GDPR will make recruiters more thoughtful, says firm   

Global talent acquisition and talent management firm, Alexander Mann Solutions, has voiced support for incoming General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) rules.

The introduction of the new GDPR rules, which are due to come into effect on 25 May 2018, requires organisations to be more conscientious when automating recruitment according to the firm.

Alexander Mann Solutions says recruiters will need to be more thoughtful in their recruitment practices, while vouching for the benefits of automating elements of the recruitment process to increase candidate experience, eliminate unconscious bias, and freeing up recruiters to concentrate on their candidates.

Jerry Collier, director of Client Success and Innovation at Alexander Mann Solutions, commented:

“GDPR arrives in Europe at a time when companies are re-designing their recruiting to put their candidates back at the centre of the hiring process; fast-lanes for some candidates, games lanes for others, slow, discovery lanes for many. AI, machine learning & robotic process automation represent fantastic opportunities, but we often do not need more technology in our hiring processes but need the systems to be more intelligent – mobile optimised and designed for candidate experience – freeing recruiters to create impactful moments for their candidates.

“GDPR will require thoughtful implementation but for those already blending automation and human action in their hiring processes, this should simply be a natural extension.”

Meanwhile, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has said that the UK’s small business community is still worryingly unprepared for the new data protection regulations.

New research from the FSB shows that a third (33%) of small businesses have not started preparing for the introduction of GDPR, while a further third (35%) are only in the early stages of preparations. Only 8% of small businesses have completed their preparations.

For those small firms starting to prepare for the changes, just over half (52%) say they will approach the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) for advice.

Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said: “The GDPR is the biggest shake-up in data protection to date and many small businesses will be concerned that the changes will be too much to handle. It’s clear that a large part of the small business community is still unaware of the steps that they need to take to comply and may be left playing catch-up.

“With less than 100 days until the changes come into force, the attention now shifts to the Information Commissioner’s Office and whether it can effectively manage the demands of small businesses seeking advice and guidance. It is vital that smaller firms looking for this support, either by phone or the web, are able to get it easily.”

It is likely that some small businesses will not be compliant ahead of the May deadline. The FSB therefore believes it is important that the ICO takes a proportionate approach to enforcement and supports firms towards compliance, as opposed to resorting to fines.

Mike continued: “Non-compliance must initially be dealt with in a light touch manner instead of handing down tough penalties. There must be a willingness to play a supportive role in ensuring that small businesses can and are able to comply. The ICO will be critical to creating an environment which focuses on education and prevention and not punishment.”