In this data-driven age, how might new data protection regulation affect the recruitment industry?
In only 275 days the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) kicks in.
For recruiters and employers, so used to surreptitiously checking up on a candidate’s social media profile, it’s a potential headache.
Not least because companies falling foul of the new legislation can face fines of up to €10m or 2% of global turnover for ‘lesser’ incidents and double that for more serious contravention.
There will be new legislation for every business that collects, stores, uses and transfers personal data.
Pitfalls exist already of course. Under the 1998 Data Protection Act, employers are obliged to tread carefully during the recruitment process.
But there’s not a business out there that won’t check a candidate’s social media presence—which is a perfectly understandable and lawful process.
It’s what happens to the data collected from such a search that’s the issue.
Is it secure? Is it only used for the purposes of recruiting? Is it used to discriminate? Is it passed on to another company? Is it stored without the individual’s consent—which effectively is ‘unlawful processing.’
GDPR is on the horizon and will define how personal data must be managed in future.
Christopher Graham, speaking at the ICO’s annual Data Protection Practitioner’s Conference, stressed that organisations can’t afford to get it wrong:
“People have never been so aware of what their personal data is, and never cared so much about how it is used. The law is changing to reflect that.
The EU data protection reforms promise to be the biggest shake up for consumers’ data protection rights for three decades. Organisations simply cannot afford to fall behind. We know data protection officers understand this, and we know they sometimes find their views ignored in the boardroom. The new law gives directors 20 million reasons to start listening.”
Take an aspirin. Or sign up to Vidu.
Those canny folk who’ve already discovered Vidu are suddenly smiling.
Vidu is the new online, video and social media recruitment platform where candidates and employers share their profiles.
Willingly.
No complicated issues of asking for consent. No skulking around the recesses of someone’s social life like some shady voyeur.
It’s all there for everyone to see. And relationships can be formed quickly and permanently.
Which means an employer wastes less time in unnecessary interviewing. Plus, a candidate who’s hired is more likely to stick around longer. And the whole process costs less money.
Yes, less money.
If that’s not enough, for a limited time, employers can enjoy three months free when they sign up to 12 months, using the code ‘JOIN333’.
