Must-have recruiting software RFP template in 2025

Recruiting is the front door of your company. The tools you choose directly affect how fast you can fill roles, the quality of talent you hire, and the experience you deliver to candidates. But too often, recruiting happens in a silo: headcount lives in spreadsheets, approvals drag on in email threads, and interview coordination takes weeks. When a candidate is finally hired, their data must be copied manually into HR and payroll systems.

The result? Slow hiring, poor candidate experiences, and costly mistakes.

Modern recruiting software should eliminate this complexity. It should connect headcount planning, recruiting, onboarding, and performance into one flow. It should give you automation to reduce admin work, insights to refine your talent strategy, and the ability to deliver a consistent, professional candidate experience that helps you win top talent in a competitive market.

This guide breaks down the critical areas to evaluate in an RFP for recruiting software, with questions to include when issuing RFPs to vendors. Plus, you’ll get a downloadable RFP template so you can start evaluating vendors ASAP.

1. Headcount planning and role setup

Recruiting starts with knowing what roles you’re approved to hire. Many systems rely on disconnected spreadsheets or manual updates, which causes confusion and wasted effort. A strong recruiting platform should connect directly to your headcount plan and compensation bands, so recruiters can launch searches instantly with the right role, level, and pay range.

With Rippling, approved headcount and comp bands automatically flow into the ATS. Recruiters and hiring managers get real-time alerts when roles open, so they can start sourcing immediately—without chasing down the latest plan. Backfill requests are triggered automatically when someone leaves, ensuring roles don’t sit empty.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• How does your system connect to headcount planning?

• Can comp bands and role levels automatically sync into the ATS?

• Do backfills trigger automatically when employees leave?

• Are approval workflows included for off-plan requests?

2. Candidate sourcing and job distribution

A recruiting platform should maximize reach while saving time. Look for systems that can post roles to thousands of job boards in one click, create internal job boards, and manage referrals without manual work. Employees should be able to refer candidates directly, track their referrals, and receive bonuses automatically.

Rippling integrates with a network of up to 25,000 job boards. It also provides an internal job board, plus a built-in referral hub where employees can make referrals and get rewarded automatically through payroll—no extra admin required.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• How many external job boards can roles be posted to in one click?

• Does the system include an internal job board?

• How are employee referrals tracked and rewarded?

• Can referral bonuses be paid automatically in payroll?

3. Pipeline management and automation

Strong recruiting software should eliminate manual pipeline setup and ensure a consistent process across roles. Look for prebuilt pipeline templates, structured interview panels, and automated reminders that keep hiring teams on track. Systems should also support candidate scoring and filtering so you can prioritize the most qualified applicants quickly.

Rippling Recruiting includes prebuilt pipeline templates and structured interview plans, ensuring consistency without repetitive setup. Recruiters can filter candidates by defined criteria, while automated nudges remind interviewers to complete feedback, preventing bottlenecks.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Are prebuilt pipeline templates available?

• Can interview panels be structured dynamically (by role, team, tenure)?

• Does the system automate reminders for interviews and feedback?

• Can candidates be scored or filtered based on custom criteria?

4. Interview scheduling and candidate experience

Scheduling is often the most painful step in recruiting. Coordinating across candidates and busy panelists leads to delays that can cost you top talent. A strong platform should include AI-powered scheduling, candidate self-scheduling, and automated reminders. It should also ensure every candidate has a seamless, branded experience from application to offer.

Rippling offers smart scheduling and self-scheduling, letting candidates book time directly based on team availability. Interviewers get one-click access to resumes, scorecards, and candidate context in their calendar invites, streamlining prep. Automated reminders ensure interviews and feedback happen on time, creating a smooth candidate experience.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Does the platform support candidate self-scheduling?

• Can interview scheduling integrate with calendar systems?

• Do interviewers get one-click access to resumes, feedback forms, and context?

• Are candidates automatically reminded of interviews?

5. Offer management and approvals

Delays in the offer stage are one of the biggest reasons companies lose top candidates. Your recruiting platform should allow automatic approval of offers that fall within pre-approved headcount and compensation parameters. Offers should be generated quickly, and once accepted, new hire data should flow seamlessly into onboarding and HRIS.

