SAP’s SuccessFactors added new features intended to make it easier for HR departments to comply with data protection and privacy laws. The announcement’s timely, since the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, kicks in on May 25, barely two months from now.
“We’re committed to helping customers adhere to data protection and privacy regulations, and protect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their data,” said SuccessFactors President Greg Tomb. With GDPR looming, he said, the company seeks to provide tools “that not only help them comply with these laws … but also improve governance.”
In addition, he said, such tools help employers build trust with both employees and candidates.
The additions will help SuccessFactors users properly handle and protect employee, candidate and customer data, the company said. The updates’s features are designed to protect personal data, even after an employee has left the organization. They include:
- Consent management, to help employers configure and manage consent statements and acceptance as required by GDPR and other laws.
- Data blocking, which controls access to historical, personal data by restricting its access based on user role. For instance, an HR service center worker may only need to see employee data going back one year, while an HR system administrator may need to see an employee’s entire history.
- Data subject information reporting, which allows users to generate a report containing all of an individual’s personal data available across SuccessFactors solutions. It supports an individual’s right to information, the company noted, by allowing them to know what personal information is being stored at any time.
- Data purge permanently deletes data once the employer no longer has a legal reason to keep it, a requirement of GDPR and other laws. The feature can be customized to address the regulations of specific countries and industries.
As most anyone in HR knows, the heat’s increasing on companies across industries to ensure personal information is protected under a variety of circumstances. It’s worth noting that pressure isn’t only coming from regulators: This week, a number of Facebook users have been cancelling their accounts in reaction to news that Cambridge Analytica, a political data firm, was able to access private data through the social.
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