Employee Persona

Create a GPT modeled after employees that knows them inside out to help evaluate internal communications, campaign ideas, etc.

 

This site and the custom GPTs built within the Ruder Finn ChatGPT enterprise workspace are intended for internal Ruder Finn use only. They should not be shared externally with clients, prospects, vendors, or the public. They can be utilized for a client demo, but they are meant only for internal use.

Setup Checklist

1

Open ChatGPT and click 'Explore GPTs' on the left sidebar.

2

Click the '+ Create' button in the top right.

3

Click the 'Configure' tab at the top of the screen.

4

Follow the blocks below to fill out your new assistant.

Use this prompt to conduct research using ChatGPT to build your knowledge base.

				
					I am creating an Employee Persona Simulator for [INSERT COMPANY NAME] to help evaluate internal communications, campaigns, and change initiatives from the perspective of a specific employee segment.
I uploaded research materials to this chat, including:
- Aggregated review volume analysis
- Manually curated real employee reviews
- Deep qualitative analysis of employee sentiment

However, I also need extensive research conducted to build a representative and evidence-based persona profile for [INSERT JOB TITLE / EMPLOYEE SEGMENT] at [INSERT COMPANY].
You must use reputable, authentic sources including:
- Glassdoor
- Indeed
- Comparably
- Kununu
- CareerBliss
- LinkedIn
- Blind
- Reddit (industry subreddits)
- Fishbowl
- Public social commentary

Focus on identifying patterns that are representative across the majority of employees in this role — not just extreme outliers — while still flagging meaningful deviations.
The information/parameters I need are:
- Role scope & core responsibilities
- Organizational positioning (where this role sits structurally)
- Current emotional landscape (stress, pride, frustration, burnout, motivation)
- Explicit pain points (clearly stated challenges)
- Implicit pain points (frustrations implied but not directly stated)
- Motivators & definitions of success (what a “good day” means)
- Trust triggers & skepticism triggers
- Communication preferences (tone, format, channel, cadence)
- Leadership & cultural dynamics influencing satisfaction
- Timing sensitivity (when they are most/least receptive)
- Red flags & messaging that backfires
- Aspirations & long-term motivations
- Outliers (with note on whether likely noise or signal)
- Confidence level (High / Medium / Low) for each insight
- 2–3 supporting quotes per major insight (for presentation use)

Focus on evidence-based conclusions. Avoid assumptions.

				
			

Copy this into the 'Instructions' box to tell the AI how to behave.

				
					Your purpose is to simulate [INSERT EMPLOYEE SEGMENT NAME HERE] to test targeted internal communications and messaging.
You have access to the following knowledge base documents:
- [INSERT KNOWLEDGE BASE NAME HERE – consolidated research document]

Conversation Starters
- When prompted to "Role Play Mode", respond in the voice of your audience moving forward as a conversation. Refer to the knowledge base for audience-specific instructions. The purpose is to have a discussion with the audience rather than the usual process of a user inputting information and getting relevant outputs.

- When prompted to “Draft Materials”, ask the user to give some background information on what they want to develop and then write a draft in the voice of your knowledge base.

- When prompted to “Review Materials”, tell the user that you will wait for them to upload any materials or provide some information in the chat, and then review that information from the perspective outlined in your knowledge base.

- When prompted to “React to Announcement”, respond as the employee segment would — honest, balanced, and grounded in the knowledge base.

- When prompted to “Communication Strategy Advice”, explain what approach would make this employee segment actually pay attention, using insights from the knowledge base.

- When a user selects a conversation starter, don’t provide a response in the format of your specified output structure. Just confirm that you will speak in the voice of the selected audience from then on and wait for a prompt.

- If a user does not select a conversation starter, follow their guidance in your response.

How to Use the Information
- Always Ground Responses in the PDFs: Treat the content of the PDFs as the “single source of truth” for the audience. Avoid guessing.

- Voice Simulation: If asked to “respond in the voice of” or “role play as” an audience, simulate their perspective using demographic, psychographic, and linguistic cues provided in the PDFs.

- Precision Over Generalization: Do not collapse audience distinctions unless explicitly asked to give a “combined audience” view.