Rippling allows auto-approval of offers that meet pre-set criteria, reducing delays. Recruiters can generate offers instantly, and once accepted, candidate data flows directly into onboarding—so new hires are set up in HR, payroll, and IT automatically, without duplicate entry.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• Can offers be auto-approved if they fall within pre-set parameters?

• How quickly can offers be generated and sent?

• Does new hire data flow automatically into onboarding and HRIS?

• Are approvals routed automatically for exceptions?

6. Analytics and insights

Recruiting data is only useful if it can be tied to outcomes. The best platforms let you track conversion rates across stages, compare source effectiveness, and even connect recruiting data to performance management to see which sources produce top performers. Insights should be available in real time, without relying on external reporting tools.

Rippling Recruiting provides dashboards that track conversion rates, pipeline health, and hiring velocity. Because it connects recruiting data with performance management, you can see which sources and hiring managers produce high performers—and double down on what works.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• What pipeline metrics can be tracked in real time?

• Can recruiting data be connected to performance outcomes?

• Are dashboards customizable by role, team, or department?

• Can reports be scheduled and shared automatically?

Forterra suffered from siloed recruiting and HR teams, causing manual handoffs, inefficient offer letters, and inconsistent workflows across tools. With Rippling’s recruiting software, they got much more visibility into hiring data, helping the company develop concise interview strategies and effective headcount plans. Now, they can run highly customized and automated reports that allow them to make faster, more informed hiring decisions.

RFP criteria: Connecting recruiting data to performance outcomes, getting analytics on headcount and hiring data, easy-to-share or downloadable reports

7. Candidate and employee experience

Recruiting is often a candidate’s first impression of your company. The process should be fast, professional, and consistent. Employees, too, should benefit—referrals should be simple, hiring managers should have clear visibility, and HR should spend less time on admin.

Rippling creates a smooth journey from application to day one. Candidates experience fast scheduling and clear communication, while new hires transition directly into onboarding without manual handoffs. Employees can refer candidates easily, track progress, and get bonuses automatically.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• How does the platform ensure a seamless candidate experience from apply to hire?

• Can referrals be submitted, tracked, and rewarded easily?

• Do hiring managers and interviewers have clear visibility into candidate pipelines?

• Does the system reduce manual work for HR teams?

8. Implementation and support

Even the best recruiting system falls short if implementation drags or support is poor. Look for vendors with proven timelines, migration support for historical candidate data, and responsive support channels.

Rippling Recruiting can be deployed quickly since it runs on the same platform as HR and Payroll. Candidate pipelines, interview templates, and offer workflows can be set up in weeks, not months. Support is available through chat, email, and phone, with training resources for recruiters and hiring managers.

RFP questions to ask vendors:

• What is your average implementation timeline?

• Can historical candidate pipelines and resumes be migrated?

• What training resources are available for admins and hiring managers?

• What support channels are provided (chat, email, phone)?

How Rippling helps enterprises

Rippling Recruiting isn’t a standalone ATS—it’s an all-in-one platform for hiring, growing, and engaging your workforce. Approved headcount flows automatically into the ATS. Compensation bands, interview panels, and offer approvals are pre-set by policy. Candidate data flows into onboarding in seconds, triggering IT and payroll setup instantly. And recruiting data connects with performance outcomes, giving you insights no siloed system can match.

With Rippling, enterprises can:

• Hit headcount goals faster with real-time plan sync

• Post jobs to 25,000 boards and manage referrals seamlessly

• Standardize hiring processes with templates, structured panels, and automation

• Move quickly on top candidates with smart scheduling and auto-approved offers

• Tie recruiting to performance to identify the best sources of talent

• Deliver a seamless experience for candidates, employees, and HR teams

Rippling RFP for recruiting software example

Headcount planning and role setup

Candidate sourcing and job distribution

Pipeline management and automation

Interview scheduling and candidate experience

Offer management and approvals

Analytics and insights

Candidate and employee experience

Implementation and support

Ready to evaluate vendors?