Talent Acquisition Leaders: Are you GDPR-Ready?

Countdown to compliance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) continues. With only 210 some days left on the clock, will your company be ready?

If you’re asking yourself, “What is the GDPR?” then we should probably chat because the GDPR will significantly impact your recruiting efforts in 2018.  Based on the conversations we’ve had with our customers, it’s clear the GDPR hasn’t made it onto everyone’s radar. So, let’s change that.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a major piece of legislation out of the European Union (EU) that could severely impact your recruiting efforts, whether your organization is based in the U.S. or abroad.

“Don’t end up the poster child of non-compliance because examples will be made”

If that doesn’t get your attention, then let’s talk penalties for non-compliance. Organizations that fail to comply with the GDPR will face severe fines － to the tune of $20-million or 4% of worldwide revenue. Yes, you read that correctly. And, if you think no one’s watching – you’re wrong. Don’t end up the poster child of non-compliance because examples will be made.

So, how much time do you have to prepare? While the GDPR technically requires organizations be compliant today, penalties are suspended to allow for the complexity of this transition. GDPR enforcement won’t start for another 217-some days, according to the official GDPR website countdown. So, the good news is you have some time, but the clock IS ticking.

The GDPR is, perhaps, the most expansive privacy legislation to date, significantly enhancing data privacy rights for individuals, while placing obligations of transparency, accountability, and fairness, on nearly every company in every industry that relies on the use of personal data for conducting business. This means, for example, companies engaged in Marketing, Social Technologies, Professional Services, and (you’ve guessed it) Recruiting and HR, among other areas, are subject to this legislation.

“We’re constantly monitoring legislative changes on a global scale to better serve our customers”

At SmartRecruiters, we take data privacy and security seriously －so we’re constantly monitoring legislative changes on a global scale to better serve our customers and, ultimately deliver better recruiting software that enables our customers to meet their compliance objectives. In fact, the team at SmartRecruiters has monitored legislative efforts on GDPR for the past two years. Rest assured, it’s been on our radar for quite some time and we’re pleased to share that GDPR compliance efforts are just one component of our holistic approach to data privacy. In addition we have also taken it upon ourselves to incorporate the principle of privacy by design (PbD) at critical stages of product development －from planning to design and continuing throughout development and delivery.

“We are extremely sensitive to protecting the incredible amount of data that is generated from your recruiting activities”

Because SmartRecruiters supports customers with global operations, both in the U.S. and abroad, we are extremely sensitive to protecting the incredible amount of data that is generated from your recruiting activities. To that end, we’ve prepared a host of items to help your team prepare for the GDPR, including a comprehensive guide to the GDPR for insights and a proactive look at data privacy as it relates to your recruitment activities.

SmartRecruiters is proud to serve as your partner for data privacy while delivering value to your hiring teams through recruitment innovation. We look forward to sharing more about our product development and compliance enhancements, as we partner together to support your journey to compliance.