Recruitment Privacy Notice Template for England and Wales

When you're hiring new employees in England and Wales, you must provide job applicants with clear information about how you'll handle their personal data. A Recruitment Privacy Notice is your legal obligation under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, ensuring candidates understand exactly what happens to their information during the application process.

When do you need this document?

You need a Recruitment Privacy Notice whenever you collect personal information from job applicants. This includes online application forms, CV submissions, interview processes, background checks, and reference requests. Whether you're a small business hiring your first employee or a large corporation running multiple recruitment campaigns, this notice must be provided before or at the time you collect any personal data. It's also required when using recruitment agencies, as you remain responsible for ensuring candidates receive proper privacy information about how their data will be used.

Key legal considerations

Your notice must clearly identify your organization as the data controller and specify exactly what personal information you collect, from basic contact details to sensitive data like criminal record checks or health information for reasonable adjustments. You must explain your lawful basis for processing under UK GDPR, typically legitimate interests for general recruitment activities and legal compliance for right-to-work checks. The notice should detail how long you'll retain unsuccessful candidates' data and successful applicants' information as it transitions to employee records. You must also explain candidates' rights, including access, rectification, erasure, and the right to object to processing, along with clear contact information for exercising these rights.

Legal requirements in England and Wales

Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you must provide this notice in a concise, transparent, and easily accessible format using clear, plain language. The notice must be provided free of charge and be easily distinguishable from other information. For online applications, this typically means including the notice on your careers page or application portal. You must also comply with the Equality Act 2010 by explaining how you'll handle sensitive personal data related to protected characteristics, and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 regarding criminal record information. The Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 requires specific data processing for right-to-work verification, which must be clearly explained in your notice. If you use automated decision-making or profiling in your recruitment process, you must provide additional information about this processing and candidates' rights to human intervention.