Privacy Policy
Pear Tree Recruitment™ (PTR) Privacy Policy
Date Published: 25/05/2018
Date Revised: 21/09/2022
Introduction
This Privacy Policy explains what we do with your personal data, whether we are in the process of helping you find a job, continuing our relationship with you once we have found you a role, providing you with a service, receiving a service from you, using your data to ask for assistance in relation to one of our Candidates, or you are visiting our website.
It describes how we collect, use and process your personal data and how, in doing so, we comply with our legal obligations to you. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to protecting and safeguarding your data privacy rights.
This Privacy Policy applies to the personal data of our Website Users, Candidates, Clients, Suppliers and other people whom we may contact in order to find out more about our Candidates or whom they indicate is an emergency contact. It also applies to the emergency contacts of our Staff.
For the purpose of applicable data protection legislation (including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) (The “GDPR”), the company responsible for your personal data (PTR or “us”) can be found (see Annex 1).
It is important to point out that we may amend this Privacy Policy from time to time. Please just visit this page if you want to stay up to date, as we will post any changes here.
If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of our Privacy Policy, you may have legal rights and, where relevant, we have described these as well.
The Short Version (‘Snapshot View’)
What kind of personal data do we collect?
CANDIDATE DATA:
In order to provide the best possible employment opportunities that are tailored to you, we need to process certain information about you. We only ask for details that will genuinely help us to help you, such as your name, age, contact details, education details, employment history, emergency contacts, immigration status, financial information (where we need to carry out financial background checks), and NI number (and of course you may choose to share other relevant information with us). Where appropriate and in accordance with local laws and requirements, we may also collect information related to your health, diversity information or details of any criminal convictions.
If you would like a more detailed description of the personal data that we collect about you, please see Long Version.
To the extent that you access our website we will also collect certain data from you. If you would like more information about this, please see ‘How Do We Collect Your Personal Data’.
CLIENT DATA:
If you are a PTR customer, we need to collect and use information about you, or individuals at your organisation, in the course of providing you services such as: finding Candidates who are the right fit for you or your organisation and/or notifying you of content published by PTR which is likely to be relevant and useful to you.
If you would like a more detailed description of the personal data that we collect in this way, please see Long Version.
To the extent that you access our website we will also collect certain data from you. If you would like more information about this, please see ‘How Do We Collect Your Personal Data’.
SUPPLIER DATA:
We need a small amount of information from our Suppliers to ensure that things run smoothly. We need contact details of relevant individuals at your organisation so that we can communicate with you. We also need other information such as your bank details so that we can pay for the services you provide (if this is part of the contractual arrangements between us).
If you would like a more detailed description of the personal data that we collect about you, please see Long Version.
To the extent that you access our website we will also collect certain data from you. If you would like more information about this, please see ‘How Do We Collect Your Personal Data’.
PEOPLE WHOSE DATA WE RECEIVE FROM CANDIDATES AND STAFF, SUCH AS REFEREES AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS:
In order to provide Candidates with suitable employment opportunities safely and securely and to provide for every eventuality for them and our Staff, we need some basic background information. We only ask for very basic contact details, so that we can get in touch with you either for a reference or because you have been listed as an emergency contact for one of our Candidates or Staff members.
If you would like a more detailed description of the personal data that we collect about you, please see Long Version.
WEBSITE USERS:
We collect a limited amount of data from our Website Users which we use to help us to improve your experience when using our website and to help us manage the services we provide. This includes information such as how you use our website, the frequency with which you access our website, and the times that our website is most popular.
If you would like to find out more information about what data we collect about you when you visit our website, please see Long Version.
A number of elements of the personal data we collect from you are required to enable us to fulfil our contractual duties to you or to others. Where appropriate some Candidates’ e.g. NI number and religious affiliation, are required by statute or other laws. Other items may simply be needed to ensure that our relationship can run smoothly.
Depending on the type of personal data in question and the grounds on which we may be processing it, should you decline to provide us with such data, we may not be able to fulfil our contractual requirements or, in extreme cases, may not be able to continue with our relationship.
For details of the legal bases that we rely on to be able to use and process your personal data, please see Long Version.
How do we collect your personal data?
CANDIDATE DATA:
There are two main ways in which we collect your personal data:
1. Directly from you; and
2. From third parties.
If you want to know more about how we collect your personal data, please see Long Version’.
CLIENT DATA:
There are two main ways in which we collect your personal data:
1. Directly from you; and
2. From third parties e.g. our Candidates and other limited sources e.g. online and offline media.
If you would like to know more about how we collect your personal data, please see Long Version.
To the extent that you access our website or read or click on an email from us, we may also collect certain data automatically or through you providing it to us.
SUPPLIER DATA:
We collect your personal data during the course of our work with you.
PEOPLE WHOSE DATA WE RECEIVE FROM CANDIDATES AND STAFF, SUCH AS REFEREES AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS:
We collect your contact details only where a Candidate or a member of our Staff puts you down as their emergency contact or where a Candidate gives them to us in order for you to serve as a referee.
How do we use your personal data?
CANDIDATE DATA:
The main reason for using your personal details is to help you find employment or other work roles that might be suitable for you. The more information we have about you, your skillset and your ambitions, the more bespoke we can make our service. Where appropriate and in accordance with local laws and requirements, we may also use your personal data for things like marketing, profiling and diversity monitoring. Where appropriate, we will seek your consent to undertake some of these activities.
