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.