Recruitment Privacy Notice
Scope of privacy notice
Like most businesses, Symmetry Investments Group (i.e. Symmetry Investments LP, Symmetry Investments (Hong Kong) Limited and Symmetry Investments UK LLP) hold and process a wide range of information, some of which relates to individuals who are applying to work for us. This notice explains the type of information we process, why we are processing it and how that processing may affect you.
The notice focuses on individuals who are applying to work for us and the data we process as part of that process. We have a separate Workplace Privacy Notice that applies to our current and former employees.
This notice is set out in this document (the Core Notice) and the Supplementary Information in the Annex 1 to this document.
In the Supplementary Information, we explain what we mean by “personal data”, “processing”, “sensitive personal data” in What do we mean by “personal data” and “processing”.
In brief, this notice explains:
- what personal data we hold and why we process it;
- the legal grounds which allow us to process your personal data;
- where the data comes from, who gets to see it and how long we keep it;
- how to access your personal data and other rights;
- how to contact us.
Personal data – what we hold and why we process it
We process data for the purposes of our business including recruitment, management, administrative, employment and legal purposes. The Supplementary Information provides more specific information on these purposes, on the type of data that may be processed and on the grounds on which we process data. See Legal grounds for processing personal data and Further information on the data we process and our purposes .
Where the data comes from and who gets to see it
Some of the personal data that we process about you comes from you. For example, you tell us your contact details and work history as part of the recruitment process. If you are joining us, you may provide your banking details.
Other personal data may come from third parties such as recruiters acting on your behalf or from your references.
Your personal data will be seen internally by managers, HR and, in some circumstances (if you join us) colleagues. We will where necessary and as set out in this privacy notice also pass your data outside the organisation, for example to people you are dealing with and background checking agencies.
Further information on this is provided in the Supplementary Information. See Where the data comes from and Who gets to see your data?
How long do we keep your personal data?
We do not keep your personal data for any specific period but will not keep it for longer than is necessary for our purposes. In general, if you become employed by us we will keep your personal data for the duration of your employment and for a period afterwards. If you are unsuccessful in gaining employment with us, we will likely keep your personal data for a short period after informing you that you were unsuccessful.
See Retaining your personal data – more information in the Supplementary Information.
Transfers of personal data outside the EEA
We may transfer your personal data outside the EEA to members of our group and where necessary to third parties such as referees whose details you have provided us with.
Further information on these transfers and the measures taken to safeguard your personal data are set out in the Supplementary Information under Transfers of personal data outside the EEA – more information.
Your data rights
You have a right to make a subject access request to receive information about the data that we process about you. Further information on this and on other rights is in the Supplementary Information under Access to your personal data and other rights . We also explain how to make a complaint about our processing of your data.
Contact details
In processing your personal data, we act as a data controller. Our contact details are as follows:
compliance@symmetryinvestments.com
Status of this notice
This notice does not form part of any contract of employment you might enter into and does not create contractual rights or obligations. It may be amended by us at any time. Nothing in this notice is intended to create an employment relationship between us and any non-employee.
Annex 1: Supplementary information
What do we mean by “personal data” and “processing”?
“Personal data” is information relating to you (or from which you may be identified) which is processed by automatic means or which is (or is intended to be) part of a structured manual filing system. It includes not only facts about you, but also intentions and opinions about you.
Data “processed automatically” includes information held on, or relating to use of, a computer, laptop, mobile phone or similar device. It covers data derived from equipment such as access passes within a building, data on use of vehicles and sound and image data such as CCTV or photographs.
“Processing” means doing anything with the data. For example, it includes collecting it, holding it, disclosing it and deleting it.
Personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, health, sexual orientation, sex life, trade union membership and genetic and biometric data are subject to special protection and considered by EU privacy law to be “sensitive personal data”.
References in this notice to employment, work (and similar expressions) include any arrangement we may have under which an individual provides us with work or services, or applies for such work or services. By way of example, when we mention an “employment contract”, that includes a contract under which you provide us with services; when we refer to ending your potential employment, that includes terminating a contract for services. We use the word “you” to refer to anyone within the scope of the notice.
Legal grounds for processing personal data
What are the grounds for processing?
Under data protection law, there are various grounds on which we can rely when processing your personal data. In some contexts more than one ground applies. We have summarised these grounds as Contract, Legal obligation, Legitimate Interests and Consent and outline what those terms mean in the following table.
