A Glossary of Key Terms in Data Backup & Recovery Fundamentals for HR

In today’s fast-paced HR and recruiting landscape, data is paramount. From candidate profiles and employee records to sensitive compensation details, the information managed by HR teams is both extensive and critical. Losing this data, even for a short period, can lead to significant operational disruptions, compliance issues, and reputational damage. Understanding the fundamentals of data backup and recovery isn’t just an IT concern; it’s a strategic imperative for HR leaders. This glossary defines essential terms, helping you navigate the complexities of data protection and ensure the continuity of your people operations.

Data Backup

Data backup refers to the process of copying data from its primary location to a secondary, safe location. This redundancy is crucial for protecting against data loss due to hardware failures, cyberattacks, human error, or natural disasters. For HR professionals, this means regularly copying databases containing applicant tracking system (ATS) information, human resources information system (HRIS) records, payroll data, and employee files. A robust backup strategy ensures that if primary data becomes corrupted or inaccessible, a recent, intact copy can be restored, minimizing downtime and maintaining compliance with data retention regulations. Implementing automated backup solutions, often integrated with CRM or HR platforms like Keap or HighLevel, is a core component of a resilient HR tech stack, safeguarding vital talent acquisition and management data.

Data Recovery

Data recovery is the process of restoring data from a backup to its original or a new location after a data loss event. This is the “recovery” part of backup and recovery, and its effectiveness directly depends on the quality and recency of the backups. For HR, swift data recovery is essential for business continuity. Imagine a scenario where your HRIS system crashes, rendering all employee records inaccessible. A well-defined data recovery process, enabled by reliable backups, allows HR teams to quickly restore access to critical information, ensuring payroll runs on time, onboarding processes continue, and compliance reporting isn’t interrupted. Automation plays a key role here, as automated recovery mechanisms can significantly reduce the time required to get systems back online, minimizing the impact on recruiting cycles and employee services.

Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP)

A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is a documented, comprehensive strategy that outlines the procedures an organization will follow to resume operations after a disruption, specifically focusing on the IT infrastructure and data. For HR departments, a DRP details how critical HR systems—like applicant tracking systems, payroll platforms, and HRIS—will be restored in the event of a major outage or data loss. This includes identifying essential data assets, specifying backup locations, defining recovery teams and their roles, and setting clear timelines for restoration. A well-crafted DRP ensures that even if an entire HR database is compromised, there’s a clear path to bring it back online, preventing extended periods of operational paralysis and protecting the integrity of talent management processes. Regular testing of the DRP is vital to ensure its efficacy and prepare HR teams for real-world scenarios.

Business Continuity Plan (BCP)

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is a holistic strategy that ensures an organization can continue to operate essential functions during and after a disaster. While a DRP focuses specifically on IT and data recovery, a BCP encompasses all aspects of the business, including people, processes, and technology. For HR, the BCP addresses how critical HR services will be maintained during an unexpected event, such as a natural disaster or a major system failure. This might include plans for communicating with employees, ensuring remote work capabilities, managing payroll manually if systems are down, or even temporarily relocating HR staff. By defining alternative operational strategies, a BCP helps HR maintain essential functions like hiring, onboarding, and employee support, safeguarding organizational resilience and employee well-being during crises.

Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

The Recovery Point Objective (RPO) defines the maximum amount of data an organization is willing to lose in the event of a disaster. Expressed in terms of time (e.g., 4 hours, 24 hours), RPO dictates how frequently data backups must occur. For HR, understanding RPO is critical when managing frequently updated information, such as active job applications, new hire paperwork, or real-time performance reviews. If an HR system has an RPO of 4 hours, it means that in a disaster scenario, you might lose up to 4 hours of data updates. Setting appropriate RPOs for different HR data sets is essential; highly sensitive or frequently changing data (e.g., payroll entries) will require a lower RPO (more frequent backups) than static data (e.g., archived employee handbooks). This directly influences backup frequency and resource allocation.

Recovery Time Objective (RTO)

The Recovery Time Objective (RTO) specifies the maximum amount of time an application, system, or process can be down after a disaster before it starts to cause unacceptable damage to the business. Like RPO, RTO is expressed in terms of time (e.g., 2 hours, 1 day). For HR operations, RTO determines how quickly critical systems, such as the ATS, HRIS, or payroll system, need to be restored to full functionality. A short RTO for an ATS means that recruiting efforts cannot be paused for long, while a short RTO for a payroll system ensures employees are paid on time. Understanding and defining RTOs for various HR functions helps prioritize which systems to recover first and guides the selection of backup and recovery technologies that can meet these time-sensitive demands, minimizing disruptions to talent acquisition and management workflows.

Cloud Backup

Cloud backup is the strategy of transmitting and storing copies of an organization’s data on remote servers managed by a third-party cloud service provider. Instead of backing up to local hard drives or tapes, data is sent over the internet to a secure offsite location. For HR and recruiting, cloud backup offers significant advantages, including scalability, accessibility, and enhanced security. HR teams can securely store sensitive employee data, applicant information, and compliance documents without managing physical infrastructure. This allows for easy access to data from anywhere, facilitating remote work and distributed teams, which is increasingly common in recruiting. Cloud solutions often include built-in encryption and disaster recovery features, providing robust protection for critical HR data and supporting business continuity with minimal IT overhead, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations.

