The Data Protection Act 1998 took effect on 1 March 2000. The Act contains a number of regulations that impact on the hiring process of companies - to ensure that the process is fair and that information from jobseekers is not misused. More recently the Information Commissioner produced the first of a four-part Employment Practices Data Protection Code, setting out detailed steps that employers should follow to comply with the Act.
Recent research among major employers by recruitment consultancy Zebra shows that many do not comply with the Code, but those that use technology (especially online recruitment) to manage their hiring process are much more
likely to meet its demands.
According to Matthew Parker of i-GRasp, a company that specialises in such technology solutions, there are a number of reasons why.
Firstly, a computerised system with a single online depository is far more likely to contain ACCURATE information than a paper or PC-based system. This
is especially true of a system that operates online (such as i-GRasp''s Global Successor solution), which allows jobseekers to continually update and manage their own records.
Secondly, setting up a recruitment system allows employers to set up DEFINED PROCESSES which are structured, consistent and compliant with the Act and with best industry practice. For example, an online recruitment system can remove equal opportunities information immediately from an application and store it at a higher security level, thus removing all possibility of later
prejudice. Global Successor also includes links to the Information Commission''s website - allowing managers to update themselves on the requirements of the act. In the Zebra survey, only 20% of respondents had
visited this website.
Thirdly, DATA RETENTION can be managed automatically, without the need for periodic checks. For data that needs permission to be retained, planned email or letter communications can be generated. Data can be set for
automatic deletion at any ''reasonable time'' that complies with the Act.
Fourthly, SECURITY is enhanced. All information is held on secure servers located outside of the recruiting organisation, and access to the information logged. This means that no information can be passed on to a third party without permission, and also that there is a much lower chance of information being lost.
Finally, DEMONSTRATING COMPLIANCE AND COMMITMENT is simplified. Information requested by individuals, or the Information Commissioner, or internal auditors, can be found without time-consuming searches for information and
data entry. The Zebra research found that only 12% of companies would find meeting a request for information from an applicant ''very easy''.
Using Technology to help with Data Protection
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