Deleting data in BrightMove is not always a simple removal of a single record. In many areas of the system, deleting one entity will automatically delete all related data, including sub-records, relationships, and history. Some deleted items are recoverable through the Recycle Bin, while others are permanent and cannot be restored.

This article explains:

What gets deleted when you delete a Client, Office, Job, Candidate, etc.
Which entities are soft deleted (recoverable) vs. hard deleted (permanent)
The cascade effects of each deletion
Safer alternatives
A pre-deletion checklist
The highest-risk deletions administrators should avoid

Understanding Soft Delete vs. Hard Delete

BrightMove uses two types of deletion behavior:

Soft Delete (Recoverable - Recycle Bin)

Some deleted records are not permanently removed. Instead, they’re placed in the Recycle Bin and marked inactive.

Soft-deleted records:

Can be restored (undeleted)
Bring their related entities back with them (client ↔ office ↔ job ↔ contact)
Remain safely stored until the Recycle Bin is emptied

Entities that use Soft Delete:

Client
Client Office
Hiring Manager / Contact
Job / Requirement
Candidate / Applicant

These are safe to delete as long as admins understand their cascade effects and know how to restore them.

Hard Delete (Permanent - No Recovery)

Other records are deleted immediately and permanently.

Hard-deleted records:

Do NOT appear in the Recycle Bin
Cannot be restored
Permanently remove all associated history
Should only be deleted with extreme caution

Entities that use Hard Delete:

Custom Fields (UDFs)
Employee/Recruiter user accounts
Submittal Activity records
Placement records
Company Offices (internal branches)

Once deleted, these are gone forever.

Cascading Deletion Reference Guide

This section summarizes exactly what gets deleted when different types of records are removed.

Each deletion category has been rewritten for clarity and end-users, while remaining accurate to BrightMove’s system behavior.

What Gets Deleted When You Delete…

1. Client - Soft Delete

Deleting a Client will delete:

Client Offices
Hiring Managers under those offices
Jobs/Requirements
Client notes and attachments
Sales assignments
Portal job postings

Restorable? Yes, via Recycle Bin (restores client, offices, contacts, and jobs)

2. Client Office (Location) - Soft Delete

Deleting a Client Office will delete:

Hiring Managers whose primary office is that location
- Even if they have other office access
Jobs/Requirements at that office
Office notes, attachments, and phone numbers

Restorable? Yes, via Recycle Bin

3. Hiring Manager (Client Contact) - Soft Delete

Deleting a Hiring Manager will delete:

Jobs/Requirements owned by that user
Job Templates associated with that user
Activity Templates they created
Email signatures
Custom/saved reports
Notes they added
Calendar appointments
Workbench access
Role assignments

Restorable? Yes, via Recycle Bin (restores associated relationships)

4. Job / Requirement - Soft Delete

Deleting a Job will delete:

All candidate submittals
Job notes and attachments
Interview schedules
Job board and portal postings
Hiring manager assignments
Job activity history

Restorable? Yes, via Recycle Bin

5. Candidate / Applicant - Soft Delete

Deleting a Candidate will delete:

All submittals
Resumes and attachments
Notes and activities
Interview schedules
Education and work history
References
Email communication history
Placements linked to that candidate
Folder memberships

Restorable? Yes, via Recycle Bin

6. Custom Field (UDF) - Hard Delete

Deleting a UDF will delete:

All stored field values across all records
Any filters using that field
Any reports using that field

Cannot be recovered
Does NOT appear in Recycle Bin

7. Employee (Recruiter/User Account) - Hard Delete

Deleting an internal BrightMove user deletes:

Private email templates
Custom reports
Activity templates
Email signatures
Calendar appointments
Commission structures
Saved searches and filters

May orphan jobs, candidates, or clients if ownership is not reassigned.

Permanent deletion

8. Placement - Hard Delete

Deleting a placement removes:

All placement UDF values
Placement product invoice line items
Placement activity history

Permanent and unrecoverable

9. Submittal Activity - Hard Delete

Deleting a submittal activity removes:

Interview schedules
Activity notes
Reminders and notifications

Cannot be recovered
Removes historical candidate progress

Combined Soft/Hard Delete Quick Reference Table

Entity Deleted	Delete Type	What It Cascades To Delete	Special Warnings / Notes
Client	⚪ Soft Delete	Offices, Contacts, Jobs, Notes, Attachments, Sales Assignments	Restoring also restores related offices, contacts, and jobs
Client Office	⚪ Soft Delete	Hiring Managers (primary), Jobs, Notes, Attachments	HM users deleted even if they have access elsewhere
Hiring Manager	⚪ Soft Delete	Jobs they own, templates, signatures, reports, notes, appointments, access	Restores their associated client + office + job relationships Does NOT restore job templates.
Job / Requirement	⚪ Soft Delete	Submittals, notes, attachments, interviews, postings, job history	Restorable with full related hierarchy
Candidate / Applicant	⚪ Soft Delete	Submittals, resumes, activities, interviews, placements, history	Restorable with full candidate profile
Custom Field (UDF)	🔴 Hard Delete	All stored field data, filters, reports	Permanent. High risk.
Employee (Recruiter/User)	🔴 Hard Delete	Templates, reports, commissions, appointments	May orphan records; cannot recover
Placement	🔴 Hard Delete	Placement UDFs, invoice items, placement history	Permanent deletion
Submittal Activity	🔴 Hard Delete	Interview schedules, notes, reminders	Permanent deletion

Safe Alternatives to Deletion

Whenever possible, use non-destructive actions instead:

Instead of Deleting…	Do This Instead
Client or Office	Mark as inactive or merge
Hiring Manager	Deactivate user + remove workbench access
Employee/Recruiter	Deactivate account + remove permissions
Job	Mark as Closed or Cancelled
Candidate	Mark as Inactive or Do Not Contact
Custom Field	Hide the field instead of deleting
Email Template	Rename or archive
Security Role	Unassign users instead of deleting it

Pre-Deletion Checklist

Before deleting anything, always confirm:

Do I know whether this is Soft Delete or Hard Delete?
Will this delete any related users, jobs, or candidates?
Is any other team relying on the data I’m about to remove?
Do we still need this for history, reporting, or audit purposes?
Would “inactive,” “closed,” or “archived” be safer?
Have I reassigned ownership where needed?
Do I need admin approval?

Highest-Risk Deletions

These are the most dangerous deletions in BrightMove:

Client Office
→ Deletes ALL Hiring Managers whose primary office is that location
Hiring Manager
→ Deletes their jobs, templates, reports, and access
Job / Requirement
→ Deletes all interviews and submittal history
Candidate
→ Deletes all placements and internal reporting lines
Custom Field (UDF)
→ Hard delete: wipes all historical field data
Employee / Recruiter User Account
→ Hard delete; leaves jobs/candidates without owners