Most hiring managers assume that candidates are willing to send in all that information – after all, it is necessary to make a hiring decision. But candidates are also counting on the recruiters' discretion and on their ability to receive and store all this data in a secure manner.
Since data security is becoming a popular topic, recruiters should develop a robust system for safeguarding data sent in by candidates. That's also how you can boost your employer brand. If candidates are trusting you with their information, businesses need to prove that they know how to deal with data security risks.
Here are 5 tips to help you ensure that your candidate data is safe during recruitment.
1. Apply security updates on a regular basis
Most of the time, employees don't pay attention to applications and software updates. But the security updates are critical. They practically apply to everything your team does at the office. If one employee delays their updates, especially if it's their antivirus software, that person can put the entire team in danger.
Ensure that your recruiters update their software as soon as notifications come in. You can prepare a document with recommendations for your HR team. Remember to update all the equipment they use to send and receive candidate information on a regular basis.
Every single employee at your company should understand the organization's policy regarding emails and email attachments. They should have a clear idea about what they can and what they should not open. Foster the communication between recruiters and IT professionals in that regard.
2. Consider using a VPN
To make sure that everything your recruiters are sending and receiving is secure, you should be using proxy software and VPNs. That's how you will be able to prevent this information from being intercepted by a third party or bots.
What kind of VPN should you choose? That depends on the type of equipment you are using at your office. Try to find the best VPN for Windows or Mac devices. When choosing your VPN, remember to pick one that is seamlessly integrated with your operating system and device type.
3. Specified data submission limits
Your recruiters should never encourage candidates to send them personal information through third party services. You can never have full control over the security standards these platforms use. And when that type of data is intercepted by malware, you'll be the one responsible for it.
Resumes should be submitted directly to your team. That's the most secure method of sending in personal data. Remember to update the security credentials on your website frequently. For example, you should use HTTPS connections for sending and receiving candidate data. Whenever possible, try to avoid using outsourced services. That's especially important if the exchange of personal information is involved.
4. Avoid printing documents
It's one thing to try to keep electronic data secure, but quite another when it comes to safeguarding physical information. In fact, it's far more complicated.
If recruiters in your team print everything out and then pass these documents around the office, you can't be sure that all that information will travel back to them. Paperwork that features personal information should be properly destroyed and disposed of. If you don't have the right procedures in place, make sure to introduce them.
It's not smart to print everything you receive. If you keep documents in electronic form, you are less likely to lose track of them and then risk that they become a liability.
5. Delete stored data in accordance with the employer rules
Most of the time, businesses store candidate data for a specific amount of time. 90 days is a standard duration. Make sure that your team deletes information from your backlog every 90 days. If you don't get rid of that data, and then become the victim of a cyber attack, you'll be putting that information at risk.
Everyone who has sent anything to you might have their information extracted and exploited. And the consequences of such an attack are bound to affect your reputation.
Keeping your office secure is a smart move. But to develop full security at your HR department, you should have similar policies in place in all other areas. Your customers, clients, employees, and potential candidates all deserve the same level of security when it comes to their private data.
Use these tips, and you'll be on your way to developing a smart system that keeps candidate data secure at your company.
Amelia Dermott is a passionate writer and self-proclaimed internet addict. Having experience in business and IT administration, she likes to write about technology and self-development topics.