Privacy Policy

Policy Reference: ZB674491

1. Introduction

At Fortiva, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. As a talent acquisition and advisory partner specialising in the construction and engineering sectors, we collect, process, and store personal data as part of our recruitment services. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal data, your privacy rights, and how the law protects you.

This policy complies with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).

2. Who We Are

Fortiva acts as a Data Controller when processing your personal data. This means we are responsible for determining how and why personal data is used in the recruitment process.

3. Personal Data We Collect

We collect the following types of personal data from candidates, clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders involved in our recruitment services:

Candidate Data:
Name, contact details (address, email, phone number), CVs, job history, qualifications, right to work information, salary expectations, references, and interview notes.
Client Data:
Business contact details, contracts, and information about roles we are helping to fill.
Supplier Data:
Contact details and business information necessary to manage our supplier relationships.
Website Data:
Data collected from cookies, IP addresses, and browser details when you visit our website (see Section 10 for more information on cookies).

We may also collect sensitive personal data (e.g., health information, criminal record checks) where necessary and only with your explicit consent or as required by law.

4. How We Collect Personal Data

We collect personal data through various methods, including:

Directly from You:
When you apply for a role, submit your CV, complete forms, or communicate with us by phone, email, or in person.
Public Sources:
LinkedIn, job boards, or other publicly available sources.
Third Parties:
References, previous employers, or clients who provide feedback or information as part of the recruitment process.

5. How We Use Your Personal Data

We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. The main purposes for which we use your data include:

Recruitment Services:
To match candidates to job opportunities, evaluate qualifications, communicate with candidates and clients, and facilitate interviews and job placements.
Client Relationships:
To fulfil our contractual obligations to clients and provide recruitment solutions tailored to their needs.
Legal and Regulatory Compliance:
To comply with employment, tax, and immigration laws, or to respond to legal claims or requests from authorities.
Marketing Communications:
With your consent, we may send you job alerts, newsletters, and industry insights related to your job search.

6. Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases, as permitted by the UK GDPR:

Consent:
When you have given us clear consent to process your data for specific purposes, such as receiving marketing communications or being considered for roles.
Legitimate Interests:
When it is necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g., to deliver recruitment services), provided that your rights and freedoms are not overridden.
Contractual Necessity:
When processing is required to fulfil a contract, such as providing recruitment services to a client.
Legal Obligation:
When we are required to process data to comply with UK laws, such as employment or immigration regulations.

7. Sharing Your Personal Data

We may share your personal data with:

Clients:
When presenting you as a candidate for a role or as part of a recruitment assignment.
Service Providers:
Third-party suppliers who assist us with our business operations, such as cloud storage providers, background check services, or payroll providers.
Legal or Regulatory Authorities:
If required by law or to protect the rights, property, or safety of Fortiva or others.

We ensure that any third parties with whom we share personal data comply with applicable data protection laws and implement appropriate security measures.

8. International Data Transfers

As a UK-based company, we primarily process personal data within the UK. However, in some cases, we may transfer your data to countries outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA) where our clients or service providers are based.

When we transfer data outside the UK or EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data, such as standard contractual clauses approved by the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

9. Data Security

We are committed to ensuring the security of your personal data. We have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect data from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. This includes:

Data Encryption:
Encrypting personal data both in transit and at rest.
Access Controls:
Limiting access to personal data to only those who need it for legitimate purposes.
Regular Audits:
Conducting regular reviews of our data protection and security measures to ensure compliance.

10. Data Retention

We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including meeting legal or contractual requirements. The retention periods may vary depending on the type of data, such as:

Candidate Data:
We will retain your data for 7 years after the last contact or job placement, unless you request earlier deletion.
Client and Supplier Data:
Retained for as long as necessary to maintain the business relationship and comply with legal obligations.

Once the retention period has expired, we will securely delete or anonymise your personal data.

11. Your Data Protection Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights concerning your personal data:

Right to Access:
You can request a copy of your personal data that we hold and check that we are processing it lawfully.
Right to Rectification:
You can ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
Right to Erasure:
You can request that we delete your personal data where it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or where you have withdrawn consent.
Right to Restriction: You can request the restriction of processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to Data Portability:
You can request the transfer of your personal data to another organisation, in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
Right to Object:
You can object to the processing of your personal data where we are relying on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our DPO at info@fortiva.co.uk and we will respond to all requests within one month.

12. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website uses cookies to improve user experience and analyse site traffic. Cookies are small text files placed on your device that collect information about your browsing habits.

We use the following types of cookies:

Necessary Cookies:
Essential for the functioning of the website.
Analytical Cookies:
To track visitor behaviour and improve website performance.
Marketing Cookies:
To provide personalised job alerts and promotions.

You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. We will notify you of any significant changes through our website or via email.

14. Complaints

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal data, please contact our DPO at Fortiva. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection issues:

Website: https://ico.org.uk

Phone: +44 (0) 303 123 1113

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us at:

Email: info@fortiva.co.uk

Phone: +44 (0) 333 305 8816

Address: Unit 3, Building 2, The Colony, Wilmslow, SK9 4LY.