Why the Organisation Needs to Collect HR and L&S Data The collection of HR and L&D data is of paramount importance for any organisation for two primary reasons: it proves the company’s compliance with certain regulations, and it ensures effective planning and development of the staff. For instance, companies are obligated to report on a variety of topics in regards to their staff including their employees’ genders, ethnicities, ages and so on in order to ensure diversity and fair treatment of all groups (Cushway 247). It is also crucial to have data concerning the qualifications, skills, and needs and wants of the staff to make sure that the company’s training and development is efficient in every particular case, as well as cost-effective (Pease et al. 62). Two Types of Data Collected Within Virgin Mobile Virgin Mobile is a subsidiary of Virgin Media, one of the UK’s leading telecom companies. Clearly, Virgin Mobile, as any other organisation, collects data concerning employees’ ages, genders, ethnicities and education levels. This information enables the company’s HR professionals to ensure that the principles of diversity are followed. Another type of data collected concerns skills and competencies, two aspects on which the company’s Employee Development Programme (EDP) concentrates when developing training programs as well as bonus schemes (Thomson Reuters 25). Baker claims that such an approach is beneficial for the organisation as performance-centred strategies are outdated (167). To implement staff training and development effectively, it is essential to ensure that employees have not only the necessary background but are also motivated to acquire new skills and knowledge. Two Methods of Storing Records Organisations use different types of software to store data. The choice depends on the peculiarities of data, the way the information is used and so on. In Virgin Mobile, a number of methods are employed, two of which deserve specific attention. For employee training and development, HR specialists often use the common open-source desktop software. This method enables them to create spreadsheets quite easily. Most importantly, this method allows the company’s HR professionals to import this information into the vast majority of training applications (Burbach 437). Another method, which is widely used across many industries, is the use of cloud computing and sophisticated databases. This method is essential for storing so-called big data, and it allows HR professionals to easily find any necessary piece of information through customised search tools (Burbach 437). Moreover, this method eliminates the need for the company to invest in hardware as there is no need to obtain or maintain their own servers. Two Items of UK Legislation Concerning Data Storage, Accessibility or Recording Privacy is one of the most important and vulnerable components of HR data management. The UK’s Data Protection Act of 1998 imposes a requirement for all employees to provide informed consent to any transfer of their data “outside approved areas” (Sparrow et al. 271). This requirement ensures a certain level of data security that is beneficial for employees as well as the employer. The Act also requires organisations to ensure data security through the use of appropriate software. In other words, any organisation is responsible for securing the personal data of its employees from unauthorised access. Importantly, organisations themselves al