For more details on how we use your personal data, please see Long Version.
CLIENT DATA:
The main reason for using information about Clients is to ensure that the contractual arrangements between us can properly be implemented so that the relationship can run smoothly. This may involve identifying Candidates who we think will be the right fit for you or your organisation. The more information we have, the more bespoke we can make our service.
For more details on how we use your personal data, please see Long Version.
SUPPLIER DATA:
The main reasons for using your personal data are to ensure that the contractual arrangements between us can properly be implemented so that the relationship can run smoothly, and to comply with legal requirements.
For more details on how we use your personal data, please see Long Version.
PEOPLE WHOSE DATA WE RECEIVE FROM CANDIDATES AND STAFF, SUCH AS REFEREES AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS:
We use referees’ personal data to help our Candidates to find employment which is suited to them. If we are able to verify their details and qualifications, we can make sure that they are well matched with prospective employers. We may also use referees’ personal data to contact them in relation to recruitment activities that may be of interest to them. We use the personal details of a Candidate’s or Staff member’s emergency contacts in the case of an accident or emergency affecting that Candidates or member of Staff.
For more details on how we use your personal data, please see Long Version.
WEBSITE USERS:
We use your data to help us improve your experience of using our website to present jobs to you that we think you might be interested in. We may use data you use off our website to enhance other aspects of our communication with, or services to, you.
Please note that communications to and from PTR’s Staff including emails may be reviewed as part of internal or external investigations or litigation.
Who do we share your personal data with?
CANDIDATE DATA:
We may share your personal data with various parties, in various ways and for various reasons. Primarily we will share your information with prospective employers to increase your chances of securing the job you want. Unless you specify otherwise, we may also share your information with associated third parties such as our service providers where we feel this will help us to provide you with the best possible service.
If you would like to see a list of who we may share your personal data with, please see Long Version.
CLIENT DATA:
We will share your data: (i) primarily to ensure that we provide you with a suitable pool of Candidates; (ii) to assist other organisations with the provision of an MSP programme; (iii) to assist other organisations with the provision of RPO services. Unless you specify otherwise, we may share your information associated third parties such as our service providers to help us meet these aims.
If you would like to see a list of who we may share your personal data with, please see Long Version.
SUPPLIER DATA:
Unless you specify otherwise, we may share your information with associated third parties such as our service providers and organisations to whom we provide services.
If you would like to see a list of who we may share your personal data with, please see Long Version.
PEOPLE WHOSE DATA WE RECEIVE FROM CANDIDATES AND STAFF, SUCH AS REFEREES AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS:
Unless you specify otherwise, we may share your information with associated third parties such as our service providers and organisations to whom we provide services.
If you would like to see a list of who we may share your personal data with, please see Long Version.
WEBSITE USERS:
Unless you specify otherwise, we may share your information with PTR’s webhosts, providers of web analytics services, marketing automation platforms and social media services to make sure any advertising you receive is targeted to you.
How do we safeguard your personal data?
We care about protecting your information. That is why we put in place appropriate measures that are designed to prevent unauthorised access to, and misuse of, your personal data.
For more information on the procedures we put in place, please see Long Version.
How long do we keep your personal data for?
If we have not had meaningful contact with you (or, where appropriate, the company you are working for or with) for a period of two years, we will Remove your personal data from our systems unless we believe in good faith that the law or other regulation requires us to preserve it e.g. because of our obligations to tax authorities or in connection with any anticipated litigation.
For more information on our policy for the retention of personal data, please see Long Version.
How can you access, amend or take back the personal data that you have given to us?
Even if we already hold your personal data, you still have various rights in relation to it. To get in touch about these, please see Annex 1 for details on how to contact us. We will seek to deal with your request without undue delay, and in any event in accordance with the requirements of any applicable laws. Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.
Right to object: If we are using your data because we deem it necessary for our legitimate interests to do so, and you do not agree, you have the right to object. We will respond to your request within 30 days (although we may be allowed to extend this period in certain cases). Generally, we will only disagree with you if certain limited conditions apply.
Right to withdraw consent: Where we have obtained your consent to process your personal data for certain activities e.g. for profiling your suitability for certain roles, or consent to market to you, you may withdraw your consent at any time.
Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR): For clarity, you have the right to ask us to confirm what information we hold about you at any time, and you may ask us to modify, update or Remove such information. At this point we may comply with your request or, additionally do one of the following:
– We may ask you to verify your identity or ask for more information about your request; and
– Where we are legally permitted to do so, we may decline your request, but we will explain why if we do so.
Right to erasure: In certain situations e.g. where we have processed your data unlawfully, you have the right to request us to “erase” your personal data. We will respond to your request within 30 days (although we may be allowed to extend this period in certain cases) and will only disagree with you if certain limited conditions apply. If we do agree to your request, we will Remove your data but will generally assume that you would prefer us to keep a note of your name on our register of individuals who would prefer not to be contacted. That way, we will minimise the chances of you being contacted in the future where your data is collected in unconnected circumstances. If you would prefer us not to do this, you are free to say so.
Right of data portability: If you wish, you have the right to transfer your data from us to another data controller. We will help with this – either by directly transferring your data for you, or by providing you with a copy in a commonly used machine-readable format.
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority, details of which can be found in Annex 2.
If your interests or requirements change, you can unsubscribe from part or all of our marketing content e.g. job role emails or PTR newsletters, by clicking the unsubscribe link in the email. If you would like to know more about your rights in respect of the personal data we hold about you, please see Long Version.
