The benefits of hiring a DPO
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As we’ve discussed in many a blog, or FAQ, not every organisation needs to appoint a DPO. However, even if you don’t fall under the criteria of legally requiring one – there are still many benefits of hiring a DPO or GDPR consultant in 2025. We will discuss some of the main benefits, such as accountability, compliance, and building a GDPR awareness culture within your organisation. But first, a brief history.
Before the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force in May 2018, typical businesses gave little thought to their data protection compliance obligations. Responsibility for compliance often sat with the in-house lawyer or the compliance manager, the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA 98) was little understood and a tick-box approach to compliance was followed.
Times have changed, however. Data protection is now a board-level issue and private organisations are taking compliance seriously. The role of the Data Protection Officer (DPO) has become an important one in business and they are driving positive change. This is partly down to the requirement to comply, but also, in my opinion, because organisations, especially consumer businesses, want to build trust with customers.
What changed?
In short, a combination of the GDPR coming into force and consumer expectations. Good privacy is now seen as a selling point and organisations are paying better attention to data protection as consumers become more aware of their rights.
The implementation of GDPR on 25th May 2018 felt like a radical change to many businesses. In truth, it was more an evolutionary development, but it felt bigger for a number of reasons. Firstly, the scale of potential fines increased considerably; secondly, businesses were not really compliant with the old law, and therefore the amount of work to ‘catch up’ felt bigger, and thirdly the GDPR placed a number of proactive obligations on organisations.
There have also been significant changes to data protection since Brexit in regard to International Data Transfers which a good DPO should be well aware of and keep up to date on these topics.
These obligations included the need to carry out data protection impact assessments in certain circumstances, to create records of processing activities, to implement data processing agreements and, in some cases to designate a DPO. They also included less tangible obligations such as implementing ‘appropriate’ measures, ensuring ‘data protection by design’ and demonstrating ‘accountability’.
Accountability is probably the biggest change because it drives proactive data protection management rather than reactive box-ticking. It requires senior leadership involvement and positive engagement with the topic. When that happens, the benefits of good data protection are recognised. Data protection goes from being a compliance burden to an opportunity. Who better to help ensure this opportunity is realised than the DPO?
A DPO can ensure GDPR accountability
Accountability is not a new concept; it can be traced back to the OECD Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data and was arguably an implicit requirement in the DPA 98.
GDPR has brought accountability front and centre now, though, by making it an explicit legal obligation. Read and download our free Guide to GDPR Accountability.
GDPR also introduced a mandatory requirement to designate a DPO in specific circumstances. Any organisation can designate a DPO voluntarily if they wish to do so, but they are mandated to if they meet the criteria set out in Article 37.
Some countries are more familiar with the DPO role, such as Germany where the requirement to designate a DPO is stricter than required by GDPR. Here in the UK the DPO role was less well understood in the private sector, but the need by many companies to designate and to demonstrate accountability has made the DPO role highly significant. Want to learn more? Read our DPO Checklist which will help you understand when you need to hire a DPO.
DPOs can help bridge the communication gap
Private businesses can be complex. Leadership goals and ambitions can differ. Shareholders may have their own objectives, especially private equity owners, and strategy and timelines can quickly change.
For this reason, the DPO in the private sector needs to be able to navigate complex structures and nuanced strategic goals. They need to be a good communicator and an even better listener in our opinion. They need to be able to explain ‘why’ something has data protection implications and not just say ‘no’.
These aren’t requirements set out in Article 37 of the GDPR but they are, in our view, critical to gaining buy-in from business stakeholders. Bringing key decision-makers ‘with’ you are always going to be more successful than telling them what ‘they’ must do.
DPOs help set the tone from the top
Accountability starts with senior management and the DPO needs them to set a ‘tone from the top’. They need to be explicit about the importance of data protection, why it is important, and the consequences of non-compliance. If you’re a new business and are just starting on your compliance journey, we have some great resources to get you started such as 8 Tips on Data Protection for start-ups.
Without board or executive level buy-in, the data protection programme will fail, because employees and managers will prioritise other activities. They will think that the business doesn’t value data protection and they won’t support the DPO’s work.
As we’ve said above, an accomplished DPO will be able to foster buy-in at all levels and engage an organisation in a way that ensures everyone fully understands the importance of data protection. They will only achieve this with a clear tone from the top which makes it clear that good data protection is a strategic priority.
DPOs help drive positive change
With the need to demonstrate accountability to comply with the GDPR and increasing consumer expectations, businesses have a great opportunity to build a positive data protection culture.
The Data Protection Officer (DPO) should sit at the heart of this activity. They will require good people skills, in our experience, but most importantly they require senior management support. With good executive buy-in and explicit support, the DPO can successfully drive positive change in private businesses.
10 benefits of hiring a DPO
- GDPR compliance: A DPO ensures your organisation is compliant with UK GDPR requirements, mitigating the risk of fines for non-compliance. As we touched on above, a DPO helps ensure GDPR accountability.
