A survey conducted by Bullhorn has found sixty per cent of recruiters think regulators won’t strongly enforce the terms of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Seventy-three per cent said they have seen no impact on the way they use recruitment technology and software four months on from the introduction of GDPR, while a similar number (71 per cent) said it hasn’t affected their ability to engage with candidates and clients. Of the 100 recruitment professionals surveyed, the majority (79 per cent) of recruiters agreed that GDPR won’t have a negative impact on the industry in the long-term.
Peter Linas, Executive Vice President of Corporate Development and International at Bullhorn said: “It’s worrying to learn that a significant proportion of recruiters think the ICO and other bodies will take a liberal approach. If recruiters have seen no impact whatsoever on their use of technology and software, it might indicate that official advice and best practices are not being followed closely enough. We can’t forget that GDPR was introduced for crucial reasons: to reinforce individual data privacy rights and improve transparency around how personal information is used. Penalties for non-compliance are, naturally, very serious.”
Linas continued: “It’s now more important than ever for recruitment companies to work closely with suppliers to understand how to maximise their use of technology, while staying within the boundaries established by GDPR.”
However, when asked about preparation for GDPR, over half (53 per cent) of recruiters said they had enough training and support at an individual level, while nearly three quarters (73 per cent) claimed that their company was timely and efficient in carrying out its compliance plan.
Additionally, over a third (36 per cent) of recruiters working at firms with a global reach said that their organisation plans to expand its data privacy policy to non-EU markets in light of GDPR, despite the potential challenges involved. The three most commonly cited challenges involved in preparing for GDPR were:
- Ensuring clarity around the terms of GDPR (58 per cent)
- Putting new data processing policies in place (56 per cent)
- Auditing all IT and other data-driven systems (44 per cent)
Linas concluded: “It’s certainly a good sign that recruitment companies are planning to expand their data privacy policies in light of GDPR. This is proof of the regulation fulfilling its overarching aim: to have companies take their customers’ data more seriously on a global scale. Nonetheless, while most took the appropriate measures to prepare for GDPR, more still needs to be done to educate staff and ensure clarity around what can and can’t be done.”