Who is responsible for processing your personal data on the PTR website?
PTR controls the processing of personal data on its website.
If you have got any further questions or want further details, please see Long Version.
The Long Version (Detailed Version)
What Kind of Personal Information do we Collect?
CANDIDATE DATA:
Depending on the relevant circumstances and applicable local laws and requirements, we may collect some or all of the information listed below to enable us to offer you employment opportunities which are tailored to your circumstances and your interests:
– Name;
– Age/date of birth;
– Birth number;
– Sex/gender;
– Photograph;
– Marital status;
– Contact details;
– Education details;
– Employment history;
– Emergency contacts and details of any dependants;
– Referee details;
– Immigration status (whether you need a work permit);
– Nationality/citizenship/place of birth;
– A copy of your driving licence, passport/identity card and/or full birth certificate
– A copy of any change of name documentation e.g. deed poll and/or marriage certificate
– Financial information (where we need to carry out financial background checks);
– NI number (or equivalent in your country) and any other tax-related information;
– Diversity information including racial or ethnic origin, religious or other similar beliefs, and physical or mental health, including disability-related information;
– Details of any criminal convictions if this is required for a role that you are interested in applying for;
– Details about your current remuneration, pensions and benefits arrangements;
– Information on your interests and needs regarding future employment, both collected directly and inferred e.g. from jobs viewed or articles read on our website;
– Extra information that you choose to tell us;
– Extra information that your referees choose to tell us about you;
– Extra information that our Clients may tell us about you, or that we find from other third-party sources such as job sites;
– IP address;
– The dates, times and frequency with which you access our services; and
– Payment details
Please note that the above list of categories of personal data we may collect is not exhaustive.
To the extent that you access our website we will also collect certain data from you. If you would like more information about this, please see ‘How Do We Collect Your Personal Data’ below.
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CLIENT DATA:
The data we collect about Clients is actually very limited. We generally only need to have your contact details or the details of individual contacts at your organisation (such as their names, telephone numbers and email addresses) to enable us to ensure that our relationship runs smoothly. We also hold information relating to your online engagement with Candidate profiles and other material published by PTR, which we use to ensure that our marketing communications to you are relevant and timely. We may also hold extra information that someone in your organisation has chosen to tell us. In certain circumstances, such as when you engage with our Finance and Debt Recovery teams. If we need any additional personal data for any reason, we will let you know.
To the extent that you access our website we will also collect certain data from you. If you would like more information about this, please see ‘How Do We Collect Your Personal Data’ below.
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SUPPLIER DATA:
We do not collect much data about Suppliers – we simply need to make sure that our relationship runs smoothly. We will collect the details for our contacts within your organisation, such as names, telephone numbers and email addresses. We will also collect bank details, so that we can pay you. We may also hold extra information that someone in your organisation has chosen to tell us.
To the extent that you access our website we will also collect certain data from you. If you would like more information about this, please see ‘How Do We Collect Your Personal Data’ below.
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PEOPLE WHOSE DATA WE RECEIVE FROM CANDIDATES AND STAFF, SUCH AS REFEREES AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS:
All we need from referees is confirmation of what you already know about our Candidate or prospective member of Staff, so that they can secure that job they really want. Emergency contact details give us somebody to call on in an emergency. To ask for a reference, we will obviously need the referee’s contact details (such as name, email address and telephone number). We will also need these details if our Candidate or a member of our Staff has put you down as their emergency contact so that we can contact you in the event of an accident or an emergency.
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WEBSITE USERS:
We collect a limited amount of data from our Website Users which we use to help us to improve your experience when using our website and to help us manage the services we provide. This includes information such as how you use our website, the frequency with which you access our website, your browser type, the location you view our website from and the times that our website is most popular. If you contact us via the website, we will collect any information that you provide to us e.g. your name and contact details.
If you would like to find out more information about what data we collect about you when you visit our website, please see ‘How Do We Collect Your Personal Data’ below.
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How Do We Collect Your Personal Data?
CANDIDATE DATA:
We collect Candidate personal data in three primary ways:
1. Personal data that you, the Candidate, gives to us;
2. Personal data that we receive from other sources; and
3. Personal data that we collect automatically.
Personal data you give us
PTR needs to know certain information about you in order to provide a tailored service. This will enable us to provide you with the best opportunities and should save you time in not having to trawl through information about jobs and services that are not relevant to you.
There are numerous ways you can share your information with us. It all depends on what suits you. These may include:
– entering your details on the PTR website or via an application form, as part of the registration process;
– Leaving a hard copy CV at a PTR recruitment event, job fair or office;
– Emailing your CV to a PTR consultant or being interviewed by them;
– Applying for jobs through a job aggregator, which then redirects you to the PTR website
– Entering your personal details into the PTR website; or
– Entering a competition through a social media channel such as Facebook or Twitter.
Personal data we receive from other sources
We also receive personal data about Candidates from other sources. Depending on the relevant circumstances and applicable local laws and requirements, these may include personal data received in the following situations:
– Your referees may disclose personal information about you;
– Our Clients may share personal information about you with us;
– We may obtain information about you from searching for potential Candidate from third party sources, such as LinkedIn and other job sites;
– If you ‘like’ our page on Facebook or ‘follow’ us on Twitter we will receive your personal information from those sites.
