Privacy Policy

Candidate Recruitment Privacy Statement

Recruitment (‘Join Grow and Thrive’) - Hive Support Services Limited

 

1. Introduction

 

1.1 Hive Support Services Limited is committed to protecting your personal data and respecting your privacy throughout every stage of your recruitment process and candidate journey. This Statement explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you navigate the application, evaluation, and onboarding stages. We act as a joint Data Controller with our client companies for recruitment activities, a Data Controller for our internal recruitment, and a Data Processor for recruitment data handled across all associated entities under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

 

2. Who We Are

 

2.1 Hive Support Services Limited, Teme House, Whittington Hall, Whittington, Worcester, WR5 2RY, is the entity managing your candidate journey and processing your personal data. Our full company details are set out in our full Privacy Policy, available on request. Contact details for our Data Protection Officer (DPO) and Recruitment Operations lead are provided in clause 13 of this Statement.

 

3. What Data We Collect

 

3.1 We collect personal data across key stages of the candidate journey, including:

 

  • Basic Information: Name, address, phone number, email address.

  • Employment History: Past job titles, companies, dates, and responsibilities.

  • Educational Qualifications: Degrees, certifications, courses.

  • Skills and Experience: From CVs, cover letters, and interviews.

  • References: Information from previous employers.

  • Test Results: Scores from assessments.

  • Background Checks: Criminal history checks (DBS).

  • Special Category Data: Sensitive information like ethnic origin, religious beliefs (with your consent or where legally justified).

  • Within our recruitment application there is the facility for individuals who are applying for employment to build their own profile which includes an option for them to add their date of birth, but this is not a mandatory requirement.

 

4. How We Collect Information

 

4.1 We collect your data when you:

  • Fill in forms on our website.

  • Contact us by phone, email, or in person.

  • Register on our website or apply for jobs.

  • Use our services.

  • From sources like LinkedIn, job boards, and recommendations.

 

4.2 We also collect technical data via cookies on our website.

 

5. How We Use Your Data

 

5.1 We use your personal data across the recruitment lifecycle to:

 

  • Guide candidates through application, screening, and selection stages.

  • Process job applications.

  • Contact you about job opportunities.

  • Manage our business and legal obligations.

  • Improve our website and services.

  • Send relevant marketing information where appropriate.

 

6. Legal Basis for Processing 

 

6.1 Our processing of personal data is based on several lawful grounds, as required under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). These grounds include:

 

  • Performance of a Contract: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract. This includes processing to facilitate recruitment activities and placement of candidates.

  • Compliance with a Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the data controller is subject.

  • Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the data controller or by a third party, except where such Interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject 

  • Consent: In specific instances, we may rely on the data subject's consent for particular processing activities, especially when collecting and processing special category data."

 

7. Data Sharing

 

7.1 We may share your data with:

 

  • Our client companies (as joint Data Controllers).

  • Authorised internal hiring managers and recruitment facilitators.

  • Third-party service providers for specific services including our recruitment partner, Pineapple Recruitment, who may assist with finding suitable candidates and are given access to relevant data within the recruitment platform, Tribepad.

  • Legal authorities if required by law.

  • Potential buyers in the event of a business sale.

  • For individuals who are successfully hired, their onboarding data will be transferred to our main HR platform, WorkBee (provided by Dayforce), for the purpose of managing their employment.

 

7.2 We ensure third parties process your data in accordance with our instructions and UK data protection laws.

 

7.3 Please be aware that as you progress through the recruitment pipeline, you may receive communications (such as emails or calls) regarding application updates, interview scheduling, or offer details from the client company, Hive Support Services Limited, or our recruitment partner, Pineapple Recruitment.

 

8. Data Retention

 

8.1 We keep data only as long as necessary, following our client companies’ instructions and our internal data retention policies.  Data for unsuccessful candidates is generally retained for 12 months from the date of any inactivity.  For individuals who are hired, their onboarding data, once transferred to our main HR platform (WorkBee), will be retained for 7 years after the commencement of their employment.

 

9. Data Security

 

9.1 We have robust security measures to protect your data, including encryption, access controls, and staff training.

 

10. International Data Transfers

 

10.1 If we transfer data outside the UK/EEA, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place, such as UK-approved Standard Contractual Clauses.

 

11. Your Rights

 

11.1 Under UK GDPR, you have the rights, including:
 

  • Right to be informed

  • Right of access

  • Right to rectification

  • Right to erasure

  • Right to restrict processing

  • Right to data portability

  • Right to object

  • Rights in relation to Automated Decision Making and Profiling

 

11.2 To exercise these rights, contact our DPO at dpo@support-services.com  

 

12. Complaints

 

12.1 If you have a privacy complaint, please email  our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at dpo@support-services.com and if you remain dissatisfied please request from our DPO a complaint form which will be provided to you for onward submission to the relevant complaints team.  If you still remain unsatisfied with the response, you can refer the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) whose helpline number is 0303 123 1113

 

13. Contact Us

 

13.1 For questions about this statement or to exercise your rights, please contact either:


 

 

14. Changes to This Statement

 

14.1 We may update this statement. Changes will be documented and made available.

 

Disclaimer:  This Statement is a summary of our Privacy Policy and does not replace the full document, but it sets out the main points you need to be aware of.  The full Privacy Policy can be made available on request by contacting us as referred to in clause 13 above.