On-Premise Backup

On-premise backup refers to the traditional method of storing data backups on hardware and infrastructure located physically within the organization’s own facilities. This can include tape drives, external hard drives, network-attached storage (NAS) devices, or dedicated backup servers. While on-premise solutions offer direct control over data and potentially faster recovery times for local issues, they come with significant responsibilities. HR departments using on-premise backups must manage the physical security of storage devices, environmental controls (temperature, humidity), and the ongoing maintenance of hardware and software. This approach can be suitable for highly sensitive data that cannot leave the premises due due to strict regulatory requirements, but it requires substantial internal IT resources and may be vulnerable to site-specific disasters that could destroy both primary and backup data. Automated systems can still manage these backups, but the physical infrastructure remains internal.

Full Backup

A full backup is a complete copy of all selected data at a specific point in time. When a full backup is performed, every file and folder designated for backup is copied, regardless of whether it has changed since the last backup. This method offers the simplest and fastest recovery process because all necessary data is contained in a single backup set. However, full backups consume significant storage space and can take a long time to complete, especially for large HR databases containing extensive employee records, candidate histories, and documentation. For HR, full backups might be scheduled less frequently, perhaps weekly or monthly, for large, relatively static datasets, while more dynamic data might leverage other backup types between full backups. It serves as the foundational backup from which other, more efficient backup methods build upon.

Incremental Backup

An incremental backup only copies data that has changed or been added since the *last backup of any type* (full, differential, or another incremental backup). This method is highly efficient in terms of storage space and backup time because it only captures the deltas. For HR, where data like applicant statuses, performance review updates, or new employee onboarding documents change daily, incremental backups are ideal for maintaining a high RPO without overwhelming storage or network resources. However, data recovery from an incremental backup can be more complex and time-consuming, as it requires restoring the last full backup, then applying each subsequent incremental backup in the correct sequence. Automation platforms are crucial here, managing the complex chaining of backups to ensure reliable and efficient restoration of HR systems and data.

Differential Backup

A differential backup copies all data that has changed since the *last full backup*. Unlike incremental backups, which only reference the immediately preceding backup, a differential backup always references the most recent full backup. This means that each subsequent differential backup becomes larger over time until a new full backup is performed. For HR, differential backups offer a good balance between backup speed and recovery simplicity. Recovery requires only the last full backup and the latest differential backup, making it faster than restoring from a series of incremental backups. This method is effective for HR systems with moderately frequent data changes, ensuring that critical records like interview notes, contract updates, or training completions are protected without the storage demands of daily full backups, providing a manageable approach to data protection.

Data Retention Policy

A data retention policy is a formal, documented strategy that defines how long specific types of data must be kept, and how they should be stored, accessed, and ultimately disposed of. For HR and recruiting professionals, data retention policies are critical for compliance with various legal and regulatory requirements, such as GDPR, CCPA, and industry-specific regulations, which dictate how long applicant resumes, employee records, payroll data, and health information must be maintained. It also helps manage storage costs and reduces legal risks associated with holding onto unnecessary data. An effective policy for HR clearly outlines retention periods for different document types (e.g., 7 years for tax records, 3 years for unsuccessful applicant data) and establishes automated processes for archiving or securely deleting data once its retention period expires. This ensures accountability and mitigates potential legal liabilities.

Data Encryption

Data encryption is the process of converting data into a coded format to prevent unauthorized access. This is a fundamental security measure for protecting sensitive information, making it unreadable to anyone without the proper decryption key. For HR, data encryption is paramount given the highly confidential nature of the information managed, including employee Social Security numbers, health records, salary details, and personal contact information. Encryption should be applied to data at rest (stored on servers, backups, or devices) and data in transit (being sent over networks). Implementing encryption within HR systems, cloud storage, and automated data transfer workflows ensures that even if data is intercepted or stolen, it remains protected and unusable to malicious actors, safeguarding privacy and maintaining compliance with data protection regulations.

Data Integrity

Data integrity refers to the overall accuracy, completeness, and consistency of data throughout its entire lifecycle. It ensures that data remains unaltered and uncorrupted, reflecting the true state of information. For HR professionals, maintaining data integrity is essential for reliable decision-making in recruiting, talent management, and compliance. Inaccurate employee records can lead to payroll errors, incorrect benefits administration, or faulty compliance reports. Data integrity is upheld through various mechanisms, including input validation, database constraints, access controls, and regular auditing. Automated systems, like those built with Make.com, play a crucial role in validating data as it flows between different HR tools (e.g., ATS to HRIS), preventing errors and ensuring that the “single source of truth” for employee data remains accurate and trustworthy, which is vital for effective HR operations.

Regulatory Compliance (for HR Data)

Regulatory compliance for HR data refers to adhering to the various laws, regulations, and industry standards that govern how organizations collect, store, process, and protect employee and applicant information. This is a complex and evolving landscape, encompassing legislation like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and potentially HIPAA for health-related data. For HR and recruiting teams, ensuring compliance means implementing robust data backup, recovery, encryption, and retention policies that align with these legal mandates. Failure to comply can result in severe penalties, fines, and reputational damage. Automation plays a critical role in maintaining compliance by enforcing data handling rules, automating data subject access requests, and ensuring secure data transfers, thereby mitigating risks and protecting sensitive HR information throughout its lifecycle.

If you would like to read more, we recommend this article: Comprehensive HighLevel Data Protection & Instant Recovery for HR & Recruiting