Personal data we collect automatically
To the extent that you access our website or read or click on an email from us, where appropriate and in accordance with any local laws and requirements, we may also collect your data automatically or through you providing it to us. For more information, please see ‘How Do We Use Your Personal Data’ below.
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CLIENT DATA
We collect Client personal data in three ways:
1. Personal data that we receive directly from you;
2. Personal data that we receive from other sources; and
3. Personal data that we collect automatically.
Personal data that we receive directly from you
We both share the same goal – to make sure that you have the best staff for your organisation. We will receive data directly from you in two ways:
– Where you contact us proactively, usually by phone or email; and/or
– Where we contact you, either by phone or email, or through our consultants’ business development activities more generally.
Personal data we receive from other sources
Where appropriate and in accordance with any local laws and requirements, we may seek more information about you or your colleagues from other sources generally by way of due diligence or other market intelligence including:
– From third party market research and by analysing online and offline media (which we may do ourselves, or employ other organisations to do for us);
– From delegate lists at relevant events; and
– From other limited sources and third parties e.g. from our Candidates to the extent that they provide us with your details to act as a referee for them.
Personal data we collect via our website
To the extent that you access our website or read or click on an email from us, where appropriate and in accordance with any local laws and requirements, we may also collect your data automatically or through you providing it to us. For more information, please see ‘How Do We Use Your Personal Data’ below.
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WEBSITE USERS:
When you visit our website, there is certain information that we may automatically collect, whether or not you decide to use our services. This includes your IP address, the date and the times and frequency with which you access the website and the way you browse its content. We will also collect data from you when you contact us via the website.
How do we use your personal data?
Having obtained data about you, we then use it in a number of ways.
CANDIDATE DATA:
We generally use Candidate data in four ways:
– Recruitment activities;
– Marketing activities;
– Equal opportunities monitoring; and
– To help us to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Recruitment activities
Obviously, our main area of work is recruitment – connecting the right Candidates with the right jobs. We have listed below various ways in which we may use and process your personal data for this purpose, where appropriate and in accordance with any local laws and requirements. Please note that this list is not exhaustive.
– Collecting your data from you and other sources, such as LinkedIn;
– Storing your details (and updating them when necessary) on our database, so that we can contact you in relation to recruitment;
– Providing you with our recruitment services and to facilitate the recruitment process;
– Assessing data about you against vacancies which we think may be suitable for you;
– Sending your information to Clients, in order to apply for jobs or to assess your eligibility for jobs;
– Enabling you to submit your CV, apply online for jobs or to subscribe to alerts about jobs we think may be of interest to you;
– Sending your information to an organisation providing a RPO programme and/or a MSP service.
– Carrying out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between us;
– Carrying out our obligations arising from any contracts entered into between PTR and third parties in relation to your recruitment;
– Facilitating our payroll and invoicing processes;
– Carrying out customer satisfaction surveys;
– Verifying details you have provided, using third party resources (such as psychometric evaluations or skills tests), or to request information (such as references, qualifications and potentially any criminal convictions, to the extent that this is appropriate and in accordance with local laws);
– Complying with our legal obligations in connection with the detection of crime or the collection of taxes or duties; and
– Processing your data to enable us to send you targeted, relevant marketing materials or other communications which we think are likely to be of interest to you.
We may use your personal data for the above purposes if we deem it necessary to do so for our legitimate interests. If you want to know more about what this means, please see ‘Our Legal Bases for Processing Your Data’ in the Long Version. If you are not happy about this, in certain circumstances you have the right to object and can find out more about how and when to do this, please see ‘How Can You Access, Amend or Take Back the Personal Data You Have Given To Us’ in the Long Version.
Marketing activities
We may periodically send you information that we think you may find interesting, or to ask for your help with connecting other Candidates with jobs. In particular, we may wish to use your data for the purposes listed below, where appropriate and in accordance with any local laws and requirements. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. To:
– enable us to develop and market other products and services;
– market our full range of recruitment services (permanent, temporary, contract, outplacement, MSP programmes and RPO services) to you;
– send you details of reports, candidate events, and general information about the industry sectors which we think might be of interest to you;
– display promotional excerpts from your details on PTR’s website as a success story (only where we have obtained your express consent to do so); and
We need your consent for some aspects of these activities which are not covered by our legitimate interests (in particular, the delivery of direct marketing to you through digital channels) and, depending on the situation, we will ask for this via an opt-in or soft-opt-in (which we explain further below).
Soft opt-in consent is a specific type of consent which applies where you have previously engaged with us e.g. by submitting a job application or CV, or registering a vacancy to be filled, and we are marketing other recruitment-related services. Under ‘soft opt-in’ consent, we will take your consent as given unless or until you opt out. For most people, this is beneficial as it allows us to suggest other jobs to you alongside the specific one you applied for, significantly increasing the likelihood of us finding you a new position. For other types of e-marketing, we are required to obtain your explicit consent.
If you want to know more about how we obtain consent, please see ‘Our Legal Bases for Processing Your Data’ in Long Version. If you are not happy about our approach to marketing, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time and can find out more about how to do so, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version. Nobody is perfect, even though we try to be. We want to let you know that even if you have opted out from our marketing communications through our preference centre, it is possible that your details may be recaptured through public sources in an unconnected marketing campaign. We will try to make sure this does not happen, but if it does, we are sorry. We would just ask that in those circumstances you opt out again.