Term | Ground for processing | Explanation |
Contract | Processing necessary for performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request to enter a contract | This covers carrying out our contractual duties and exercising our contractual rights. |
Legal obligation | Processing necessary to comply with our legal obligations | Ensuring we perform our legal and regulatory obligations. For example, providing a safe place of work and avoiding unlawful discrimination. |
Legitimate Interests | Processing necessary for our or a third party’s legitimate interests | We or a third party have legitimate interests in carrying on, managing and administering our respective businesses effectively and properly and in connection with those interests processing your data. Your data will not be processed on this basis if our or a third party’s interests are overridden by your own interests, rights and freedoms. |
Consent | You have given specific consent to processing your data | In general processing of your data in connection with employment is not conditional on your consent. But there may be occasions where we do specific things such as provide a reference and rely on your consent to our doing so. |
Processing sensitive personal data
If we process sensitive personal data about you (for example (but without limitation), processing your health records to assist us in ensuring that we provide you with reasonable adjustments during any recruitment process), as well as ensuring that one of the grounds for processing mentioned above applies, we will make sure that one or more of the grounds for processing sensitive personal data applies. In outline, these include:
- Processing being necessary for the purposes of your or our obligations and rights in relation to employment in so far as it is authorised by law or collective agreement;
- Processing relating to data about you that you have made public (e.g. if you have told us you are ill);
- Processing being necessary for the purpose of establishing, making or defending legal claims;
- Processing being necessary to provide any necessary reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process.
Further information on the data we process and our purposes
The Core Notice outlines the purposes for which we process your personal data. More specific information on these, examples of the data and the grounds on which we process data are in the table below.
The examples in the table cannot, of course, be exhaustive. For example, although the table does not mention data relating to criminal offences, if we were to find out that someone applying to work for us was suspected of committing a criminal offence, we might process that information if relevant for our purposes. If necessary we will also require criminal background checks for certain roles – for example those working in financial roles or with minors.
Purpose | Examples of personal data that may be processed | Grounds for processing |
Recruitment | Standard data related to your identity (e.g. your name, address, email address, ID information and documents, telephone numbers, place of birth, nationality, contact details,) professional experience and education (including university degrees, academic records, professional licenses, memberships and certifications, awards and achievements, and current and previous employment details), financial information (including current salary information) language skills, and any other personal data that you present us with as part of your application related to the fulfilment of the role. Information concerning your application and our assessment of it, your references, any checks we may make to verify information provided or background checks and any information connected with your right to work. We may record any interview that you have in order to share it with decision makers who are unable to attend in person or for internal training purposes. Where an interview is recorded, this will be made clear to you and will only be recorded with your agreement, If necessary, we will also process information concerning your health, any disability and in connection with any adjustments to working arrangements. Please note also that we may process your personal data in relation to an application for one job, in relation to an application for another job for which we feel you may be suitable. | Contract Legal obligation Legitimate interests |
Administering our recruitment process | Evaluating your experience and qualifications against the requirements of the position you are applying for. Administering our online careers portal, which may include the processing of your IP address by third party platform providers. Communicating with you in respect of any offer of employment we choose to make and providing you with information about our onboarding process. | Contract Legal obligation Legitimate interests |
Entering into a contract with you (if you are made an offer by us) | Information on your terms of employment from time to time including your hours and working patterns, your pay and benefits, such as your participation in pension arrangements, life and medical insurance; and any bonus or share schemes.
| Contract Legal obligation Legitimate interests |
Contacting others for the purpose of recruitment | For the purpose of confirming your qualifications and your academic status and career history with educational institutions and former employers, verifying institutional memberships and searching publicly available records to confirm your identity, address, qualifications, career history and any criminal record. Searches of publicly available archives and news records will also be carried out for information relating to you as well as bankruptcy searches and court judgements. | Contract Legitimate interests |
Financial planning and budgeting | Information such as your proposed salary and (if applicable) envisaged bonus levels. | Legitimate interests |
Physical and system security | CCTV images upon attendance for interview at our premises.
| Legal obligation Legitimate interests |
Providing information to third parties in connection with transactions that we contemplate or carry out | Information on any offer made to you and your proposed contract and other employment data that may be required by a party to a transaction such as a prospective purchaser, seller or outsourcer. | Legitimate interests |
Monitoring of diversity and equal opportunities | Information on your nationality, racial and ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability and age as part of diversity monitoring initiatives. Such data will aggregated and used for equality of opportunity monitoring purposes. Please note we may share aggregated and anonymized diversity statistics with regulators if formally required / requested. | Legitimate interests |
Disputes and legal proceedings | Any information relevant or potentially relevant to a dispute or legal proceeding affecting us. | Legitimate interests Legal obligation |
You will not be subject to decisions that will have a significant impact on you based solely on automated decision-making.
