Data Retention Policies — End-User Help

Overview

This page (RetentionPolicies.aspx) lets administrators select the organisation’s default candidate data retention rule.

The chosen policy becomes the system default and determines how long candidate records are kept (for not-hired candidates, hired candidates, or when law/consent requires different handling).

Quick start

1. Read each policy summary.
2. Click the radio button for the policy you want (rbP1 .. rbP6). The currently selected policy is the default shown on load.
3. Click Set As Default (btnApply) to save. A slide-in toast (saveToast) confirms success.

What each policy does (at a glance)

Policy 1 — Minimal (3 months / Employment records)

• Not hired: delete after 3 months
• Hired: keep only employment records; remove recruitment data

Policy 2 — Standard (12 months / Employment records)

• Not hired: keep up to 12 months
• Hired: move needed data to employee file; purge extras

Policy 3 — Talent Pool (24 months with consent)

• Not hired: retain up to 24 months for future roles — requires candidate consent
• Hired: keep employment records; delete the rest

Policy 4 — Legal/Regulatory (12 months / up to 6 years)

• Not hired: default 12 months but allow legal/regulatory retention longer as required
• Hired: retain employment records per legal periods (up to 6 years where applicable)

Policy 5 — User-Controlled (delete on request / 12 months)

• Not hired: retain 12 months unless candidate requests deletion sooner
• Hired: keep employment file; delete extras on request

Policy 6 — Immediate Deletion (No retention for not hired)

• Not hired: delete immediately after a negative decision
• Hired: move necessary data to employment file

How to choose a policy — practical guidance

• Compliance-first (legal obligations): choose Policy 4 where laws require longer retention. Consult legal/compliance.
• Standard recruiting practice: Policy 2 (12 months) balances rehiring potential with data minimisation.
• Talent-pool strategy: Policy 3 is suitable when you re-engage candidates, but ensure explicit consent and lawful basis.
• Privacy-focused / candidate requests: Policy 5 supports stronger deletion control.
• Minimal retention: Policy 1 or Policy 6 reduce stored candidate data; Policy 6 is the most aggressive.

Step-by-step: set the default policy

1. Review each policy’s bullets on the page.
2. Click the radio button next to the desired policy (rbP1..rbP6).
3. Click Set As Default (btnApply).
4. Watch for the toast: “Applied successfully.”

If the toast does not appear, check for server error feedback.

What happens when you apply a policy

• Server handler btnApply_OnClick runs and persists the default policy to system configuration.
• Future candidate records or retention routines use the selected default unless overridden case-by-case.
• Existing retention jobs (scheduled cleaners/archivers) use the new default on their next run (timing depends on job schedule).

Confirmation, feedback & errors

• Success: toast saveToast
• Errors: permission denied, save failure, or validation issues — follow on-screen messages and retry. Capture exact error text for support.

Permissions & locked options

Only users with the correct admin privileges should change the default. If you cannot apply changes or the button is disabled, contact your administrator.

Governance & legal considerations

• Consult your DPO/legal before changing retention periods.
• Policy 3 usually requires explicit consent — ensure consent is captured and auditable.
• Policy 4 may require retaining specific fields for long durations (payroll/tax/statutory records). Identify what must be retained vs what can be deleted.

Impact & rollout recommendations

• Communicate changes to recruiters/HR/operations before applying.
• Test in non-production if possible.
• Monitor logs/KPIs after applying to ensure scheduled jobs behave as expected.

Accessibility & keyboard

• Radio buttons and Set As Default are keyboard-focusable.
• Use Tab to focus and Space/Enter to select/activate.

Troubleshooting

Apply button appears to do nothing

Confirm you have admin privileges. Reload and try again. Check browser console for JS errors.

Toast not visible after save

Toast is client-side. Reopen the page to confirm which radio is selected. Check logs/config storage if needed.

Wrong behaviour after changing policy

Retention jobs may run on a schedule; changes may not apply immediately. Check job schedule/logs; contact operations if urgent.

Unsure which policy to pick

Consult DPO / HR / legal and provide them the policy list and scenarios.

FAQ

Q: Will changing the default delete previously deleted data?

A: No. It affects future retention/cleanup behaviour and scheduled jobs going forward.

Q: Can policies be applied per client/tenant/job?

A: This page sets the system default. Per-case overrides depend on your implementation.

Q: Does Policy 3 automatically seek consent?

A: No. Consent must be captured separately; the system may apply the policy only when consent exists.

Support — what to provide

Provide:

• which policy you tried to set (1–6)
• screenshots or error text
• time you applied the setting and the account used
• if retention jobs behaved unexpectedly: job timestamps and affected candidate IDs (if available)