All our marketing is based on what we think will serve our Clients and Candidates best, but we know we will not always get it right for everyone. We may use your data to show you PTR adverts and other content on other websites e.g. Facebook.
Equal opportunities monitoring and other sensitive personal data
We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment processes are aligned with our approach to equal opportunities. Some of the data we may (in appropriate circumstances and in accordance with local law and requirements) collect about you comes under the umbrella of “diversity information”. This could be information about your ethnic background, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or other similar beliefs, and/or social-economic background. Where appropriate and in accordance with local laws and requirements, we will use this information on an anonymised basis to monitor our compliance with our equal opportunities policy. We may also disclose this (suitably anonymised where relevant) data to Clients where this is contractually required, or the Client specifically requests such information to enable them to comply with their own employment processes.
This information is what is called ‘sensitive’ personal information and slightly stricter data protection rules apply to it. We therefore need to obtain your explicit consent before we can use it. We will ask for your consent by offering you an opt-in. This means that you have to explicitly and clearly tell us that you agree to us collecting and using this information.
We may collect other sensitive personal data about you, such as health-related information, religious affiliation, or details of any criminal convictions if this is appropriate in accordance with local laws and is required for a role that you are interested in applying for. We will never do this without your explicit consent.
If you would like to find out more about consent, please see ‘Our Legal Bases for Processing Your Data’ in Long Version.
If you are not happy about this, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time and you can find out how to do so, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version.
To help us to establish, exercise or defend legal claims
In more unusual circumstances, we may use your personal data to help us to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
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CLIENT DATA:
We use Client information for:
– Recruitment Activities;
– Marketing Activities; and
– To help us to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
Recruitment activities
Obviously, our main area of work is recruitment, through: (i) providing you with Candidates; (ii) supporting RPO services providers and (iii) supporting MSP programmes providers. We have listed below the various ways in which we use your data in order to facilitate this.
– Storing your details (and updating them when necessary) on our database, so that we can contact you in relation to recruitment activities;
– Keeping records of our conversations and meetings, so that we can provide targeted services to you;
– Undertaking customer satisfaction surveys; and
– Processing your data for the purpose of targeting appropriate marketing campaigns.
We may use your personal data for these purposes if we deem this to be necessary for our legitimate interests. If you would like to know more about what this means, please see ‘Our Legal Bases for Processing Your Data’ in Long Version.
If you are not happy about this, in certain circumstances you have the right to object and can find out more about how and when to do this, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version.
Marketing activities
Subject to any applicable local laws and requirements, we will not, as a matter of course, seek your consent when sending marketing materials to a corporate, postal or email address.
If you are not happy about this, you have the right to opt out of receiving marketing materials from us and can find out more about how to do so, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version.
To help us to establish, exercise or defend legal claims
In more unusual circumstances, we may use your personal data to help us to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
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SUPPLIER DATA:
We realise that you are probably busy, and do not want us to be contacting you about all sorts of things. To find the right balance, we will only use your information:
– To store (and update when necessary) your details on our database, so that we can contact you in relation to our agreements;
– To offer services to you or to obtain support and services from you;
– To perform certain legal obligations;
– To help us to target appropriate marketing campaigns; and
– In more unusual circumstances, to help us to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
We may use your personal data for these purposes if we deem this to be necessary for our legitimate interests. If you want to know more about what this means, please see ‘Our Legal Bases for Processing Your Data’ in Long Version.
We will not, as a matter of course, seek your consent when sending marketing messages to a corporate postal or email address.
If you are not happy about this, in certain circumstances you have the right to object and can find out more about how to do so, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version.
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PEOPLE WHOSE DATA WE RECEIVE FROM CANDIDATES AND STAFF, SUCH AS REFEREES AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS:
We will only use the information that our Candidate gives us about you for the following purposes:
– If our Candidates or Staff members put you down on our form as an emergency contact, we will contact you in the case of an accident or emergency affecting them; or
– If you were put down by our Candidate or a prospective member of Staff as a referee, we will contact you in order to take up a reference. This is an important part of our Candidate quality assurance process and could be the difference between the individual getting a job or not.
– If you were put down by our Candidate or a prospective member of Staff as a referee, we may sometimes use your details to contact you in relation to recruitment activities that we think may be of interest to you, in which case we will use your data for the same purposes for which we use the data of Clients. If you would like to find out more about what this means, please see ‘Our Legal Bases for Processing Your Data’ in the Long Version.
We may use your personal data for these purposes if we deem this to be necessary for our legitimate interests. If you would like to find out more about what this means, please see ‘Our Legal Bases for Processing Your Data’ in the Long Version.
If you are not happy about this, you have the right to object and can find out more about how to do so, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version.
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WEBSITE USERS:
We use your data to help us to improve your experience of using our website e.g. by analysing your recent job search criteria to help us to present jobs or Candidates to you that we think you will be interested in.
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Who Do We Share Your Personal Data With?
