is unavailable if the prior tab cannot be read. Each run adds a dated tab to the same spreadsheet and makes a new dated deck and document. Whenever I give feedback on a run, in this chat or a later one, update the scheduled agent's instructions (and the template or design system when the feedback is about how the files look) so every later run follows it, then tell me exactly what you changed.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
Engagement survey analysis
Scores by team, comment themes, and three actions.
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- When you ask
- Outputs
- An answer in chat
Show the prompt
Analyze these engagement survey results: [attach]. Show scores by team and question, the themes in the comments, and three actions leadership should take.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
03Training
Training role-play
A practice scenario that grades your answers.
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- When you ask
- Outputs
- An answer in chat
Show the prompt
Build a role-play training scenario for [role] on [task]: the situation, what a strong answer covers, and a scoring rubric. Then play the [customer or manager] with me and grade my answers as we go.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
Training course outline
Goals, modules, exercises, and an assessment.
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- When you ask
- Outputs
- An answer in chat
Show the prompt
Outline a training course on [topic] for [audience]: learning goals, modules with time estimates, hands-on exercises, and a short assessment.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
Quiz from material
15 questions with answers and explanations.
- Setup
- No setup needed
- Runs
- When you ask
- Outputs
- An answer in chat
Show the prompt
Write a 15-question quiz from this material: [attach]. Mix multiple choice and short answer, and give the answer and a one-line explanation for each.
Opens a new Athena chat with this prompt ready to send. If you're not signed in, you'll sign in first and land in the same chat.
04Why run it in Athena
| A chat assistant | Athena | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Text in a chat | Real Excel, Word, and PowerPoint files in your templates |
| Working together | One person, one chat | Your team and the agent in the same file, live |
| Mistakes | Regenerate and start over | Every edit attributed; undo or roll back any change |
| Next run | Starts from scratch | Builds on the last run and on your feedback |
| Your data | Copy and paste | Documents, email, and warehouse, under each person's access |
| Where it runs | Their cloud | Yours, if you need it |
05For your team
06Related dispatches
- Athena SkillsTurn one good session into a skill your team reuses.
- Athena AnywhereAn AI agent in Teams, Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
07Questions teams ask
How do I use a starter?
Open a new chat in Athena, paste the prompt, and replace anything in square brackets with your details before sending. Athena asks for anything else it needs.
Which starters run on a schedule?
These run on a schedule: Weekly hiring report, Talent market watch, Employment law update, Payroll exception check.
Do these starters need connected apps?
None need a connected app.
Can I use my own templates?
Yes. The scheduled starters ask once which of your Word, PowerPoint or Excel templates in Athena to use and build every file from them. With no template, they use your company's logo, colors and fonts.