Houston Recruiting Services Ltd. respects the privacy of individuals in all aspects of our business operations. We have a longstanding commitment to protecting the personal information of job seekers when providing services to our clients. Your personal information is only collected, used and disclosed by Houston Recruiting Services Ltd. in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Why Do We Collect Personal Information?
As a job seeker using Houston Recruiting Services Ltd.'s services, you are asked to provide certain pieces of information in order for us to provide you with the best possible service. In addition to your contact details, your resume, and a description of the type of work you are looking for, your file may include the following:
- Our interview notes.
- Information obtained through reference and background checks.
- Educational records.
- Reference letters.
- Skill testing results.
For temporary staffing arrangements, we also require the following:
- Information required to provide payroll services, including social insurance numbers, date of birth, banking details, tax deductions and vacation allowances.
We use your information to:
- Understand your qualifications, needs and preferences.
- Find the best job opportunities for you that will give you the job satisfaction you are looking for.
- Fulfill our clients requests for information about job candidates.
- Provide you with appropriate training or career transition services.
- Assess and develop our business and operations to better service job seekers and our clients.
- Provide payroll and other HR functions to you, for temporary staffing arrangements.
Houston Recruiting Services Ltd. never collects more personal information than is needed to fulfill these purposes, unless requested by the client and consented to by the job seeker.
When Do We Disclose Personal Information and To Whom?
Your personal information is never traded, sold or leased by us to any external companies. Your information is only disclosed for Houston Recruiting Services Ltd.'s legitimate business purposes or as required to meet legal and regulatory requirements, for example to comply with a court order.
In the normal course of business, we disclose your personal information to our clients when we feel there is a potential for a job placement. As a job seeker, you are relying on us to share such information. We only provide your information to employers if there is a job opening that is well-suited for you, and we only provide information required and requested to make an informed decision regarding a job candidate.
We may share information with our affiliates, partners, contractors or other companies (collectively "representatives") that we use to provide full staffing services. However, we only disclose limited information as required for the function that will be performed by the representative on our behalf. We also ensure that every contract we enter into with a representative clearly outlines the representative's obligation to protect your personal information and live up to the principles of privacy.
Examples of companies we may share your limited personal information with could include:
- Organizations that perform background checks including criminal, educational and credit checks as required by the client.
- An outsourced payroll service provider, for temporary staffing arrangements.
- Employee testing centers.
Have You Consented?
Having read this policy and by using our services and providing us with your personal information, we imply your consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as specified herein.
Wherever possible and when necessary, we obtain your express consent for particular uses and disclosures. For example, we obtain your express, written consent before releasing your information to a third party who provides background checks on potential employees.
We imply your consent if we feel we are using your personal information for purposes that are obvious to you. For example, if you list the names and phone numbers of your previous employers on your resume for reference checking purposes, we will not seek your express consent before checking these references.
How Long is Your Information Retained?
We retain your information as long as you are using our placement services, or longer if required by law. For temporary workers, that means we retain all your information as long as you remain on our payroll, and for seven years thereafter. For permanent placements, we retain your information for one year after you accept a permanent employment position.
How Do We Keep Your Personal Information Secure?
We have staff procedures and policies in place to ensure that your personal information in both paper and electronic format, are secure. For example, we require the following:
- Houston Recruiting Services Ltd. employees carry security cards to enter the premises after business hours, and all others are required to sign in.
- Filing cabinets remain locked at all times.
- Access to electronic and paper files is limited on a need-to-know basis depending on job function.
- Password selection criteria and expiry make unauthorized access more difficult.
- Staff training on the importance of privacy and security is undertaken regularly.
Through our website, you can provide information about yourself, such as your resume. To secure the transfer of such personal information, our web site host has obtained a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Server Certificate. Thus, personal information entered through our site is collected within a secure page, such that it is encrypted while being transferred to a password protected server equipped with an enterprise firewall. If you provide personal information to us via unencrypted e-mail you should be aware of the inherent risks of interception over which we have no control.
How Can You Access Your Personal Information and Check its Accuracy?
Houston Recruiting Services Ltd. relies on the information provided by you, as well as third parties such as those providing references, educational institutions or those conducting background checks. You may at any time make a written request for access to your personal information. Upon payment of a small administrative fee, we will provide you with a copy of the personal information we have on file.
Houston Recruiting Services Ltd. strives to maintain accurate records of your personal information; however this cannot be achieved without your help. In this ongoing effort, we ask you to provide us with your most up to date information. Write to the address below and let us know of any personal information you have given us in the past that is incomplete, inaccurate, or no longer relevant. It will be our pleasure to make appropriate modifications.
Contact Us With Any Questions Or Concerns
Houston Recruiting Services Ltd. takes full responsibility for the management and confidentiality of the personal information it collects. If you have any concerns about this policy, or feel that Houston Recruiting Services Ltd. is not abiding by it, please write to:
Kevin Branch,
Privacy Officer
Houston Recruiting Services Ltd.
100 - 28 Queen Elizabeth Way
Winnipeg MB R3L 2R1
email: kbranch@houstongrp.com