Overview and Methodology
Personally identifiable information (PII) is information or data that can be used alone or with additional related data to identify an individual. In February of 2021, Milyli solicited an eight-question survey to individuals who self-identified expertise in their employment as the area of “human resources” to understand how they interact with personal information like PII.
To screen for those with no human resource responsibilities, we cross-referenced Questions 1 and 2 with responses to Question 6 – leaving us with a sample of 85 professionals who serve their organization’s human resources function.
This sample allows recommending some preliminary findings on how best to start learning more about personally sensitive information and how to manage it securely.
“The loss of PII can result in substantial harm to individuals, including identity theft or other fraudulent use of the information.” – U.S. Department of Labor
We Asked
1. What is your job title?
2. What category is your organization’s industry?
3. How often do you need to share documents of any file type containing someone’s personal information? (I.e., print, email, present)
4. Do you or those you manage ever need to redact, mark up, or anonymize the information in those documents? (e.g., black out SSNs, highlight dates and signatures, replace names with label text)
5. What are the MOST common tasks where you encounter someone’s personal information? (Pick 4.)
6. Do you expect your organization to implement “blind hiring” or “equitable screening” practices during 2021?
7. How knowledgeable of “blind hiring” are you and your team/organization? (1 being “not at all”, 10 being “very”)
8. What area of “blind hiring” would you like to learn more about?
Personally Identifiable Information Examples
Full Name
Home Address
Email Address
Social Security Number
Passport Number
Driver’s License Number
Credit Card Numbers
Date Of Birth
Telephone Number
Owned Properties
Login Details
Processor Or Device Serial
Number
Media Access Control (MAC)
Internet Protocol (IP)
Address
Device Ids
Cookies
Findings and Recommendations
The most common tasks including personal information was hiring (64%) and healthcare benefits-related (51%) processes. A large majority (80%) of respondents also reported they need to share (I.e., print, email, or present) documents containing someone’s personal information.
Do a quick audit of all the tasks you/your team do and note where sensitive personal information is involved. Then familiarize yourself with any legislation governing those forms of PII that make it to your list. Legislation frequently changes, as most HR professionals know, so it’s always good to get ahead – particularly for PII compliance.
A majority (65%) of respondents reported needing to redact, mark up, or anonymize information in those documents. Have a reliable redaction workflow, even if it isn’t used weekly.
Different software will offer different benefits based on specific needs, but, good starting advice is to always make sure the SaaS agreement aligns with your organization’s compliance needs.
While most surveyed remain unsure or report that it is unlikely (65%) they will implement “blind hiring” processes in 2021, almost a fifth of respondents (19%) say it is likely, with an additional 7% reporting “very likely,” and a remaining 9% reporting processes in progress or place.
Brush up on the topic of “blind hiring,” even if your organization does not plan to implement it in 2021. As trends in recent years have indicated, elements or components of it will likely become standard for general hiring procedures.
Curated by Milyli’s human resources and marketing research teams, these resources will help you “level up” on this topic. We hope you find them useful!
1. What Is “Blind Hiring” from Applied – a comprehensive dive updated for 2021
2. Pros and Cons from Inspirty – short read from an HR solutions company in business since 1986
3. How To Implement from Workable – step-by-step list and linked resources from recruiting software experts
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