What is Candidate Profile Deletion?

Candidate Profile Deletion is an Eightfold platform feature that lets your team permanently remove candidate data from the system. It supports recruiter-initiated deletion from the TA interface, candidate self-service deletion from the Candidate Portal, and bulk deletion via API or file ingestion. Deleted profiles are immediately hidden from search and recruiter views, then permanently purged after 30 days.

Why it matters

For recruiters:

• Fulfill candidate data removal requests quickly and directly, without escalating to admins
  
• Keep candidate pipelines clean by removing erroneous or duplicate profiles
  
• Meet internal data governance requirements with a clear, auditable deletion path

For admins:

• Give candidates self-service control over their data — an increasingly expected capability for privacy compliance
  
• Configure deletion workflows once; recruiters and candidates can act on requests independently going forward
  
• Track and audit all deletion activity in DataHub

How it works

Recruiter-initiated deletion

1. Navigate to the candidate's full profile (not the sidebar in the position pipeline).
   
2. Select the three-dot menu in the upper right.
   
3. Select Delete Profile.
   
4. Confirm the deletion when prompted.

The profile is immediately removed from search results and pipeline views. It may take up to 24 hours for the profile to fully disappear from Global Search while indexes update.

Candidate self-service deletion (Candidate Portal)

1. Sign in to the Candidate Portal.
   
2. Go to Settings.
   
3. Select Delete Account.
   
4. Review the information shown, select Close, then Confirm.

After confirming, the candidate is signed out immediately. Their data is removed from search and permanently deleted after 30 days.

Admin setup (one-time)

1. In Admin Console, go to Talent Experience > Quick Setup.
   
2. Enable the Account Deletion toggle.
   
3. Enter the notification email address.
   
4. Select Save.

To grant recruiter deletion access, assign the perm_delete_profile permission to the appropriate roles in Admin Console.

What's new / what changed

This explainer consolidates two previously separate Help Center articles — one covering candidate self-service deletion, one covering recruiter-initiated deletion — into a single, end-to-end reference. No changes to the underlying feature behavior. The workflow, permission model, and configuration steps are unchanged.

Frequently asked questions

Can I undo a deletion?

No — once confirmed, deletion can't be reversed. Profiles stay in a soft-deleted state for 30 days but aren't recoverable through the standard interface.

A profile I deleted just reappeared. What happened?

The candidate's profile in your ATS wasn't deleted. Eightfold restores a profile on the next sync if it still exists in the connected ATS. Delete the profile in your ATS to prevent this.

Why can't I see the Delete Profile option?

You need the perm_delete_profile permission to delete profiles from the TA interface. Contact your Eightfold Admin to request it.

Does the candidate receive a notification when a recruiter deletes their profile?

Not automatically. For candidate self-service deletion, the candidate receives a confirmation at the time they submit the request. For recruiter-initiated deletion, there's no automatic outbound notification to the candidate.

What happens to the candidate's applications when their profile is deleted?

All applications linked to the deleted profile are also removed.