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Data Protection and Privacy Policy for Job Applicants

 

Introduction

Bumblebee Conservation Trust (the Trust) is a UK Charity (Registered Charity No. 1115634 / Scottish Charity No. SC042830).

The Trust is committed to being transparent about how we collect and use data and to ensure we are fully compliant with data protection legislation.

This policy provides information to prospective job applicants on how the Trust processes and protects applicant information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

This policy details the data that we hold about job applicants, the purpose for which this data is held, and the lawful basis for processing it.

To read our Privacy Notice for customers and suppliers, please go to https://www.bumblebeeconservation.org/privacy-policy/

Why do you need my data?

The Trust has a legitimate interest to process personal data during the recruitment process and to keep records of the process. Processing data from job applicants allows us to manage the recruitment process, assess and confirm a candidate’s suitability for employment, and decide who to invite to interview.

We do not keep your personal data on file for future employment opportunities. If you wish us to do so, please send us a request via email or post.

What information do you collect?

  • Your name, address, and contact details, including email address and telephone number
  • Information about your identity and entitlement to work in the UK
  • Details of your qualifications, skills, experience, and employment history
  • Information about your current level of remuneration, including benefit entitlements
  • Whether or not you have a disability for which the organisation needs to make
    reasonable adjustments (during the recruitment process)

We collect this data from the following sources:

  • Application forms
  • CVs or covering letters
  • Emails and telephone enquiries
  • Identity documents such as passport, drivers licence, or utility bills
  • Interviews (either in person or via videoconference) and skills tests where relevant

We also process special categories of data, such as information about ethnic origin, sexual orientation, and religion or belief, for the purpose of Equal Opportunities Monitoring. This is collected on a form separate from the Application Form and you can decide how much, if any, of the form you wish to complete or leave blank. When you submit your application, the Equal Opportunities data is removed, anonymised, and processed separately to your application. It is stored in a different secure location which the shortlisting and interviewing panel will not have access to.

We may also collect personal data about you from third parties, such as references supplied by former employers. We will only seek information from third parties once a job offer has been made and we will inform you that we are doing so. You can request a copy of our standard Reference Request Form if you wish, and you have the right to view any completed forms we receive from your references.

Where is my data stored?

Your data may be stored in some or all of the following locations:

  • Emails and other cloud-based password-protected storage systems
  • Access-restricted folders on a secure server
  • In paper form stored in lockable cabinets

Who can access my data?

Any data relating to recruitment is only accessible to the following people:

  • Operations/HR department staff that process and store your data
  • Managers and other key staff members that are directly involved in recruitment and selection of the particular role you are applying for
  • Any third parties (such as staff from partner/project organisations) that are involved in interviewing for the particular role

How is my data protected?

We take the security of all our data seriously; we have internal policies and controls in place to ensure that your data is not lost, accidentally destroyed, misused or disclosed, and is not accessed except by our staff (or carefully-selected third party interviewers) in the proper performance of recruitment and selection duties.

How long do you keep my data for?

If your application for employment is unsuccessful, we will hold your data on file for six months after the end of the relevant recruitment process. At the end of that period, or if you withdraw your consent at any time before this, your data is destroyed.

If your application for employment is successful, the data gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your Human Resources file located on our BreatheHR Management System where it will be retained throughout the course of your employment. You will be given a copy of our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for Staff during your induction.

If you leave our employment, your data is stored for a further 6 months and then destroyed, unless you have withdrawn your consent at an earlier date.

What are my rights?

As a data subject, you have a number of rights. At any time you can:

  • Access and obtain a copy of your data on request
  • Require us to change incorrect or incomplete data
  • Require us to delete or stop processing your data (where the data is no longer
    necessary for the purposes of processing your application)

If you have any queries relating to this policy notice, the management of data obtained during recruitment processes, please contact:

Tim Reed, Data Protection Officer for Bumblebee Conservation Trust, membership@bumblebeeconservation.org

You have a legal right to access information that we hold about you. To request access to your information, you can submit a Subject Access Request to our Data Protection Officer. We recommend using the Subject Access Request feature through the ICO Website at https://ico.org.uk/for-thepublic/make-a-subject-access-request.

Our contact details for Subject Access Requests are:
email: membership@bumblebeeconservation.org or write to: Bumblebee Conservation Trust, Beta Centre, Stirling University Innovation Park, Stirling FK9 4NF. Our Data Protection Officer is Tim Reed.

We will respond to your request with within one month of receipt. We may not be able to provide you with your request if your personal information contains details about another person and we do not have their permission to give it to you.

If you are dissatisfied with how we use your data, you can submit a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF or at https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

What if I don’t want to provide my data?

You are under no obligation to provide data to us during the recruitment process. However, if you do not provide the information, we may not be able to process your application properly or at all.