Job Candidate Privacy Information

As part of any recruitment process, Groundswell collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants. We:

  • use the info you send us to choose the candidates we want to shortlist for interview
  • invite the shortlisted candidates to attend an interview
  • select a candidate and offer them the job
  • will need to know about your right to work in the UK if we offer you a job. Plus any reasonable adjustments we need to make, and if you will be working with vulnerable people, your DBS check results. We will also check the references you have provided.
  • If your application for employment is successful, personal data gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file and retained according to the employee privacy notice.

Where is data stored?

Data will be stored on your application record, in HR management systems and on other IT systems (including email).

What information does the organisation collect?

We collect a range of information about you when you apply for a job with us. This includes:

  • your name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone number;
  • details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history;
  • whether or not you have a disability for which the organisation needs to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process;
  • information about your entitlement to work in the UK

We collect this information in a variety of ways. For example, data might be contained in application forms or CVs, obtained from your passport, or collected in interviews.

Why does the organisation process personal data?

In order to have fair recruitment practices, we need to process data to assess your suitability for a role and later, if you are successful, to set up your employment contract. Also, we will take notes during interview and check the references you have provided if your application is successful. The lawful basis here is Legitimate Interest.

Some things we have a legal obligation to process, like ask for proof that you are allowed to work in the UK and whether you have any accessibility requirements for attending the interview that we should provide reasonable adjustments for. For roles working with vulnerable people we are also obliged to seek information about criminal convictions and offences through the DBS checking process. The lawful basis in these cases is Legal.

We will not use your data for any purpose other than the recruitment exercise for which you have applied or to contact you later about other opportunities.

Who has access to data?

Your information may be shared internally for the purposes of recruitment, e.g. with interviewers to help them prepare for your interview.

We will not share your data with third parties during the recruitment process.

For how long does the organisation keep data?

If your application for employment is unsuccessful, we will hold your data on file for 6 months after the end of the relevant recruitment process so that we can check the quality and fairness of our processes and to contact you about any future job opportunities.

What are your rights?

As a data subject, you have a number of rights which are outlined below.

  • Right of access – Individuals can request to access and obtain a copy of all data we hold on them. This request is commonly referred to as a subject access request.
  • Right to rectification – Individuals can require us to change incorrect or incomplete data.
  • Right to erasure – Individuals can require us to delete all their data under certain conditions.
  • Right to object – In certain circumstances, individuals can object to us processing their data.
  • Right to restrict processing – Individuals have the right to restrict the processing of their personal data where they have a particular reason. In most cases we would need to have the restriction in place for a certain period of time not indefinitely.
  • Right to portability – This gives individuals the right to receive personal data they have provided to us. They can also request that we give it directly to another controller.

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact Groundswell’s Data Protection Lead on the details at the beginning of the General Privacy Notice. You can make any request in any form you choose – writing, email, phone, face to face or through a third party such as a solicitor.

If you believe that the organisation has not complied with your data protection rights, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The details are in the General Privacy Notice.