SCOPE

This policy applies to all employees, candidates and clients of EQI Global.

This policy will be reviewed biennially.

OUR CANDIDATES

Our commitment to your privacy

We are committed to ensuring that the information we collect is kept secure. We respect and are committed to protecting your privacy and we will manage your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and this Privacy Policy. We will take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information from loss, unauthorised access or misuse.

The information we collect about you and its purpose:

We collect candidate information that is used for the purpose of recruitment and appointment including evaluating your qualifications, experience and suitability for an employment, contract of engagement or governance position. The information is provided by you when applying online via our website, via telephone or video call discussion, or in making an email or hard copy application.

In general we will use the personal information of our candidates to:

decide on a candidate’s employment application (or engagement), including verifying qualifications and experience with referees and third parties reference check a candidate
determine a candidate’s remuneration and other entitlements
correspond with a candidate
administer a candidate’s application for recruitment
determine a candidate’s development and training requirements
manage a candidate’s performance, including conducting performance reviews
provide assistance with disabilities on request
comply with legislative reporting and recordkeeping requirements
conduct benchmarking, analysis and quality assurance, including statistical and management reporting
any other lawful purpose connected with our functions and purposes.

Candidates who proceed to an initial interview with EQI Global and/or an interview with a client we are recruiting for are asked to complete an Applicant Declaration Form that asks for information including;

Name, address, contact telephone and email details.
Legal right to work in New Zealand.
Medical or other conditions that may impact their ability to perform in the role and what an employer can do to accommodate any special requirements.
Criminal convictions or charges pending.
Dismissal from a previous role or disciplinary proceedings.
Restraint of employment conditions.

This document also outlines how information will be stored and who it can be provided to. Candidates are asked to sign that the statements contained on the form are accurate and that they give approval to contact referees and conduct background checking.

Source of Personal Information

Where we collect personal information, we will only collect it from the individual concerned unless: lawful exceptions apply. These exceptions include collection where:

we can collect the information without prejudicing the individual’s interests;
our lawful purposes for collecting the information would otherwise be prejudiced;
the individual authorises us to collect the information from a third party;
the information is publicly available.

Disclosing and utilising your personal information:

We will not provide your personal information to any third party other than:

The client you have applied for a role with.
Any other client or group of clients within a specific area that you wish to be considered for a role with.
Trusted third parties that work on our behalf to undertake criminal, qualifications and credit checking, with your written permission.
Should we be required to by court order, subpoena or other legal processes as required by law.
In the case of an emergency.

By providing us with your private information or to access this information, you accept that you have given us that information with the expectation that we will provide this information to clients and third parties for the specific purpose of recruitment and/or appointment. You may restrict this provision to one specific employer, a group of named employers (or industries) or position type or specific position.

We do not authorise third parties to use or disclose your personal information except for the purpose of providing the service we request from them.

We request our clients and any third parties your information is provided to, to commit to protect the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We undertake that in providing your information to a third party or client, we will request that party to uphold the principles of the Privacy Act with regards your information.

We will retain your personal information for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected, being consideration for current and/or future employment opportunities, or for so long as we are required by law to retain it. Your information will be deleted from our records should you ask for this to occur.

Storage of personal candidate information:

Your personal information may be retained in hard copy within a secured office or facility whilst you are being considered for an active role. Outside that period, all information is stored electronically on a secure server.

Personal information as referred to above may include but not be limited to, the following:

Your CV, cover letter and any other information provided by you as part of the application or recruitment process.
An Applicant Declaration form as detailed herein.
Any evaluative material relating to your application and candidacy including consultant notes and referee check transcripts.
Academic transcripts.
Criminal checks.
Credit checks.
Consents and authorisations.

Access to information:

You are entitled to have access to relevant information retained by EQI Global (except for any exemption provided under the Privacy Act 2020 such as evaluative material) and to request correction of the information and/or request that there be attached to the information a statement relating to the fact that you have requested a correction.

We may refuse access to your private information if that information is evaluative material.

Evaluative material has a specific defined meaning in section 50 of the Privacy Act. The definition covers evaluative or opinion material that has been specifically obtained to:

determine whether someone should be employed, promoted, removed from employment, or
determine whether to give or cancel an award, scholarship, honour, contract or benefit, or
to decide whether to insure someone or renew an insurance policy, and
where that information is provided at your request in circumstances where it was stated or implied that the information was given or the identity of the person giving the information would be confidential.

In order to obtain evaluative material, we ensure that the information provided is kept confidential with it only being disseminated to the potential employer or designated receiver. As this promise of confidentiality is given (either express or implied) at the time the evaluative material is supplied, this is a recognised withholding ground in the Privacy Act (s 50).

The withholding ground allows us to refuse a request by you as a candidate for access to the evaluative material concerned, thus protecting the confidentiality of the evaluative material.

OUR CLIENTS

Our commitment to your privacy

We are committed to ensuring that the information we collect is kept secure. We respect and are committed to protecting your privacy and we will manage your confidential company information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and this Privacy Policy. We will take all reasonable steps to protect your confidential company information from loss, unauthorised access or misuse. This only applies to company information not publicly available.

The information we collect about you and its purpose:

We collect company information that is used for the purpose of promoting the client’s business, the role being recruited and/or enabling candidates to complete preliminary due diligence as part of the recruitment process. The information is provided by the client.

Disclosing your confidential company information:

We will not provide your confidential company information to any candidate without your permission. When that information is provided this may be done, at your request, under the terms of a signed non-disclosure agreement. We request candidates to commit to protect the security and confidentiality of your company information. Confidential company information is deemed to mean any information not publicly available.

Storage of confidential company information:

Your confidential company information may be retained in hard copy within a secure office or facility or electronically on a secure server.

Confidential company information as referred to above may include but not be limited to, the following:

Organisational structure, current or proposed.
Confidential financial, strategic or marketing information.
Any other confidential documentation provided, eg Annual Reports.

Access to information:

This document was prepared on: 1 December 2020