Choosing AI recruitment software in Singapore comes with a question that buyers elsewhere can postpone: where does the candidate data go, and can you answer that to the PDPC if asked? Add the usual questions about accuracy, pricing and fit, and the evaluation gets long. This checklist compresses it into twelve questions and one test.
We sell into this market, so treat the checklist as opinionated. Every question is one we have been asked by a Singapore buyer, and the answers we give for HyreTech are linked where they exist.
Part one: data and compliance
1. Who is the data controller, and where are they incorporated?
The vendor should name a legal entity, not a brand. A Singapore-incorporated controller is under the PDPA directly, which simplifies your own obligations. HyreTech is HyreTech Pte. Ltd., ACRA UEN 202615556M, and the details are on the Singapore solutions page.
2. Where is candidate data stored and processed?
Ask for regions, not adjectives. "Enterprise-grade cloud" is not an answer. Storage region, processing region and the region of any AI provider are three separate answers, and a vendor who cannot give all three has not mapped their own data flow. Ours is in the help article on where candidate data is processed.
3. Which sub-processors see resume text?
Any AI product sends resume text to a model somewhere. The question is which providers, under what agreement, and whether the vendor will tell you when the list changes. A vendor that says "we do not use any third parties" for an AI feature is either running their own model or not telling you the truth.
4. How long is candidate data retained, and who can delete it?
The PDPA's retention limitation obligation means you need a defensible answer for how long you keep unsuccessful applicants. Check that the product lets you delete a candidate outright and that the deletion propagates to the AI results, not just the profile.
5. Can you explain a rejection to a candidate?
Singapore's guidelines on AI in employment decisions point the same way as everywhere else: a candidate can ask why, and "the model said so" is not a reply. You want per-criterion reasoning that a human reviewed before the decision. Our PDPA guide for AI hiring covers the notification and consent side in more depth.
Part two: how the AI actually works
6. What does the model read, and what does it output?
The two common designs are a single match score and a rubric. A single score is fast to display and impossible to argue with. A rubric breaks the job into weighted criteria, scores each one and attaches reasoning, so a hiring manager can override one line while keeping the rest. HyreTech uses the rubric design: a role's job description becomes a set of weighted criteria, and every resume gets a scorecard with a shortlist, consider or reject verdict.
7. Does it flag resumes that are written for the model?
Resumes tuned to pass keyword filters are a Singapore-specific irritation because so many job seekers here have been coached to write them. Ask whether the product estimates how well the resume's claims hang together, separately from how well they match the job. Ours reports a verification confidence from 0 to 100; the help article on what a trust score flags shows examples.
8. Can you edit the rubric?
If the model decides what matters and you cannot change it, you have outsourced your hiring bar. Look for editable weights and criteria per role, and check whether an edit re-scores existing applicants.
9. How does it handle mixed-language resumes?
Singapore resumes are mostly English, but regional hiring means Bahasa, Mandarin and Vietnamese sections in the same PDF. Test with your own files. A tool that demos well on a clean English resume can fall apart on a real one.
Part three: pricing and fit
10. What is the unit of pricing, and what does a unit buy?
Seat pricing charges for people who log in. Usage pricing charges for work the AI does. Most products mix both. What matters is the conversion: how many resumes does one unit actually evaluate? On HyreTech one credit is one resume analysis, re-reading a result is free, and the free plan includes 20 credits and one active role so you can measure your own usage before paying. The pricing page lists every plan and top-up.
11. Does it work with the ATS you already run?
Most Singapore teams over twenty people already have an ATS and will not switch for an AI feature. Check whether the AI product can take an export from your current system. HyreTech works with your ATS by importing candidates from a CSV export plus their resumes; there is no live sync, and results stay in HyreTech. If you need write-back into the system of record, ask the vendor plainly and expect a plain no from most of them.
12. What happens when you stop paying?
Ask how to export your data, how long it stays after cancellation, and whether the scorecards come with it. A vendor with a clear answer has thought about the end of the relationship, which is a good sign for the middle of it.
The one test that settles it
Every vendor demos well on their own sample. Bring your own. Take a job description you are hiring for now and three resumes: one you interviewed, one you rejected in ten seconds, and one you argued about. Run all three. If the tool ranks them the way your team did and the reasoning reads like a colleague's notes, it passes. If it puts the ten-second reject on top, no feature list saves it.
You can run that test on HyreTech without an account. The free resume screener takes a job description and one PDF at a time, three a day, and returns the full scorecard. The file is deleted within a day and the result shows no personal details from the resume.
What the checklist looks like filled in for HyreTech
For the sake of transparency, here is how we answer our own questions.
| Question | HyreTech |
|---|---|
| Controller | HyreTech Pte. Ltd., Singapore, UEN 202615556M |
| Data location | Production database and application servers in Singapore; AI and email sub-processors listed in the privacy policy |
| Scoring | Weighted rubric per role, per-criterion reasoning, editable |
| Resume credibility | Verification confidence 0 to 100, shown beside the score |
| Pricing | Free: 1 role, 20 credits. Starter from $69/month. One credit per resume |
| Works with your ATS | CSV import of roles, applicants and resumes; no write-back |
| Try before buying | Free screener, no signup |
If those answers fit, create a free workspace and run your three-resume test on a real role.
FAQ
Is AI recruitment software allowed under the PDPA? Yes, with the usual obligations: notify candidates, collect only what you need, keep it only as long as you need it, and be able to explain decisions. The software does not remove those obligations; it should make them easier to meet.
Should a Singapore SME use an AI recruitment agency instead of software? An agency makes sense for a senior or niche role where nobody suitable applies. For roles that attract applications, software that evaluates them costs a fraction of a placement fee and works on every role at once.
Do I need to tell candidates that AI screens their resume? You should. Your privacy notice needs to describe the processing, and telling candidates plainly avoids complaints later. Our PDPA guide has example wording.
How much does AI recruitment software cost in Singapore? Entry plans in this category typically run from free to a few hundred dollars a month. HyreTech starts free, with paid plans from $69 a month plus credits for AI work.