Interviewer Prompt
Full Prompt Anatomy
Every piece of data that goes into the interviewer's system prompt.
The interviewer prompt is assembled dynamically at interview start. It combines rubric configuration (science-owned) with per-posting and per-candidate data (dynamic).
Structured (Spine) Mode
Built by lib/interviewer-prompt.ts, delivered to Retell GPT-4.1 via retell_llm_dynamic_variables.
Science-Owned Fields (editable via admin UI)
| Field | Config Key | What It Controls |
|---|---|---|
| System identity | system_identity | How the AI identifies itself. Tokens: {companyName}, {role} |
| Tone | tone | Conversational style |
| Probing style | probe_style | How to ask follow-ups |
| Pacing | pacing | When to let candidate finish, when to redirect |
| Opening script | opening | How to start the interview |
| Closing script | closing | How to end the interview |
| Question spine instructions | question_spine_instructions | Rules for following the spine |
| Probing triggers | probing_triggers | When to ask follow-ups |
| Max probes per question | max_probes_per_question | Hard cap on follow-ups (number) |
| Probe types | probe_types | Allowed follow-up categories |
| Escalation rules | escalation_rules | When to probe harder vs. move on |
| Depth config | depth_config | Duration targets per depth level (numbers) |
| Max resume chars | max_resume_chars | How much resume text the AI sees (number or null for full) |
| Hard rules | hard_rules | Absolute constraints (add/remove list) |
Dynamic Fields (per posting/candidate)
| Field | Source | Editable? |
|---|---|---|
| JD text | postings.jd_summary | By employer (posting form) |
| Question spine | postings.question_spine | By employer (posting form) |
| Resume text | candidates.resume_text (truncated) | By candidate (upload) |
| Resume gaps | candidates.resume_gaps | Auto-detected by AI |
| Custom notes | postings.custom_notes | By employer (hiring manager context) |
Auto-Appended Rules
Two rules are automatically appended based on posting config:
- "Keep the interview to approximately N questions plus probes" (from spine length)
- "You may ask up to N follow-up probes per question" (from
max_probes_per_question)
Adaptive Mode
Same structure as above, plus additional fields. See Adaptive Mode for the full field list.
Key difference: receives full competency anchors (1-5) and competency weights instead of a question spine.