Most shortlists sent to clients are a list of names and CVs attached to an email. The client reads none of them properly, picks whoever sounds most familiar, and calls you back three days later. A well-structured shortlist presented clearly gets faster decisions and fewer dropouts.
Step 1: Screen and Select Your Candidates First
Use the CV screening prompt or the database matching prompt to get your ranked list. Once you have your top three to five candidates confirmed, come back to this guide.
Step 2: Build the Shortlist Document
I'm going to give you details on [number] candidates for a [job title] role at [company name]. Build me a client-ready shortlist document. > For each candidate include: 1. Name, current role, and current company 2. A two to three sentence summary of why they're on the shortlist, written to the client, not to me 3. The strongest thing about their background for this specific role 4. One question the client should ask them in interview 5. Salary expectation and notice period > Write it in a professional but direct tone. The client is [describe client: e.g. a fast-growing tech startup, a traditional professional services firm]. Write to that audience. > Candidate details: [paste your notes or screened output for each candidate]
Step 3: Add Your Own View
Before you send it, add one line at the top in your own words: which candidate you'd interview first and why. Clients hire faster when their recruiter has a view. Claude can draft this too if you ask it to, but it reads better when it sounds like you wrote it.
Step 4: Format and Send
Ask Claude to format the output as a clean document you can paste into an email or save as a PDF.
Format the above shortlist as a clean, professional document. Use clear headings for each candidate. Suitable to paste directly into an email to a client.
Where to find it: Claude Desktop app → Cowork → create document task, or paste directly into your email client.
The Point
A shortlist that tells the client why each person is there, what to ask them, and what you think gets a response the same day. A list of CVs gets a response when the client gets around to it.