RT/A2_18/v5/Jul22

 Aim

To ensure Rock Townsend collects, stores and processes private data during the recruitment process in an open and transparent manner, and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018. 

Objective

Rock Townsend is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Notice describes how we collect and use personal information about you during the recruitment process.

As a candidate for a potential position of employment within the Company, this Privacy Notice sets out how and why your personal data will be used, namely for the purposes of the recruitment exercise, and how long it will be retained for.

Information Held:

In connection with your application for work with us, we will collect, store, and use the following categories of personal information about you:

  • The information you have provided to us in your curriculum vitae and covering letter;

  • Any information you provide to us during an interview.

We may also collect, store and use the following "Special Categories" of more sensitive personal data:

  • Information about criminal convictions and offences.

How your Personal Data is Collected:

Rock Townsend collects personal information about Candidates from the following sources:

  • You, the candidate;

  • Via recruitment agencies;

  • Your named referees.

How your Personal Data is Processed:

Rock Townsend will use the personal information we collect about you to:

  • Assess your skills, qualifications, and suitability for the role;

  • Carry out background and reference checks, where applicable;

  • Communicate with you about the recruitment process;

  • Keep records related to our hiring processes;

  • Comply with legal or regulatory requirements.

Having received your application, we will process your information to decide whether you meet the basic requirements to be shortlisted for the role. If you do, we will decide whether your application is strong enough to invite you for an interview. If we decide to call you for an interview, we will use the information you provide at interview stage to decide whether to offer you the role. If we decide to offer you the role, we will take up references and carry out a criminal record check before confirming your appointment.

If you fail to provide information which is necessary for us to consider your application (such as evidence of qualifications or work history), we will not be able to process your application successfully.

Sensitive Personal Information:

Where appropriate, we will collect information about your criminal convictions history if we would like to offer you the role (conditional on checks and any other conditions, such as references, being satisfactory). In certain circumstances we may carry out a DBS check prior to offering you a position of employment.

Data Sharing:

We will not share your personal information with any third parties during the recruitment process, unless relating to the collection of references or carrying out DBS checks.

Data Security:

To avoid unauthorised access or disclosure, Rock Townsend will ensure your personal data is stored safely on the Company server (with password protection).  Rock Townsend are aiming to be a paper-free organisation, but if we must retain any hard copy data, it will be stored within a secured cabinet. We limit access to your personal information to those employees who have a business need to know.

Data Retention:

Rock Townsend will retain your personal information for 6 months following receipt of your application, so that we can show, in the event of a legal claim, that we have not discriminated against candidates on prohibited grounds and that we have conducted the recruitment exercise in a fair and transparent way. After this period, we will securely destroy your personal information.

 If we wish to retain your personal information on file, on the basis that a further opportunity may arise in future and we may wish to consider you for the role, we will write to you separately, seeking your explicit consent to retain your personal information for a fixed period on that basis.

Rights of Access, Correction, Erasure and Restriction:

Under certain circumstances, by law you have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal information (commonly known as a "Data Subject Access Request");

  • Request correction of the personal information that we hold about you;

  • Request erasure of your personal information, where you believe there is no good reason for us to continue processing it;

  • Object to processing of your personal information where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) or where we are processing your personal information for direct marketing purposes;

  • Request the restriction or suspension of processing of your personal information; for example if you wish us to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it.

Right to Withdraw Consent:

When you apply for a role, you provided consent for us to process your personal information for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. You have the right to withdraw your consent for processing for that purpose at any time. To withdraw your consent, please do so in writing to studio@rocktownsend.co.uk. Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your application and we will dispose of your personal data securely.

You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for Data Protection issues.

This Notice has been endorsed by, and has the full support of, the Partners and the Management Team.

The Notice was introduced in May 2018 following consultation with Senior Managers and staff, and last reviewed in July 2022.

 Overall responsibility for the Notice lies with: Steve Stokes, Partner, Rock Townsend Architects LLP.

Signed:                                                 

Steve Stokes

Partner

Date: 4th July 2022