Please note that if you accept an offer from us the business will process further information as part of the employment relationship. We will provide you with our full Workplace Privacy Notice as part of the on-boarding process.
Where the data comes from
When you apply to work for us the initial data about you that we process is likely to come from you: for example, contact details, information on your immigration status and whether you can lawfully work. Where necessary and in accordance with this privacy notice, we will require references and information to carry out background checks. If you have concerns about this in a particular context, you should speak to your recruiter or our HR department.
Please note we may also receive data from third party recruiters, agents and similar organisations as a part of the recruitment process.
Who gets to see your data?
Internal use
Where necessary and as set out this privacy notice, your personal data will be disclosed to relevant managers, HR and administrators for the purposes of your application as mentioned in this document. We will also disclose this to other members of our group where necessary for decision making regarding your application – this will depend on the type of role you are applying for.
External use
We will only disclose your personal data outside the group if disclosure is consistent with a ground for processing on which we rely and doing so is lawful and fair to you.
We will disclose your data if it is necessary for our legitimate interests as an organisation or the interests of a third party (but we will not do this if these interests are over-ridden by your interests and rights in particular to privacy). Where necessary, we will also disclose your personal data if you consent, where we are required to do so by law and in connection with criminal or regulatory investigations.
Specific circumstances in which your personal data may be disclosed include:
- Disclosure to organisations that process data on our behalf such as our payroll service, insurers and other benefit providers, our bank and organisations that host our IT systems and data. This would normally occur if you accept an offer from us and would be carried out as part of the on-boarding process;
- To third party recruitment consultants and similar businesses (including online recruitment portals) as a part of the recruitment process.
Retaining your personal data – more information
Although there is no specific period for which we will keep your personal data, we will not keep it for longer than is necessary for our purposes. In general if you are successful in becoming employed by us, we will keep your personal data for the duration of your employment and for a period afterwards. If you are unsuccessful in gaining employment with us, we will likely keep your personal data for a short period after informing you that you were unsuccessful. In considering how long to keep your data, we will take into account its relevance to our business and your potential employment either as a record or in the event of a legal claim.
If your data is only useful for a short period (for example, CCTV footage data) we will delete it.
Personal data relating to job applicants (other than the person who is successful) will normally be deleted within 12-24 months.
Transfers of personal data outside the EEA – more information
In connection with our business and for employment, administrative, management and legal purposes, we may transfer your personal data outside the EEA to members of our group and processors in Hong Kong, Singapore or the Cayman Islands. We will ensure that the transfer is lawful and that there are appropriate security arrangements.
Access to your personal data and other rights
We try to be as open as we reasonably can about personal data that we process. If you would like specific information, just ask us.
You also have a legal right to make a “subject access request”. If you exercise this right and we hold personal data about you, we are required to provide you with information on it, including:
- Giving you a description and copy of the personal data
- Telling you why we are processing it
If you make a subject access request and there is any question about who you are, we may require you to provide information from which we can satisfy ourselves as to your identity.
As well as your subject access right, you may have a legal right to have your personal data rectified or erased, to object to its processing or to have its processing restricted. If you have provided us with data about yourself (for example your address or bank details), you have the right to be given the data in machine readable format for transmitting to another data controller. This only applies if the ground for processing is Consent or Contract.
If we have relied on consent as a ground for processing, you may withdraw consent at any time – though if you do so that will not affect the lawfulness of what we have done before you withdraw consent.
Complaints
If you have complaints relating to our processing of your personal data, you should raise these with HR in the first instance or email compliance@symmetryinvestments.com. You may also raise complaints with your statutory regulator. For contact and other details please contact our Human Resources department.
Status of this notice
This notice does not form part of any contract of employment that you may enter into with us and does not create contractual rights or obligations. It may be amended by us at any time. Nothing in this notice is intended to create an employment relationship between us and any non-employee.