Recruitment privacy policy 

When you apply for a job with the Institute for Government, we collect and process information (personal data) about you. This includes: 

• your name, address and contact details, including email address and telephone number 

• details of your qualifications, skills, experience and employment history 

• information about your current level of remuneration 

• whether or not you have a disability for which we need to make reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or employment 

• information about your entitlement to work in the UK. 

We may also collect personal data about you from third parties, e.g. references supplied by former employers. We will seek information from third parties only once a job offer to you has been made and will inform you that we are doing so. 

Data will be stored in a range of different places, including on your application record, in HR management systems and on other IT systems (including email). 

The basis for processing data 

The Institute needs to process data prior to and in order to facilitate entering into a contract with you. The Institute has a legitimate interest in processing personal data during the recruitment process and for keeping records in order to manage the process, to assess and confirm a candidate's suitability for employment and to make decision on job offers. 

The Institute may process special categories of data, such as information about ethnicity, to monitor recruitment statistics. This information is anonymised and is not given to those involved in the recruitment process. It is used only for monitoring purposes and to help us better understand how we, as an employer, can ensure equality of opportunity for all. 

Access to data 

Job applicant personal information may be shared internally for the purposes of the recruitment exercise. This includes members of the HR and recruitment team, interviewers and managers involved in the recruitment process, and IT staff if access to the data is necessary for the performance of their roles. 

We sometimes use selected companies to provide services on our behalf, which may involve the processing of your personal data. If we do share your information, we ensure that all your data is treated with the same high standards as if it were our own.   

We may transfer the personal data we collect about you outside of the EEA. We have taken steps to ensure all personal data is provided with adequate protection and that all transfers of personal data outside the EU are done lawfully.  Where we transfer personal data outside of the EU to a country not determined by the European Commission as providing an adequate level of protection for personal data, the transfers will be under an agreement which covers the EU requirements for the transfer of personal data outside the EU, such as the European Commission approved standard contractual clauses.  

The Institute will not share your data with other third parties, unless your application for employment is successful and it makes you an offer of employment. We will then share your data with former employers to obtain references for you. 

Data protection 

The Institute takes the security of your data seriously. It has 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 employees in the proper performance of their duties. Recruitment data is kept in a secure location with access restricted to relevant employees only. 

Data retention 

The Institute will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. 

If your job application for employment is unsuccessful, the Institute 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 object, your data will be deleted or destroyed. 

If your application for employment is successful, personal data gathered during the recruitment process will be transferred to your personnel file and retained during your employment. Further information on this will be provided to you in our employee privacy notice. 

Your rights in relation to your personal information 

As a data subject, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to your personal data. You have the right to: 

• request access to your personal data 

• request correction of the personal data that we hold about you 

• request erasure of your personal data 

• object to processing of your personal data where we are relying on a legitimate interest 

• request suspension of processing of your personal data 

• request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party 

• withdraw consent at any time where we are relying on consent to process your personal data. 

We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to exercise any of your rights. This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. 

We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. It may take longer if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated. 

You will not have to pay a fee to exercise any of these rights. However, we reserve the right to charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances. 

To exercise any of these rights, please contact data@instituteforgovernment.org.uk. If you believe that the Institute has not complied with your data protection rights, you can complain to the Information Commissioner.