IT Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan

What a good one includes

• A comprehensive inventory of all critical digital assets, including candidate databases, resume parsing software, and client communication platforms.
• Defined Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) for each software and database to minimize downtime during a disruption.
• A step-by-step data backup schedule specifying when, where, and how client resumes and employment contracts are securely archived.
• An emergency contact tree identifying key personnel, IT vendors, and cloud hosting providers who must be notified immediately during a system failure.
• Alternative temporary workflows, such as manual intake forms or secondary communication channels, to keep client and candidate consultations running.
• A clear public relations and client communication protocol to professionally inform job seekers and hiring managers about temporary service delays.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Storing all system backups on the same local network or physical drive that runs the primary recruitment platform, leaving them vulnerable to the same cyberattack.
• Failing to regularly test and run mock recovery drills, which often reveals outdated login credentials or broken restoration scripts too late.
• Neglecting to assign specific, individual responsibilities in the recovery plan, leading to mass confusion and delayed response times during an actual outage.
• Leaving third-party SaaS tools and external job boards out of the recovery plan under the assumption that the vendor handles all backup security.

Frequently asked questions