- Expertise in data privacy and cyber security: With an in-depth understanding of data protection laws, a DPO brings expert knowledge to navigate the data protection landscape, as well as having a good understanding of good cyber security practice.
- Ongoing monitoring & auditing: A DPO monitors your organisation’s data protection practices, conducting gap analysis, and audits, and ensures compliance with internal policies and regulatory requirements, keeping your data protection strategy up to date.
- Risk management: A DPO identifies and mitigates potential data protection risks before they escalate, helping safeguard your organisation from data breaches, reputational damage, and legal challenges.
- Enhanced training: A DPO is responsible for developing and delivering regular data protection training and awareness programmes throughout your organisation across all required departments, ensuring all employees understand their roles in maintaining data security.
- Improved data protection culture: By supporting and promoting a culture of data protection, a DPO ensures that data privacy and security are a priority throughout all levels of your organisation.
- Independent oversight: Acting as a neutral advisor, a DPO helps make data protection decisions independent of business interests, ensuring unbiased compliance with privacy laws – often this is much more easily achieved if you outsource your DPO rather than hire a DPO in house.
- Breach management: In the event of a data breach, a DPO leads the response, ensuring timely reporting to relevant authorities and mitigating further risks.
- Communication with regulators: A DPO serves as the primary contact point with data protection authorities, ensuring effective and timely communication with regulators like the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK.
- Customer trust: By demonstrating your organisation’s commitment to data protection with a designated DPO, you build trust with customers, clients, and stakeholders, enhancing your organisation’s reputation and fostering long-term relationships.
Industry-specific benefits of appointing a DPO
Benefits of a DPO for healthcare organisations
Hospitals, GP services, dental, pharmaceutical, wellbeing and other healthcare organisations process a significant volume of sensitive personal data, including patient health information and medical records. In June 2024, data for nearly 1 million NHS patients was leaked online following a ransomware attack on London hospitals through pathology service provider Synnovis.
Having a dedicated DPO ensures compliance with data protection laws, protecting patient privacy and reducing the risk of data breaches that could result in severe consequences for patients and the business.
Benefits of a DPO for schools, colleges and universities
Educational institutions such as schools, colleges and universities handle large amounts of personal data about students, staff, and parents, including sensitive data like academic records and special needs information. HIring a DPO can help manage data protection processes, safeguard student data, and ensure legal compliance with educational regulations. We have helped several schools and universities with their DPO duties, read Ridgeway Academy’s case study.
Benefits of a DPO for Financial Institutions
Banks and insurance companies process highly sensitive personal and financial data, such as bank account details, credit histories, and transaction records. Having a DPO helps ensure robust data protection practices, maintains regulatory compliance such as DORA, and prevents data breaches that could damage the institution’s credibility and trust.
Benefits of a DPO for HR/recruitment agencies
HR and recruitment companies manage sensitive employee and job applicant data, including CV’s, employment history, references, personal identification information, performance reviews, and payroll records. Having a dedicated DPO ensures that employee data is processed in line with GDPR, protects worker privacy, and minimises the risk of legal challenges related to employee data handling.
Read our Cappfinity case study to learn how we helped support them with outsourced DPO services.
“Following Evalian’s health check, we are extremely confident that we have a strong data protection compliance framework in place and now with Evalian’s support, we can ensure that we maintain strong levels of compliance in the future.” – Jon Lawrence, CFO
Benefits of a DPO for construction organisations
The construction industry deals with large and often complex supply chains, holding personal data such as employees’ health and safety information, as well as the data of subcontractors and clients. A DPO can help guide data protection strategies, ensure compliance with sector-specific privacy requirements, and reduce the risk of data misuse or breaches during large-scale projects.
Benefits of a DPO for SaaS organisations
SaaS providers often handle large amounts of personal data, including customer usage data, transaction records, and employee information. A DPO supports SaaS companies by advising on data protection practices, ensuring robust security measures are in place, and assisting with compliance when dealing with multiple jurisdictions.
Benefits of a DPO for Marketing and PR Agencies
Marketing and PR agencies collect, process, and analyse personal data, including customer preferences, purchasing behaviour, online engagement, and tracking history. A DPO helps mitigate privacy risks in direct marketing activities, ensures compliance with opt-in requirements, cookie compliance, and prevents potential issues related to consent and profiling practices.
By evaluating your organisation against this checklist and considering industry-specific needs, you can determine whether appointing a DPO is essential for ensuring compliance with the UK GDPR and protecting your data subjects’ rights.
Need help?
As a specialist data protection consultancy, Evalian is well-placed to assist you with navigating the complexities of the uncertainty and constantly changing data protection landscape. If you would like an informal conversation on how we can assist, please get in touch. We can steer you in the right direction or, if you need help, we can assist at every level to ensure that you are covered. Visit our GDPR Consultancy services page to see how we can help.
If you are unsure whether to hire externally or internally, we have some guidance on whether to outsource your DPO.
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