Recruitment Privacy Notice

Introduction

We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the lawful and secure processing of your personal data throughout the recruitment process. This notice explains how we collect, use, and store your personal data in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR).

Who We Are

We are a data controller for the purposes of applicable data protection laws. If you have any questions about how we handle your data, you can contact our Data Protection Officer at:
Email: dataprotection@wearehomesforstudents.com

What This Notice Covers

This notice applies to individuals applying for roles with us across all of our business operations in the United Kingdom and Europe, including wholly owned subsidiaries and joint ventures. It applies to permanent, fixed-term and temporary roles, as well as contractor and agency opportunities.

What Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information during the recruitment process:

Contact details (e.g., name, address, email, phone number)
Employment history, qualifications, skills, and experience
Right to work documentation and background check information
Interview notes and assessment outcomes
References from previous employers or referees
Equal opportunities information (e.g., ethnicity, gender, disability status – collected on a voluntary basis)
Health or criminal records information where necessary and lawful to do so

How We Collect Information

We collect personal data in various ways, including:

Directly from you via application forms, CVs, and interviews
From recruitment agencies or third-party platforms where you have applied
From referees or background check providers
Through monitoring tools such as access logs or interview recordings, where applicable

Why We Process Your Information

We process your data for the following purposes:

To assess your skills, qualifications, and suitability for a role
To carry out background and reference checks
To communicate with you about the recruitment process
To keep records of the hiring process
To comply with legal or regulatory requirements
To consider you for future roles, if you provide consent

Our Legal Basis for Processing

We rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

It is necessary to take steps at your request prior to entering into a contract
We have a legal obligation to process your data (e.g., right to work checks)
We have a legitimate interest in ensuring an effective recruitment process
You have provided consent (e.g., for holding your details for future roles)
We may process special category data (e.g., health or criminal records) where necessary for legal obligations or with your explicit consent

Sharing Your Information

We may share your personal data with:

Internal HR and recruitment teams
Hiring managers and senior leadership involved in the selection process
Third-party service providers (e.g., recruitment platforms, background check companies, occupational health providers)
Legal and regulatory authorities where required
IT and system support providers to maintain recruitment platforms

Any third parties are required to handle your data in line with appropriate security and confidentiality measures.

International Transfers

In some cases, your data may be transferred outside the UK or EEA. Where this occurs, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or reliance on frameworks like the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.

Data Retention

If your application is unsuccessful, we will retain your personal data for up to 6 months unless you consent to us keeping it longer for future opportunities. If you are successful, your data will be retained and processed in line with our employee privacy notice.

Security of Your Information

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data from loss, misuse, or unauthorised access. This includes access controls, encrypted storage, and contractual agreements with our service providers.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your personal data
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Request deletion of data where there is no legitimate reason for us to keep it
Object to or restrict processing of your data
Withdraw your consent (where processing is based on consent)
Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (such as the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at: dataprotection@wearehomesforstudents.com

Updates to This Notice

We may update this notice from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements or recruitment practices. The latest version will always be available on our careers page.