Employees in your recruitment videos: consent, GDPR and what happens when they leave

A colleague explaining what it's really like to work for you convinces candidates more than any job ad. But once that video is on your careers page, the questions start. Are we allowed to do this? What if someone changes their mind? And what happens to the video when they leave?

This article covers the main points. It isn't legal advice. It's a practical starting point for the conversation with your data protection officer or legal team.

A video of an employee is personal data

A video in which someone can be recognised, with their name and role next to it, contains personal data under the GDPR. So you need a lawful basis to use it. For recruitment videos, that basis is almost always consent.

Consent from an employee is tricky, though. Employer and employee aren't equals, and consent only counts if someone is genuinely free to say no. That means no pressure from their manager, no downside for people who don't take part, and no "everyone else is doing it".

Good consent is

• Free: taking part is a real choice, and saying no has no consequences.
• Specific: the colleague knows where the video will appear, for example the careers page, job ads or social media.
• Informed: it's clear how long you'll use the video and how to withdraw.
• Recorded: you can show who agreed to what, and when.
• Withdrawable: as easy to take back as it was to give.

What happens when someone leaves?

This is the question we hear most. Consent doesn't end automatically when someone leaves. But a video of a person who no longer works there doesn't feel honest to a candidate either. So agree up front what will happen:

1. 01Make clear the colleague can withdraw consent at any time, including after they leave.
2. 02Add "take their videos offline" to your offboarding checklist, next to returning the laptop.
3. 03Ask for consent again after a fixed period, for example a year. That keeps your library current.
4. 04Keep track of where each video is used, so you can remove it everywhere at once.

Checklist before you start

• Explain in plain language what the video will be used for.
• Let colleagues choose where their video may appear.
• Store consent per person, with a date.
• Make sure people can withdraw without having to email you.
• Review every video before it goes live.
• Talk the approach through with your data protection officer, and your works council if you have one.

How Video Strings handles it

In Video Strings, every colleague gives their own consent and chooses where the video may be used. Consent lasts 12 months and can be withdrawn at any time through a personal link. If someone withdraws, the video disappears from every page straight away. You can also take a video offline yourself in one click, for example when someone leaves. After 12 months we ask for consent again. If there's no answer within 30 days, we delete the video.