Personal data

Person mit Rahmen um das Gesicht und Emojis drumherum, als Zeichen für personenbezogene Daten.

Securely managing personal data in HR: definition, examples & GDPR practice

Personal data is at the heart of modern HR processes – and at the same time a key challenge in data protection. In the era of the GDPR, it is more important than ever to manage this data securely and in compliance with the law.

 

What is personal data?

Personal data is information that relates to an identified or identifiable natural person. This includes, for example: name, address, date of birth, social security number, email address, IP address, etc. In short, all data that makes a person directly or indirectly identifiable is considered personal data.

 

Data protection for personal data in HR: what matters

In the HR environment, the handling of personal data is particularly sensitive. Initial personal data is already collected during the personnel requirements process. Data protection also plays a central role throughout the entire recruitment process, as explained on our data protection page.

In order to process personal data in a legally compliant and responsible manner, the following principles should be observed:

Data minimisation: Only collect the personal data that is necessary for the respective purpose – no more and no less.

Purpose limitation: The processing of personal data is only permitted for clearly defined and legitimate purposes. Further use for other purposes is not permitted.

Transparency: Employees and applicants must be informed in a clear and understandable manner about what data is collected, what it is used for and how it is processed.

Retention periods: Personal data may only be stored for as long as necessary. For example, application documents should be deleted no later than six months after the conclusion of the process – unless express consent has been given for longer storage.

Technical and organisational measures (TOMs): Appropriate security measures must be taken to protect personal data – such as access restrictions, encryption, regular backups or training for HR staff.

 

Compliant management of personal data: best practices

Measures for secure management include, among others:

  • GDPR-compliant privacy statements & consents

  • Directory of processing activities

  • Access restrictions in HR systems

  • Data protection training

  • Regular audits

Modern digital solutions such as applicant management software or HR analytics help to process personal data efficiently and securely.

 

Data protection when exchanging data between HR systems

When data is transferred between systems, for example between an applicant management tool and ERP, secure interfaces are crucial. Standards for data security in the HR sector ensure legally compliant implementation.

 

FAQs: Personal data & data protection in HR

1. Are professional contact details also personal data?

Yes. Professional contact details such as business email addresses or telephone numbers are also considered personal data, as they can be assigned to a specific person – for example, an employee or an applicant.


2. What are special categories of personal data?

Special categories include particularly sensitive information, such as health data, biometric data, ethnic origin, religious beliefs or political opinions. According to the GDPR, processing this data is only permitted under strict conditions, such as with express consent or when required by law.

3. How long can personal data be stored?

Personal data may only be stored for as long as is necessary for the respective purpose. Example: Application documents should be deleted after six months at the latest, unless consent has been given for longer storage or there are legal retention obligations.

It is mandatory to process personal data in HR in a legally compliant manner. Those who focus on transparency, data security and GDPR compliance minimise risks and strengthen trust.

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