What should I do when someone asks for their data?

Learn what to do when a candidate, lead, or contact requests to see all the personal data you hold about them in Bullhorn.

Before You Begin

If you're unsure about your obligations, timelines, or what data to include, contact your legal team or compliance officer before proceeding.

  • To export candidate data, you'll need Admin-level access or appropriate entitlements. If you don't have the required permissions, contact your Bullhorn Admin to complete the data export on behalf of the requester.

  • Data export features (including emails and SMS exports) require GDPR or CCPA Support to be enabled for your organization. If you're unsure whether this is active, contact Bullhorn Support.

What to Include in a Data Export

When a candidate, lead, or contact asks for their data, you'll gather information from multiple places in Bullhorn:

  • Complete record data (all fields and tabs)

  • Resume and file attachments

  • All inbound emails

  • All inbound SMS messages

Gather the Data Package

Follow these steps to collect everything the person requested.

1. Export the Record Data

Export the candidate, lead, or contact record as a CSV file. This gives you a complete snapshot of all field data in a machine-readable format.

  1. Go to your Candidate, Lead, or Contact list view.

  2. Find and select the person's record.

  3. Click the dropdown and select Export or follow the steps in Exporting Data from Bullhorn.

  4. Save the CSV file.

You can customize which columns appear in the export by adjusting your View Layout or column layout before exporting.

2. Download File Attachments

Resume and other file attachments are stored in the person's record, not in the CSV export.

  1. Go to the candidate, lead, or contact record.

  2. Click the Files tab.

  3. Download each attachment.

  4. Save all files in a secure folder.

If there are no files, note that in your delivery and omit these from the package.

3. Export Inbound Emails

Email communications are kept separate from the record data. Export only inbound emails (outbound messages are not included).

  1. Go to the candidate, lead, or contact record.

  2. Click the Actions dropdown and select Export Emails.

  3. Select a location to save the text file.

For detailed steps, see Export Management.

If there are no inbound emails, note that in your delivery and omit these from the package.

4. Export Inbound SMS Messages

If the person received SMS messages through Bullhorn, export those as well.

  1. Go to the candidate, lead, or contact record.

  2. Click the Actions dropdown and select Export SMS Messages.

  3. Select a location to save the text file.

For detailed steps, see Export Management.

If there are no inbound SMS messages, note that in your delivery and omit these from the package.

Compile and Deliver the Package

Once you've gathered all the files, compile them into a single package and deliver them to the requester.

Follow your organization's standard procedures for data delivery. Confirm when you've sent the package and ensure they've received it, and keep a record for compliance.

If they also requested deletion or anonymization, see Candidate, Contact, or Lead Erasure for next steps.