How to Keep Your Applicant & Employee Data Secure

A secure system to manage applicant and employee data is essential for any business. To be successful, businesses must ensure the confidentiality of this data and protect it against unauthorised access or malicious activity.

What is Applicant and Employee Data?

Applicant and employee data includes any information about applicants and employees provided during the hiring process and while employed. This can include name, date of birth, gender, address, educational background, work experience, health information, tax information, and any other associated data. This data is collected and stored to conduct background checks, track performance and progress, and manage payroll and benefits.

Businesses must also comply with legal requirements. With the introduction of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018, businesses must ensure they comply with regulations, including securely managing employees’ personal data and informing them of the data they have collected.

Why is Keeping Applicant and Employee Data Secure Important?

The importance of keeping applicant and employee data secure cannot be understated. Data breaches can lead to various risks, including financial loss, reputational damage, and disruption in operations. They can also lead to heavy fines and legal action if the breach is caused by negligence or a failure to comply with regulations.

How to Keep Applicant and Employee Data Secure

Businesses need to establish secure systems to protect applicant and employee data. There are several ways to do this, including using secure file sharing, encryption, firewalls, and establishing a strong password policy. Employees should be trained to store data securely, limit access to data, and regularly monitor access. You must also have a secure data destruction process in place to dispose of any data that is no longer needed. This includes using secure erasure software and destroying hard copies.

We highly recommend investing in a dedicated HR software system such as Breathe HR which enables you to securely store your data. Breathe HR also allows you to track sickness and absences, manage payroll, plan appraisals and loads more. If you’d like a free demo of the system please reach out to the team.