Skip to main content
Candidates' auto-anonymization

GDPR - candidates' anonymization in TRAFFIT

Anna Sykut avatar
Written by Anna Sykut
Updated over a month ago

WHAT IS ANONYMIZATION?

Anonymization is the permanent and irreversible removal of all the connections between personal data and the person it relates to. Its purpose is to make it impossible to identify a specific person. According to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), candidates for jobs should be anonymized when the consents they gave during the recruitment process expire.


WHAT IS AUTO-ANONYMIZATION IN TRAFFIT?

Auto-anonymization in TRAFFIT is a mechanism that automatically anonymizes the candidates' data in the ATS when meeting the indicated rules. Those can be set up in the system. It allows you to:

  • guarantee processing the personal data in the database of only those candidates who have given and still have valid consents for the processing of personal data (given e.g. when applying to specific jobs or applying spontaneously; adding their CV to the employer's database),

  • save time spent on monitoring and manual anonymization of candidates whose consents expire,

  • guarantee GDPR compliance and security of your candidates' personal data processed in the ATS.

This additional service is offered in TRAFFIT, payable according to the pricing.


WHAT DATA IS REMOVED WITH ANONYMIZATION?

Anonymization in the Traffit recruitment system - both automatic and manual - involves the deletion of all data that could allow the identification of a specific candidate.

What remains in the system after the candidate is anonymized?

  • candidate ID - a unique string of digits assigned to a candidate in the system,

  • activity history -i nformation about the activity performed on a given record - left in the system for statistical and reporting purposes (e.g., date of application, assigning a note, etc.)

  • connection to jobs and application sources (for statistical and reporting purposes)

What is removed from the system when a candidate is anonymized?

  • personal data of the candidate (visible in the Personal data tab on the profile)

  • details of submitted applications for specific positions

  • reminders and tasks associated with the candidate

  • calendar events associated with that person

  • information about the talent groups to which the candidate was assigned

  • information about assigned tags & rate

  • content of notes added to the candidate by the users

  • details of the activities (e.g., content of notes) associated with this person

  • files attached to the candidate's profile, including resumes and cover letters

  • information about GDPR consents (active and expired)

  • details of sharing the profile with Hiring Managers


HOW TO ENABLE AUTO-ANONYMIZATION IN TRAFFIT?

To enable auto-anonymization in your TRAFFIT you need to reach our Customer Success team via chat to enable the paid auto-anonymization add-on.

When the add-on is enabled, go to Settings --> Job posting and GDPR --> GDPR and go to the Auto-anonymization rules section.

Here you can decide on the rules by which candidates in the system will be automatically anonymized.

1) Choose the types of consents in your TRAFFIT, the expiration of which will result in the automatic anonymization of candidates:

2) Decide whether candidates who already do not have active consents of the selected type should also be automatically anonymized when this functionality is enabled (the switch is available below the list of consents)

3) Select how many days before the expiration of the indicated consent candidates are to be queued for automatic anonymization:

This will allow you to keep control over the queue of candidates to ba anonymized and react, if you want to prevent any of them to be auto-anonymized.

Remember to Save the changes.

Now the rules of auto-anonymization are saved, but you can browse the list of queued candidates before you activate the whole process:

You can decide to:

  • Browse the list before activating the process

  • Activate now without browsing the candidates' queue

  • Save without activating - to activate the process later. The rules you've indicated will remain saved.

If you use the Browse the list button, you will be redirected to the list of candidates recently queued candidates to verify if the rules were set up correctly.

If yes, you can activate the process using the purple Auto-anonymization process is deactivated. Click to activate button:

If you decide not to activate the process at that point, you can do it anytime:

  • Using the purple button mentioned above,

  • In Settings --> Job posting and GDPR --> GDPR, in Auto-anonymization rules section. To do that, use the Activate switch on the right:

Before you activate it, you can always use the Browse the candidates list to verify if the rules were set up correctly.

The auto-anonymization process will run every 6 hours.


WHERE CAN I SEE THE AUTO-ANONYMIZATION QUEUE?

After activating this functionality, you can view the list of candidates who will be automatically anonymized in the nearest future.

You can find it in Candidates --> To be anonymized tab:

The list presents:

  • rules, according to which candidates are put on this list,

  • the number of candidates that will be auto-anonymized the next day,

  • data of candidates in the queue for auto-anonymization: first name, last name, email address, name of the recruitment, the current stage in the recruitment, and the date from which the candidate is assigned to it (if assigned to a job).

You can see the activities icon at the end of every row - if you click on it, you can see the last activities performed on that candidate's profile.

You can:

  • send an e-mail

  • send an SMS

to the listed candidates.


HOW TO PREVENT THE AUTO-ANONYMIZATION?

Automatic anonymization is designed to ensure that you process only the personal data of those candidates in your database with valid consents. However, if the list for auto-anonymization includes candidates whose data you still want to process in the system - you have two options:

1) Create a consent update form in your TRAFFIT and use the Send e-mail option to distribute it. If they fill it in, the auto-anonymization mechanism will exclude them.

2) Visit their profiles in the system and assign the consents manually - e.g. if they updated them via e-mail, in private messages on LinkedIn, on paper, etc.


HOW TO DEACTIVATE AUTO-ANONYMIZATION?

You can deactivate the auto-anonymization process anytime in Settings --> Job posting and GDPR --> GDPR, in Auto-anonymization rules section (the switch on the right):

Deactivation needs a double confirmation, so if you move the switch, you will need to click Yes, deactivate to make it happen:

The rules you've indicated will remain saved if you want to activate the process in the future.

The paid add-on will remain enabled, so if you want to disable it, ask our Customer Success team for help.

Did this answer your question?