What Questions Should I Ask Before Buying AI Recruiting Software?

Ask twelve questions before you buy: what data the model uses, recruiter override, must-have gates, Naukri sync, India hosting and DPDP, a real trial, pay-per-use vs seats, masking, WhatsApp screening, accuracy proof on live jobs, whether it replaces your ATS, and data export. If a vendor cannot answer those in plain language, you are buying a demo, not a desk tool. This list is for Indian staffing agencies, not a generic HRIS bake-off.

Start with what the model actually sees

1. What data does the model use? Resume text only, JD only, structured fields, or also recruiter notes? If they cannot name the inputs, you cannot explain a rank to a hiring manager.

2. Can a recruiter override the rank? TeamOB - SafalHires ranks and surfaces reasoning; the recruiter still decides. A black box that forbids override will lose trust the first time a client’s must-have is missed.

3. Do must-have skills gate the list, or is everything a blended percentage? Keyword stuffing on Indian resumes makes blended scores look busy. Hard gates (notice, location, a named skill) are how you stop sending people who were never going to clear the client.

India-specific: Naukri, hosting, DPDP, masking, WhatsApp

4. How does Naukri sync work? Applies in, search out, add-on vs API, what still requires a Naukri subscription. Naukri will still be billed separately in almost every stack. If “we integrate with Naukri” means a zip download, you have not left the 4–6 hour triage pattern.

5. Where is data hosted, and what is the DPDP posture? Ask region, subprocessors, and how candidate personal data is deleted or exported. This is not legal advice; it is a vendor-hygiene question Indian agencies now have to ask.

8. Can profiles be masked for client submission? Name, photo, current company — masking is how you reduce bias and protect your database when a client sees a list.

9. Is WhatsApp screening in the product? CTC, location, and notice collected on the channel candidates actually read is how desks cut ~40% doomed call time. If outreach is email-only, first-touch will stay slow.

Proof, trial, and how you pay

6. Can we try before a subscription? Demo plus a sample req plus credits beats a slide. If there is no trial, assume the accuracy claim will not survive your JD.

7. Credits or seats? Seasonal Indian staffing makes idle seats expensive. Pay-per-use (TeamOB screens from the equivalent of ₹20 per inbound application) should be compared to seat licences you will pay through a quiet month.

10. How do you prove accuracy? Demand client shortlist rate on a pilot — the 45% diagnostic, not a resume-match %. Run it on real reqs with your must-haves.

11. Does this replace our ATS? SafalHires is designed to end where the ATS begins: a ranked shortlist, not payroll and offer workflow. Many agencies need both.

12. Can we export our data? If leaving requires a professional-services ticket and a six-week wait, you are buying lock-in, not a ranking layer.

The 12 questions, in one list

Questions agencies ask

What is the most important question to ask an AI recruiting vendor?

Ask how they prove accuracy on your live requirements — client shortlist rate and recruiter override — not a resume-match percentage from a demo deck. If they cannot run a pilot on a real JD with must-have gates, you do not have proof.

Should AI recruiting software replace my ATS?

Usually no. TeamOB - SafalHires is a ranking and sourcing layer that hands you a shortlist. Interviews, offers, and payroll ATS can stay where they are. Ask every vendor where their product ends.

What India-specific questions matter for staffing agencies?

Naukri (and other board) sync, India hosting and DPDP posture, profile masking for client submissions, and WhatsApp screening. Generic HRIS questions will not surface those.