A recruitment software RFP for an Indian staffing agency should include sourcing channels, Naukri behaviour, ranking and must-have gates, profile masking, WhatsApp screening, DPDP and hosting, SLA, data export, and pricing (credits vs seats). Add an ATS boundary so vendors cannot win by pitching a rip-and-replace you will never implement. If those sections are missing, you will buy a demo that still leaves 4–6 hours of triage on the floor.
If Naukri is a footnote and WhatsApp is absent, the RFP was written for a different country’s TA team.
An RFP for India staffing is not a generic HRIS RFP
Imported templates obsess over offer letters, onboarding, and SSO. Your leak is unranked applies, three inboxes, and first-touch that takes days. Write the RFP around time-to-first-ranked-match, recruiter override, and client-ready lists — then attach HRIS items only if you truly need them. Require a pilot on live reqs. Paper scores without a sample JD are theatre.
Ask vendors to describe hosting region, subprocessors, deletion, and export. Have counsel review answers against your facts. The RFP should force a description, not a slogan.
Sourcing, Naukri, ranking, and masking
Sourcing channels. List Naukri, email/inbox, LinkedIn, bulk upload, Shine/Foundit if you use them. Ask what is native vs zip import.
Naukri. Applies in, search out, add-on vs API, what still needs a Naukri licence. State that board spend stays a separate line.
Ranking. Match against JD, must-have gates vs blended %, recruiter override, time to first strong match (TeamOB designs for about two hours after posting).
Masking. What PII can be hidden on a client share. Unmasked lists are both a bias and a database-protection issue.
WhatsApp screening, DPDP, SLA, and data export
WhatsApp. Can must-haves (CTC, location, notice) be collected before a call? That is how desks cut ~40% wasted call time.
DPDP / hosting. Region, access control, retention, candidate deletion. Scattered Excel + Drive copies are your current risk; do not add a vendor who cannot say where resumes live.
SLA. Uptime, support hours in IST, what happens when ranking lags a live mandate, escalation. Staffing spikes do not wait for a US-only helpdesk.
Data export. Self-serve extract of candidates, scores, and status. Lock-in dressed as “we’ll migrate you” is still lock-in.
Pricing that matches how agencies actually buy
Ask for unit price: scan vs download vs seat. Seasonal volume should not require a 12-month named-seat commitment before a trial. SafalHires is credit-based (inbound scan vs sourced download; ranked list view does not burn credits). Make vendors map a busy week and a quiet month. Naukri remains billed separately in both cases.
| RFP section | What good looks like |
|---|---|
| Channels | Named boards + email + LinkedIn, not “integrations” |
| Ranking | Gates, override, proof on live JDs |
| Naukri | Sync detail + board still separate |
| Masking / WhatsApp | Client share + pre-qual on the channel people read |
| DPDP / SLA / export | Region, IST support, self-serve exit |
| Pricing | Credits or seats, spike vs quiet month, trial |
Vendors who cannot rank that JD with your must-haves in a trial have already answered the accuracy section, whatever their slide says.
A section-by-section checklist
Shortlisting layer vs system of record. Many agencies need both. Say so up front.
Two or three live reqs, client shortlist rate, recruiter hours vs the 4–6 hour baseline.
Expiry of credits, job-lock, unused seats, implementation fees, and who pays for Naukri.
Questions agencies ask
What sections belong in a staffing agency software RFP?
Sourcing channels, Naukri (and other boards), ranking and must-have gates, profile masking, WhatsApp screening, DPDP and hosting, SLA, data export, and pricing (credits vs seats). Add ATS boundary so vendors do not pitch a rip-and-replace you do not want.
Can I use a generic HRIS RFP for recruiting software?
No. Generic templates miss Naukri sync, WhatsApp first-touch, client masking, and seasonal credit pricing. Those are how Indian staffing desks actually work.
Should the RFP require a paid annual licence?
Require a trial on live requirements and a clear unit of price. Do not force seats if your volume is seasonal. Ask vendors to map price to scans, downloads, and what remains billed to Naukri.
Put the RFP against a live shortlist
See how SafalHires covers ranking, Naukri flow, masking, and credits — then keep your ATS if it still does offers.
See how SafalHires works