Where appropriate and in accordance with local laws and requirements, we may share your personal data, in various ways and for various reasons, with the following categories of people:
– Individuals and organisations who hold information related to your reference or application to work with us, such as current, past or prospective employers, educators and examining bodies and employment and recruitment agencies;
– Tax, audit, or other authorities, when we believe in good faith that the law or other regulation requires us to share this data e.g. because of a request by a tax authority or in connection with any anticipated litigation;
– Third party service providers who perform functions on our behalf (including external consultants, business associates and professional advisers such as lawyers, auditors and accountants, technical support functions, IT consultants and web hosts carrying out testing and development work on our business technology systems);
– Third party outsourced IT, and document storage providers where we have an appropriate processing agreement (or similar protections) in place;
– Marketing technology platforms and suppliers;
– In the case of Candidates: potential employers and other recruitment agencies/organisations to increase your chances of finding employment;
– In the case of Candidates: third party partners, job boards and job aggregators where we consider this will improve the chances of finding you the right job;
– In the case of Candidates: MSP suppliers as part of our clients’ MSP programmes; and RPO suppliers as part of our clients’ RPO services;
– In the case of Candidates and prospective members of Staff’s referees: third parties who we have retained to provide services such as reference, qualification and criminal convictions checks, to the extent that these checks are appropriate and in accordance with local laws;
– If PTR merges with or is acquired by another business or company in the future, (or is in meaningful discussions about such a possibility) we may share your personal data with the (prospective) new owners of the business or company.
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How Do We Safeguard Your Personal Data?
We are committed to taking all reasonable and appropriate steps to protect the personal information that we hold from misuse, loss, or unauthorised access. We do this by having in place a range of appropriate technical and organisational measures. These include measures to deal with any suspected data breach.
If you suspect any misuse or loss of or unauthorised access to your personal information please let us know immediately. Details of how to contact us, please see Annex 1.
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How Long Do We Keep Your Personal Data For?
We will Remove your personal data from our systems if we have not had any meaningful contact with you (or, where appropriate, the company you are working for or with) for two years (or for such longer period as we believe in good faith that the law or relevant regulators require us to preserve your data). After this period, it is likely your data will no longer be relevant for the purposes for which it was collected.
For those Candidates whose services are provided via a third party company or other entity, “meaningful contact” with you means meaningful contact with the company or entity which supplies your services. Where we are notified by such company or entity that it no longer has that relationship with you, we will retain your data for no longer than two years from that point or, if later, for the period of two years from the point we subsequently have meaningful contact directly with you.
When we refer to “meaningful contact”, we mean e.g. communication between us (either verbal or written), or where you are actively engaging with our online services. If you are a Candidate, we will consider there to be meaningful contact with you if you submit your updated CV onto our website or take part in any of our online training. We will also consider it meaningful contact if you communicate with us about potential roles, either by verbal or written communication or click through from any of our marketing communications. Your receipt, opening or reading of an email or other digital message from us will not count as meaningful contact – this will only occur in cases where you click-through or reply directly.
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How Can You Access, Amend or Take Back the Personal Data That You Have Given To Us?
One of the GDPR’s main objectives is to protect and clarify the rights of EU citizens and individuals in the EU with regards to data privacy. This means that you retain various rights in respect of your data, even once you have given it to us. These are described in more detail below.
To get in touch about these rights, please see Annex 1. We will seek to deal with your request without undue delay, and in any event within one month (subject to any extensions to which we are lawfully entitled). Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.
Right to object: this right enables you to object to us processing your personal data where we do so for one of the following four reasons: (i) our legitimate interests; (ii) to enable us to perform a task in the public interest or exercise official authority; (iii) to send you direct marketing materials; and (iv) for scientific, historical, research, or statistical purposes.
The “legitimate interests” and “direct marketing” categories above are the ones most likely to apply to our Website Users, Candidates, Clients and Suppliers. If your objection relates to us processing your personal data because we deem it necessary for your legitimate interests, we must act on your objection by ceasing the activity in question unless:
– we can show that we have compelling legitimate grounds for processing which overrides your interests; or
– we are processing your data for the establishment, exercise or defence of a legal claim.
If your objection relates to direct marketing, we must act on your objection by ceasing this activity.
Right to withdraw consent: Where we have obtained your consent to process your personal data for certain activities e.g. for our marketing arrangements you may withdraw this consent at any time and we will cease to carry out the particular activity that you previously consented to unless we consider that there is an alternative reason to justify our continued processing of your data for this purpose in which case we will inform you of this condition.
Data Subject Access Requests (DSAR): You may ask us to confirm what information we hold about you at any time, and request us to modify, update or Remove such information. We may ask you to verify your identity and for more information about your request. If we provide you with access to the information we hold about you, we will not charge you for this unless your request is “manifestly unfounded or excessive”. If you request further copies of this information from us, we may charge you a reasonable administrative cost where legally permissible. Where we are legally permitted to do so, we may refuse your request. If we refuse your request, we will always tell you the reasons for doing so.
Right to erasure: You have the right to request that we erase your personal data in certain circumstances. Normally, the information must meet one of the following criteria:
– the data are no longer necessary for the purpose for which we originally collected and/or processed them;
– where previously given, you have withdrawn your consent to us processing your data, and there is no other valid reason for us to continue processing;
– the data has been processed unlawfully i.e. in a manner which does not comply with the GDPR;
– it is necessary for the data to be erased in order for us to comply with our legal obligations as a data controller; or
– if we process the data because we believe it necessary to do so for our legitimate interests, you object to the processing and we are unable to demonstrate overriding legitimate grounds for our continued processing.
We would only be entitled to refuse to comply with your request for one of the following reasons:
– to exercise the right of freedom of expression and information;
– to comply with legal obligations or for the performance of a public interest task or exercise of official authority;
– for public health reasons in the public interest;
– for archival, research or statistical purposes; or
– to exercise or defend a legal claim.
When complying with a valid request for the erasure of data we will take all reasonably practicable steps to Remove the relevant data.
