Not every candidate who answers a Clara AI call is eligible for the role. Some don’t hold the required licence. Some can’t work the shift pattern. Some aren’t legally authorised to work in the country.

Running a full AI interview on these candidates wastes a credit and wastes their time.

Knockout questions prevent both.

How knockout questions work

When a candidate answers a Clara AI call, she introduces herself and immediately asks the configured knockout questions before anything else.

These are binary yes/no questions that check non-negotiable requirements: availability for night shifts, possession of required licences, right-to-work status.

Whilst Clara AI doesn't make any decisions based on the answers that the candidates provide, she does always flag to the hiring manager the result of that question.

Setting up knockout questions

When creating a job, you’ll reach the Automatic knockout criteria section after entering the job title and description.

By default, Clara pre-populates three standard criteria - salary expectations, location, and availability - as a starting point.

Review these defaults, delete any that aren’t relevant, and add custom criteria using the + Add button.

Maximum five knockout questions per job. Once candidates have started interviewing, knockout questions are locked and cannot be edited.

What happens to failed candidates

Candidate report shows only the knockout section — no skill assessment, no competency scoring. The reason for the outcome is recorded.

Clara always continues the call with candidates to ensure they feel they were treated fairly rather than interrogated by an automated form that offers no explanation.

Credit preservation at scale

The credit-saving effect compounds with volume. In a role that attracts a large number of geographically ineligible or shift-unavailable applicants, knockout questions can prevent a significant proportion of interviews from ever consuming a credit.

For roles with hard non-negotiables, for example right-to-work requirements, professional licences, specific shift commitments, this can materially reduce the cost per qualified candidate screened.

EU compliance considerations

For employers operating under EU employment law, knockout questions provide a documented, consistent, and auditable pre-screening mechanism.

Every candidate is asked the same questions in the same order. Pass/fail outcomes are recorded.

The reason for a candidate reaching Not Suitable status is logged against their profile.

What happens without knockout questions

If no knockout criteria are configured, Clara asks three default questions before the main interview: salary expectations, location, and work schedule availability.

These aren’t binary pass/fail — they’re informational, and the answers appear in the candidate report for the recruiter to review.

Knockout questions are available on all Clara plans. Start your free trial