Recruitment has been a growing industry, with numerous new recruitment agencies opening across the UK every year. With a crowded job market and the high levels of stress associated with job hunting, more applicants are choosing recruitment agencies to try and land them a job. It is far more convenient for the job searcher and gives them more time in their personal life. Many employers also relish the opportunity to use recruitment agencies as they often have access to more potential interviewees than they would receive directly.
With this increased use of recruitment agencies, there are new issues surrounding the collection, storage, and disposal of personal information under the General Data Protection Regulation. This is because information is gathered by the recruitment agency and then needs to be passed on to potential employers. Here, we go over some important recruitment regulations for collecting, sharing and destroying candidate information.
Meeting regulations
-Firstly, ensure that a company you are doing business with is fully accredited. This will show that the company is certified in collecting, handling and sharing data.
-All documentation gathered during the hiring process should be destroyed 6 months after being received for any unsuccessful candidate. For these 6 months, the personal documentation should be stored securely with limited access.
-Any documentation kept longer than 6 months for unsuccessful candidates needs to show consent for this action.
-Documentation on successful applicants should be disposed of 6 months after they have finished their employment.
-Any other personal and sensitive information gathered, such as equal opportunities monitoring, should also be stored and disposed of securely.
However, some information about candidates that can be considered a breach of privacy is collected. Therefore, recruitment agencies must not ask for certain details such as membership of a trade union or relationship status.
Storage and disposal of sensitive information
To ensure safe storage and disposal of sensitive information, certain products and practices should be in place. For physical data, documentation should be stored in locked compartments with limited access. Disposing of such documentation should optimally require paper shredding services. Online storage of data should require up-to-date programs and software so that all security protocols are as strong as they can possibly be. This should also include constant checks to ensure that security is working as it should be. Despite it being online, this data should also have limited access.
Following these regulations means that every company involved in the hiring process can comply with the law and the applicant themselves can protect their privacy. If carried out properly, the recruitment process can be a win-win for everyone involved, giving applicants and employers access to what they desire.