Right to restrict processing: You have the right to request that we restrict our processing of your personal data in certain circumstances. This means that we can only continue to store your data and will not be able to carry out any further processing activities with it until either: (i) one of the circumstances listed below is resolved; (ii) you consent; or (iii) further processing is necessary for either the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims, the protection of the rights of another individual, or reasons of important EU public interest.
The circumstances in which you are entitled to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data are:
– where you dispute the accuracy of the personal data that we are processing about you. In this case, our processing of your personal data will be restricted for the period during which the accuracy of the data is verified;
– where you object to our processing of your personal data for our legitimate interests. Here, you can request that the data be restricted while we verify our grounds for processing your personal data;
– where our processing of your data is unlawful, but you would prefer us to restrict our processing of it rather than erasing it; and
– where we have no further need to process your personal data but you require the data to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
If we have shared your personal data with third parties, we will notify them about the restricted processing unless this is impossible or involves disproportionate effort. We will, of course, notify you before lifting any restriction on processing your personal data.
Right to rectification: You also have the right to request that we rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal data that we hold about you. If we have shared this personal data with third parties, we will notify them about the rectification unless this is impossible or involves disproportionate effort. Where appropriate, we will also tell you which third parties we have disclosed the inaccurate or incomplete personal data to. Where we think that it is reasonable for us not to comply with your request, we will explain our reasons for this decision.
Right of data portability: If you wish, you have the right to transfer your personal data between data controllers. In effect, this means that you are able to transfer your PTR account details to another online platform. To allow you to do so, we will provide you with your data in a commonly used machine-readable format that is password-protected so that you can transfer the data to another online platform. Alternatively, we may directly transfer the data for you. This right of data portability applies to: (i) personal data that we process automatically i.e. without any human intervention; (ii) personal data provided by you; and (iii) personal data that we process based on your consent or in order to fulfil a contract.
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority: You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. Details of how to contact them can be found, please see Annex 2.
If you would like to exercise any of these rights, or withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data (where consent is our legal basis for processing your personal data), for details of how to contact us, please see Annex 1. Please note that we may keep a record of your communications to help us resolve any issues which you raise.
You may ask to unsubscribe from job alerts at any time. For details of how to do so, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version.
It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes during the period for which we hold your data.
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Who Is Responsible for Processing Your Personal Data on The PTR Website?
You can find out which PTR entity is responsible for processing your personal data, please see Annex 1.
If you have any comments or suggestions concerning this Privacy Policy, please see Annex 1. We take privacy seriously, so we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Our Legal Bases for Processing Your Data
Legitimate Interests
Article 6(1)(f) of the GDPR is the one that is relevant here – it says that we can process your data where it “is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by (us) or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights or freedoms of (you) which require protection of personal data.”
We do not think that any of the following activities prejudice individuals in any way – in fact, they help us to offer you a more tailored, efficient service, so everyone is a winner! However, you do have the right to object to us processing your personal data on this basis. If you would like to know more about how to do so, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version.
CANDIDATE DATA:
We think it is reasonable to expect that if you are looking for employment or have posted your professional CV information on a job board or professional networking site, you are happy for us to collect and otherwise use your personal data to offer or provide our recruitment services to you, share that information with prospective employers and assess your skills against our bank of vacancies. Once it is looking like you may get the job, your prospective employer may also want to double check any information you have given us (such as the results from psychometric evaluations or skills tests) or to confirm your references, qualifications and criminal record, to the extent that this is appropriate and in accordance with local laws. We need to do these things so that we can function as a profit-making business, and to help you and other Candidates get the jobs you deserve.
We want to provide you with tailored job recommendations and relevant articles to read to help you on your job hunt. We therefore think it is reasonable for us to process your data to make sure that we send you the most appropriate content.
We have to make sure our business runs smoothly, so that we can carry on providing services to Candidates like you. We therefore also need to use your data for our internal administrative activities, like payroll and invoicing where relevant.
We have our own obligations under the law, which it is a legitimate interest of ours to insist on meeting! If we believe in good faith that it is necessary, we may therefore share your data in connection with crime detection, tax collection or actual or anticipated litigation.
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CLIENT DATA:
To ensure that we provide our Clients with the best service possible, we store your personal data and/or the personal data of individual contacts at your organisation as well as keeping records of our conversations, meetings, registered jobs and placements. From time to time, we may also ask you to undertake a customer satisfaction survey. We think this is reasonable – we deem these uses of your data to be necessary for our legitimate interests as an organisation providing various recruitment services to you.
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SUPPLIER DATA:
We use and store the personal data of individuals within your organisation in order to facilitate the receipt of services from you as one of our Suppliers. We also hold your financial details, so that we can pay you for your services. We deem all such activities to be necessary within the range of our legitimate interests as a recipient of your services.
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PEOPLE WHOSE DATA WE RECEIVE FROM CANDIDATES AND STAFF, SUCH AS REFEREES AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS:
If you have been put down by a Candidate or a prospective member of Staff as one of their referees, we use your personal data in order to contact you for a reference. This is a part of our quality assurance procedure and so we deem this to be necessary for our legitimate interests as an organisation offering recruitment services and employing people ourselves.
If a Candidate or Staff member has given us your details as an emergency contact, we will use these details to contact you in the case of an accident or emergency. We are sure you will agree that this is a vital element of our people-orientated organisation, and so is necessary for our legitimate interests.
