How long can you keep a candidate's data?
Pick the situation, enter the dates, and get each deadline with the rule behind it. Periods follow the CNIL recruitment guide and its 2026 HR retention framework.
A real exchange (interview, reply to an offer, call). A mass mailing left unanswered does not count.
Calculated in your browser, no data is sent anywhere.
Your deadlines
Audio and video recordings
September 23, 2026
Delete by the hiring decision at the latest, unless there is a specific justification.
Recruitment process file
December 23, 2026
CNIL benchmarkThe CNIL gives the example of 3 months after the process ends, so you can explain the reasons for the refusal.
Talent pool
September 23, 2028
CNIL benchmarkUp to 2 years after the last contact. Each new real exchange restarts the clock.
Evidence archive
September 23, 2031
CNIL benchmarkOnly the documents needed in case of a discrimination claim, in a separate restricted database. Never used to recontact.
When the pool period ends
September 23, 2028
Delete, anonymise irreversibly, or ask the candidate again for at most 2 more years.
Where these periods come from
The GDPR sets no fixed period for recruitment data. These are CNIL benchmarks, which you may depart from if you document why. The case-by-case detail, with sources, is in our guide.
Read the guide on candidate data retentionA compliant talent pool your team reuses
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