What is the best solution to grant access to extremely private information in a custom object with a "Private" OWD?

Using Apex Managed Sharing is the best solution to grant access to extremely private information in a custom object with a "Private" Organization-Wide Default (OWD) setting. When an object is set to "Private," records are only accessible to the owner and users with higher roles in the hierarchy. This tight control means that standard methods of sharing, such as using sharing rules or manual sharing, may not offer the needed flexibility or security required for sensitive data.

Apex Managed Sharing allows for programmatic control over sharing rules. You can establish granular access based on specific criteria and user roles. This method is particularly useful when the data is highly sensitive, and you need to ensure that only designated individuals, like the hiring manager, have explicit access to those records. It provides a dynamic way to manage sharing through APEX code, allowing for additional logic and conditions when determining record access.

In contrast, other options like having the record owner manually share the record may be inefficient and error-prone, especially if multiple records need to be shared and if the sharing needs to be consistently enforced. Creating a workflow rule for access doesn’t directly facilitate sharing as workflow rules are not designed to manage record visibility in this context. Lastly, doing nothing would prevent the hiring manager from