The European Data Protection Regulation will have technical consequences. But it will also affect HR policies and employer brand.

On May 2018, the European Data Protection Regulation, which strengthens the existing law on the subject, will command stricter rules on how companies handle personal data they collect. This provision will also have repercussions on HR policies, including serious implications for employer brand.

GDPR main implications:

• Less data but always updated
• Targeted information to increase efficiency
• Transparency = trust
• Use of data limited to defined needs
• Data feed will foster social dialogue
• Increased respect for people and their privacy

The security of personal data is essential to build candidate confidence, as information becomes more and more frequently a source of revenue for companies that monetize them.  GDPR will also encourage HR professionals to ask themselves a few (good) questions:

• Do we understand how our recruitment and HR data is used?
• Are we able to clearly identify HR data usage and delete it without impact?
• Do we have a process in place which allows employees and candidates to request data storage and usage?
• Do we have robust processes and policies in place to audit and monitor 3rd Party liability and governance?
• How do we organize ourselves for robust organizational control?

With the clock counting down to the regulations coming into force, it’s crucial that preparations get underway. Failure to act could result in considerable financial penalties.