The GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) implementation date is upon us, and companies everywhere have compliance on their mind. That’s because even though it’s an EU regulation, companies that serve any EU citizens will have to comply—and that’s just about every major company on the planet.
The whole purpose of GDPR is to enhance privacy for EU citizens and give them more control over the data companies hold about them. Key to the regulation is the right of access and “right of erasure”: that data about a person can be completely removed upon request. In addition, GDPR also has rules about when and why data can be processed and even requires that data not actively being legitimately processed be removed within a specific timeframe.
The reasons for these rules make sense. Data held by companies about individuals should be with their consent and processed legitimately. However, without the right approach to data processing, the rules might also lead to still-valuable data being deleted. That includes highly valuable personnel data that could make the difference between filling an open role quickly and missing an opportunity entirely.
Managing personnel data with GDPR compliance built-in
Eightfold is in the business of matching jobs and people, optimizing both the recruiting process and individuals’ careers. To do this, Eightfold’s AI relies on a lot of data, from résumé information submitted by candidates to lead tracking data, information on what qualities actually prepare someone for a particular job, and even details of job offers made months or years in the past.
Eightfold’s Talent Intelligence Platform™ is fully GDPR compliant. By integrating all personnel data in one place and providing a straightforward user interface, users can request all their data be deleted (under “right of erasure”) with a single click. Above and beyond mere compliance however, Eightfold’s tools also include a number of features that make the most of GDPR’s requirements to actually enhance the effectiveness of recruiting efforts.
From a recruiting perspective, this means maintaining a constant awareness of who’s qualified, who’s available, and how and when those skills, experience, and availability can be matched to an open job. For example, if a candidate comes in a close second for an open job and isn’t made an offer, they’re likely to still be a valuable contact months or even years down the line when a similar job opens up—as long as data about them and their history of contact with the company can be kept available and in motion.
Under GDPR, companies will need legal grounds to process and retain personal data. By automatically and constantly vetting its customers’ candidate pool, Eightfold helps establish that legal ground because processing the data is required to evaluate candidates for employment, and retaining the data ensures these candidates will be considered for a relevant role when one opens in the future, both necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by companies.
To learn further about how Eightfold complies with GDPR, please contact us.
