Recruit - How do I implement or manage a data retention policy?

This article shows how to manage your data retention policy (super Users only). This functionality allows you to manage when candidate data is automatically deleted from your system in order to comply with your company's data retention policy.

Important note: All data retention settings changes are audited and all system super users are emailed when any change is made to data retention settings - safety in numbers!

System super users are also emailed on a daily basis with an update on how many applications have been deleted.

Watch the video below for an overview of data retention settings in Recruit:

 

View data retention settings

Navigate to Settings -> Data retention:

Option 1 - Click to see more information on what data will be affected

Select to see exactly what statuses will result in deletion - these are custom for each system, so please check and let us know if you want to exclude any additional folders.

Option 2 - Should data retention be enabled?

Select 'Yes'. You will be prompted to choose the deletion timescale  - from 6 months - 5 years.

Option 3 - Should data retention relating to successful candidates in archived vacancies be deleted?

Automated candidate deletion previously worked only for candidates who have been rejected. However, where users have archived vacancies without actually rejecting candidates, these applications would never be deleted by the system.

This new option will delete archived applications against all statuses not marked as 'Terminal positive' (i.e. specific statuses such as 'Hired' can be excluded from the process). Select 'Affected folders' to see exactly which folders will result in deletion. Most customers will have a 'Hired' folder which is excluded from the deletion process, even if the job has been archived - so you won't see this in the list of 'Affected folders'. If you have any additional candidate folders that should be excluded, please raise a ticket to let us know, prior to activating this feature.

Application statuses

Selected candidate folders in your system are classified as one of the following categories:

• Terminal negative (e.g. any reject/fail/declined/withdrawn folders)
• Terminal positive (e.g. any folders associated with a successful hire)

All other folders will be considered active, i.e. candidates are expected to only move through them and not stay in them.

More detail about deleting data retention relating to successful candidates in archived vacancies

• Candidate data associated with submitted applications in terminal negative folders will be fully deleted after an application has been in a terminal folder for longer than the period specified
• In addition, if 'Should data relating to unsuccessful candidates in archived vacancies be deleted?' is checked, candidate data associated with submitted applications against archived vacancies in any folders which are not marked as terminal positive will be fully deleted after an application has been in that  folder for longer than the period specified
• Unsubmitted applications will be fully deleted if they were started longer ago than the data retention period specified
• Candidate documents are also deleted
• Any Person data, e.g. Contact details, will only be deleted once a candidate has no remaining active applications (i.e. all their applications have been in a terminal folder for longer than the data retention period)
• If Talent pool subscriptions expiry is also enabled (recommended), the candidate's entire account and all remaining data will also be deleted once they have had no active subscriptions for longer than the data retention period, provided that they also have no applications remaining in their account at this point
• If Talent pool subscriptions expiry is not enabled, then the candidate's account and talent pool-related data will be kept including:
  • Login/Registration information
  • Company-wide eligibility (required for login authorisation)
  • Job alerts preferences
  • Registration of interest/Speculative profile
  • Talent bank profile

Turning on a data retention policy for the first time (existing clients)

If you are turning on a data retention policy for the first time, you may already have significant numbers of people/candidates in your system. In this scenario, we would advise the following:

1. Turn on engagement first and set the content of your engagement email as appropriate to inform people that you will be implementing a data retention policy soon. This will give them the opportunity to refresh their subscriptions if they wish to.
2. Export any data your require or save copies of relevant reports you require for historical comparisons (as data which is older than the retention period will be deleted and no longer available once data retention is enabled). N.B. We suggest avoid use of any personal information in these reports for obvious reasons.
3. Set the data retention period to be as long as possible first and then gradually reduce it by one "notch" at a time over time, until it is set to the period you require, e.g. leave a week between further retention period reductions
4. Turn on subscriptions expiry once you've reduced the retention period to the desired level
5. Don't forget to update your privacy policy. This may be hosted by you or by us, in which case raise a support request to update the text as required.