How we handle your information when you apply for a job with us
This notice explains what we do with the personal information we collect about you when you apply for a role at Equipple. It applies to everyone who applies to us, whether directly, through an agency, or on a speculative basis.
Our main privacy policy covers people who use our website and our products. It does not cover job applicants. This notice does.
Who we are
Equipple Ltd (company number NI705150), 14 Old Grand Jury Road, Saintfield, BT24 7JD, is the data controller for your application. That means we decide how and why your information is used, and we are responsible for looking after it.
Our Data Protection Officer can be contacted at privacy@equipple.com. If you have a question about anything in this notice, that is the address to use.
What information we collect
Information you give us
- Your name, address, email address and telephone number.
- Your CV and, if you send one, your cover letter.
- Your employment history, education and qualifications.
- Details of your right to work in the UK.
- Your salary expectations, notice period and availability.
- The names and contact details of your referees.
- Anything else you choose to tell us during the process.
Information we create
- Interview notes, assessment scores and our record of the selection decision.
- Correspondence between us about your application.
Information from other people
- References from the referees you name. We only approach them once we have made you a conditional offer, and we will tell you before we do.
- Confirmation of qualifications, where the role requires it.
- Publicly available professional information, such as a LinkedIn profile, where it is relevant to the role.
More sensitive information
Some information needs extra protection under data protection law. We handle two kinds:
- Health information, but only what you choose to tell us so that we can make adjustments for you during the recruitment process. We do not ask about your health more generally, and it plays no part in the selection decision.
- Equal opportunities monitoring information, which we ask for separately from your application. Answering is voluntary. The information is separated from your application, the people making the selection decision do not see it, and it is used only to check that our recruitment is fair.
We do not carry out criminal record checks for this role, and we do not ask you about criminal convictions.
Why we use your information, and our lawful basis
Data protection law requires us to have a valid reason for using your information. Ours are set out below.
| What we use it for | Information used | Our lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| Assessing your application and deciding whether to shortlist and interview you | Application, CV, employment history, qualifications | Taking steps at your request before entering into a contract; our legitimate interest in recruiting suitable people |
| Communicating with you about your application and arranging interviews | Contact details, correspondence | Taking steps at your request before entering into a contract |
| Recording interview notes, scores and the selection decision | Interview notes, assessments | Our legitimate interest in making and being able to justify fair selection decisions |
| Checking your right to work in the UK | Right to work documents | Complying with a legal obligation |
| Taking up references and verifying qualifications | Referee details, references, qualification records | Taking steps at your request before entering into a contract; our legitimate interest in verifying what we are told |
| Making adjustments to the recruitment process | Health information you give us | Complying with our legal obligations in employment, and the employment condition in Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018 |
| Monitoring equality of opportunity | Monitoring information, provided voluntarily | Our legal obligations and the equality of opportunity condition in Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018 |
| Keeping your details on file for future roles | Application and contact details | Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
| Defending a legal claim, if one is brought | Whatever is relevant to the claim | Our legitimate interest in establishing and defending legal claims |
Automated decision-making
We do not use automated decision-making or profiling to sift or score applications. Every application is read and assessed by a person. We do not use AI tools to screen candidates or to rank applicants.
Who sees your information
Your application is seen by the small number of people at Equipple involved in the recruitment decision. Beyond that, it may be shared with:
- Our external HR advisers, who support us with recruitment and employment matters.
- Our IT and software providers, including the providers of our website, application form, email and document storage, who host the information on our behalf under contract.
- The referees you name, once you have given us their details and we have made a conditional offer.
- Our payroll and pension providers, but only if you are appointed.
We do not sell your information, and we do not share it with anyone else without telling you, unless we are legally required to.
Sending information outside the UK
Some of our software providers are based outside the UK, which means your information may be transferred and stored there. Where that happens we make sure appropriate safeguards are in place — either the country has been formally recognised as offering adequate protection, or we rely on approved contract terms such as the International Data Transfer Agreement or Standard Contractual Clauses, or a recognised certification such as the UK-US Data Privacy Framework.
If you would like details of the safeguards that apply, email privacy@equipple.com.
How long we keep it
- If your application is unsuccessful, we keep it for six months after we tell you our decision, then delete it. We keep it that long so we can respond if you ask us for feedback, and so we can deal with any complaint or claim about the recruitment process.
- If you ask us to keep you in mind for future roles, we keep your details for twelve months from the date you agree. You can ask us to remove them sooner at any time.
- If you are appointed, the relevant information transfers to your employee file and is kept in line with our employee data retention arrangements, which we will explain when you join.
- Equal opportunities monitoring information is separated from your application, held in aggregate, and does not identify you.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- Ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Ask us to correct anything that is inaccurate or incomplete.
- Ask us to delete your information, where there is no good reason for us to keep it.
- Object to us using it, where we are relying on our legitimate interests.
- Ask us to restrict how we use it while a question about it is resolved.
- Ask us to transfer information you gave us to you or to someone else, in a machine-readable format.
- Withdraw your consent, where we are relying on it — for example, keeping you on file for future roles.
To exercise any of these, email privacy@equipple.com. We will respond within one month. There is no charge.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please tell us first so we have a chance to put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at ico.org.uk, or by calling 0303 123 1113.
What happens if you do not provide information
You are not obliged to give us any of this information. But if you do not give us what we need to assess your application — your CV and employment history, for example — we will not be able to consider it. If you are appointed and cannot provide evidence of your right to work in the UK, we will not be able to employ you.
Changes to this notice
We review this notice at least once a year. This version was issued in August 2026 and is next due for review in August 2027. If we make significant changes, we will update this page.