Biodata

Biodata, short for biographical data, refers to information about a person’s background, experiences, and characteristics that can be used to assess potential job fit or study population dynamics. It is distinct from biometric data, which records unique physical or physiological traits used for identification or verification. In human resources, biodata typically covers past education, work history, training, certifications, accomplishments, roles held, and other career-related activities. Items may also address longer-term career goals, job changes, or patterns related to reliability and stability.

Biodata can be collected through forms, questionnaires, or structured interviews, and items may be open-ended or closed-ended. The underlying idea is that patterns in past behavior and decision making correlate with future performance. When well designed and job-relevant, biodata inventories can offer predictive insights that complement other selection methods such as interviews, cognitive ability tests, or situational judgment tests.

Ethical and legal considerations accompany biodata use. Data privacy, consent, and compliance with anti-discrimination laws are important, since some items can touch on sensitive areas. Items should be relevant to the job and proportionate to the goals of the assessment. Data collected should be stored securely and retained only as long as necessary. In addition to recruitment, biodata is used in organizational research to study career trajectories, retention, and workforce dynamics.