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Consent
In certain circumstances, we are required to obtain your consent to the processing of your personal data in relation to certain activities. Depending on exactly what we are doing with your information, this consent will be opt-in consent or soft opt-in consent.
Article 4(11) of the GDPR states that (opt-in) consent is “any freely given, specific, informed and unambiguous indication of the data subject’s wishes by which he or she, by a statement or by a clear affirmative action, signifies agreement to the processing of personal data relating to him or her.” In plain language, this means that:
– you have to give us your consent freely, without us putting you under any type of pressure;
– you have to know what you are consenting to – so we will make sure we give you enough information;
– you should have control over which processing activities you consent to and which you do not and;
– you need to take positive and affirmative action in giving us your consent – we are likely to provide a tick box for you to check so that this requirement is met in a clear and unambiguous fashion.
We will keep records of the consents that you have given in this way.
We have already mentioned that, in some cases, we will be able to rely on soft opt-in consent. We are allowed to market products or services to you which are related to the recruitment services we provide as long as you do not actively opt-out from these communications.
As we have mentioned, you have the right to withdraw your consent to these activities. You can do so at any time, and for details of how to do so, please see ‘How to Access, Amend or Take Back Personal Data’ in Long Version.
Establishing, exercising or defending legal claims
Sometimes it may be necessary for us to process personal data and, where appropriate and in accordance with local laws and requirements, sensitive personal data in connection with exercising or defending legal claims. Article 9(2)(f) of the GDPR allows this where the processing “is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or whenever courts are acting in their judicial capacity”.
This may arise e.g. where we need to take legal advice in relation to legal proceedings or are required by law to preserve or disclose certain information as part of the legal process.
ANNEX 1 – How to Contact Us
Pear Tree Recruitment™ is responsible for processing the personal data of Website Users.
Pear Tree Recruitment™ is responsible for processing the personal data of Candidates, Clients, Suppliers and the emergency contacts and referees of Candidates and PTR’s Staff will depend on which of the below companies is the counterparty associated with the relevant arrangement.
How you can get in touch with us:
to access, amend or take back the personal data that you have given to us;
if you suspect any misuse or loss of or unauthorised access to your personal information;
to withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data (where consent is the legal basis on which we process your personal data);
with any comments or suggestions concerning this Privacy Policy.
You can write to us at the following address:
Unit 2, Henfield Business Park, Westerleigh Road, Bristol, BS36 2UP
Alternatively, you can send an email to: hello@peartreerecruitment.com
How you can get in touch with us to update your marketing preferences
You can email us at: hello@peartreerecruitment.com or by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing e-mail we send to you.
ANNEX 2 – How to Contact Your Local Supervisory Authority
Details of your supervisory authority: The Information Commissioner’s Office. You can contact them in the following ways:
Phone: 0303 123 1113
Email: casework@ico.org.uk
Live Chat
Post: Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
ANNEX 3 – Specific Variations to Our Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy: PTR’s Processing of Your Personal Sensitive Data
UK-specific legal requirement: Where your personal data are processed in accordance with the fair processing condition relating to our rights and obligations under employment and social security law, this relates to our processing of your personal data which is necessary for compliance with legal obligations (such as ensuring that we pay you statutory sick pay, comply with the statutory employment protections that you enjoy, comply with health and safety laws, and ensure that appropriate NI contributions are made).
GLOSSARY
Candidates – includes applicants for all roles advertised or promoted by PTR, including permanent, part-time, contract and temporary positions with PTR’s clients; as well as people who have supplied a speculative CV to PTR not in relation to a specific job.
Clients – while it speaks for itself, this category covers our customers, clients, and others to whom PTR provides services in the course of its business.
Remove – while we will endeavour to permanently erase your personal data once it reaches the end of its retention period or where we receive a valid request from you to do so, some of your data may still exist within our systems e.g. if it is waiting to be overwritten. For our purposes, this data has been put beyond use, meaning that, while it still exists on an archive system, this cannot be readily accessed by any of our operational systems, processes or staff.
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – a European Union statutory instrument which aims to harmonise European data protection laws. It has an effective date of 25 May 2018, and any references to it should be construed accordingly to include any national legislation implementing it.
Managed Service Provider (MSP) programmes – clients’ outsourcing of the management of external staff (including freelance workers, independent contractors and temporary employees) to an external recruitment provider.
Other people whom PTR may contact – these may include candidates and PTR’s staff emergency contacts and referees. We will only contact them in appropriate circumstances.
Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) services – full or partial outsourcing of the recruitment process for permanent employees to a recruitment provider.
Staff – includes employees and interns engaged directly in the business of PTR (or who have accepted an offer to be engaged) as well as certain other workers engaged in the business of providing services to PTR (even though they are not classed as employees). Likewise, independent contractors and consultants performing services for PTR fall within the definition of a ‘Supplier’ for the purposes of this Privacy Policy.
Suppliers – refers to partnerships and companies (including sole traders), and atypical workers such as independent contractors and freelance workers, who provide services to PTR. In certain circumstances PTR will sub-contract the services it provides to clients to third party suppliers who perform services on PTR’s behalf. In this context, suppliers that are individual contractors, freelance workers, or employees of suppliers will be treated as candidates for data protection purposes. Please note that in this context, PTR requires suppliers to communicate the relevant parts of this Privacy Policy (namely the sections directed at candidates) to their employees.
Website Users – any individual who accesses the PTR website.