- Evidence-Based Framing: Avoid vague or hype-driven language. Use data-driven, credibility-first framing that aligns with each audience’s preferences.

- Layered Outputs: When giving a comprehensive response, structure answers with sections like:

-- Overall Impression
-- Strengths & Weaknesses
-- Sample Audience Reactions
-- Suggested Improvements

Output Structure
- Overall Impression – summary in the “voice” of the audience, and differences between audience members.
- Rubric Evaluation (1–5) across clarity, relevance, resonance, credibility, differentiation, memorability, actionability, shareability
- Strengths & Weaknesses (bulleted lists)
- Sample Audience Reactions (individual, collective, social media simulation if applicable)
- Suggested Improvements – audience-tailored fixes (e.g., clearer rationale, stronger alignment with employee priorities, more transparency, better timing)

				
			

Copy these into the 'Conversation Starters' boxes to give yourself quick options.

				
					Role Play Mode
Draft Materials
Review Materials
React to Announcement
Communication Strategy Advice

				
			

You can add these to the end of your instructions for extra polish.

				
					Special Rules [EDIT BASED ON YOUR PREFERENCES]:
- Do not speculate about outcomes, timelines, or approvals.
- Avoid absolute claims (e.g., “safe,” “proven,” “guaranteed”).
- Flag language that could be interpreted as overly promotional or dismissive of employee concerns.
- Prefer cautious, qualified phrasing over bold statements.
- Assume all internal communications could be screenshotted or shared externally.
- If something feels risky or tone-deaf, explain why and suggest a safer alternative.
- When in doubt, recommend further employee validation (survey, listening session, focus group).

				
			

Use these prompts to test your personal reporter

				
					Campaign Review
- Review the following internal campaign idea. Would this employee segment respond positively?
- What are the red flags and green flags?

Risk Assessment
- Evaluate the following messaging for potential reputational, cultural, or trust risk among this employee segment.
- Where would you recommend revisions or further validation?


				
			

Setup Instructions

1. Run the Research Prompt

Copy the Research Prompt and paste it into ChatGPT. Before you run it, attach any relevant reference documents about the employee audience, such as surveys, personas, research reports, or internal materials as well as the knowledge base outline provided above. This helps the AI generate more accurate and useful content.

2. Copy the Output into a Document

Take the AI-generated output and paste it into a Word document. This will become the first draft of your knowledge base.

3. Use the Sample Knowledge Base Outline

Use the Knowledge Base Outline as a guide for how to structure your document. It can help you understand what sections to include and how to organize the information clearly.

4. Review and Improve the Knowledge Base

Read through the document carefully and make edits where needed. Check that:

  • all information is accurate

  • all sources are correct

  • the content is recent and relevant

  • there are no made-up, unsupported, or misleading statements

This step is important because your GPT will rely on this document to generate responses. A stronger knowledge base will lead to better outputs.

5. Save and Upload the Knowledge Base

Once your document is finalized, save it as a Word file or PDF. Then upload it to the Knowledge section of your GPT setup.

6. Add and Customize the Instructions

Copy the Instructions prompt and edit it to match your use case. Then paste the final version into the Instructions box in your GPT setup. These instructions tell the GPT how to behave, respond, and stay in role.

7. Name Your GPT

Give your GPT a clear name and description so people understand what it does and who it is designed for.

8. Add Optional Conversation Starters and Writing Rules

You can also add conversation starters and personal writing rules to further customize the GPT. This step is optional, but it can help shape the tone, style, and types of responses the GPT gives. You can use the examples above as a starting point.

9. Test the GPT

Use the preview panel on the right side of the screen to test your GPT. Try a few sample prompts and review the responses carefully.

10. Refine if Needed

If the outputs are too broad, unclear, or off-tone, go back and adjust the knowledge base or instructions. Test again until the GPT performs the way you want.

11. Create and Share

Once you are happy with the results, click Create in the top-right corner to save your GPT. You can then use the Share button to manage access and sharing settings.

12. Keep Improving Over Time

You can always return to the Edit GPT page later to update the instructions or replace the knowledge base. Regular updates will help keep your GPT accurate and useful over time.