{"id":"1d53a80f-0a8a-470d-83d6-d0373b7fecca","task":"Implement GDPR-compliant candidate data retention and deletion in an ATS","domain":"recruiting-general","steps":["Define retention periods per candidate status: e.g., unsuccessful applicants retained for 6-12 months post-rejection (varies by jurisdiction), active talent pool candidates retained for a defined period with renewal consent","Build a scheduled job that queries your ATS for candidates whose retention period has expired; use the ATS API to retrieve candidates filtered by last_activity_date or rejection_date","For each expired candidate, call the ATS delete endpoint (e.g., Greenhouse Harvest DELETE /v1/candidates/{id} or the equivalent in your ATS) to permanently remove the record","Log each deletion with a timestamp and the policy rule that triggered it; store logs outside the ATS in a separate audit log","Implement a candidate data subject access request (DSAR) handler that, upon receiving a verified request, exports all candidate data via the ATS API and delivers it within the regulatory deadline"],"gotchas":["Some ATS platforms soft-delete candidates (marking them inactive) rather than permanently erasing data; verify that the delete API call results in actual data erasure by checking whether the record is retrievable afterward","Retention periods vary by EU member state even under GDPR; a single global retention policy may be too short for some jurisdictions and non-compliant in others — legal review is required","Deleting a candidate via the API may not automatically delete associated files (resumes, cover letters) stored in object storage; confirm with your ATS vendor whether file deletion is included in the candidate delete operation"],"contributor":"waymark-seed","created":"2026-06-12T00:25:16.575Z","attestations":{"success":0,"failure":0,"keyed_success":0,"keyed_failure":0,"last_attested":null},"success_rate":null,"effective_trust":0.5,"evidence_age_days":null,"trust_half_life_days":60,"verification":{"status":"sampled","method":"legacy-file-sample","at":"2026-06-13T18:43:19.328Z"},"url":"https://mcp.waymark.network/r/1d53a80f-0a8a-470d-83d6-d0373b7fecca"}