Personio enables you to protect the data of your candidates according to the EU GDPR. By activating the automatic candidate anonymization, you can remove all personal data when it's no longer needed.

Note
The anonymization of candidate data is irreversible. The data cannot be recovered, but will be retained for your reports in anonymized form. Learn more about Which data is anonymized? below.

Automatic anonymization

To set up the automatic anonymization of applicant data, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Settings > Recruiting > Recruiting > General.
2. Next to Data privacy settings, click Edit.
3. For Anonymize data automatically? select Yes.
4. Under Anonymize after, you can choose how many days after a candidate was rejected or withdrew from the process, the data should be anonymized.
   Note: When this number is set up or changed, the system will not update instantly. An update will run every morning, calculating the days that have passed since the disqualification. Hence, this will also apply for your historic candidate data.
5. Next to Include candidate name in notification emails? select whether the name of the candidate should appear in notification emails that are sent to you. If you select No, no personally identifiable candidate data will be included in notification emails.
6. Then Save.

Manual anonymization of candidate data

(Bulk) Anonymization

You can also anonymize your candidate's personal data manually. You can do so either for a single candidate or for several candidates at the same time, following these steps:

1. Navigate to Recruiting > Applications.
2. Filter and select the candidates whose personal data you want to delete.
3. Click on Actions. 
4. Select Anonymize application from the drop-down-menu.
5. Click Anonymize to confirm the anonymization.
   
   

Anonymization in the application

You can also anonymize the data directly in a specific application. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to Recruiting > Applications.
2. Click on the application you wish to anonymize.
3. Click on  and select Anonymize application.

Which data is anonymized?

The following information is anonymized:

• The candidate's name,
• the candidate's gender,
• all application documents,
• the message history, including all attachments,
• email address, phone number and the candidate's birthday,
• offers,
• evaluations; all quantitative evaluations, however, will be retained.

If the candidate has applied for several jobs, the data of the candidate will be kept for the time being.

Note
The anonymization of candidate data does not affect reporting. For reporting purposes, the following data is retained:
▶︎ application ID
▶︎ application date
▶︎ application channel in the database
Anonymized applications are therefore still reflected in system reports such as the application report.

Deletion of candidate data

If you are sure that you do not only want to anonymize data, but completely delete candidate profiles, you have two options.

Note
The deletion of candidates is irreversible. Data cannot be recovered and is no longer available for your reports.

(Bulk-)Deletion

To delete the application of one or more candidates, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to Recruiting > Applications.
2. Filter and select the candidates whose applications you want to delete.
3. Click on Actions. 
4. Select Delete application from the drop-down-menu.
5. Click Confirm to confirm the deletion.

Deletion in the application

Alternatively, you can also delete the application. To do so, follow these steps:

1. Go to Recruiting > Applications.
2. Click on the application you wish to delete.
3. Click on  and select Delete application.