Privacy Policy

1.1This Privacy Policy explains how North Workforce Connect collects, holds, uses and discloses personal information in connection with:

1. (a)candidates and prospective candidates;
2. (b)employers and prospective employers;
3. (c)referees and referral partners;
4. (d)suppliers and service providers;
5. (e)users of the Website; and
6. (f)other persons who contact or deal with us.

1.2North Workforce Connect handles personal information in accordance with applicable privacy laws, including the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles to the extent that they apply.

1.3A person who provides personal information about another individual must:

1. (a)be authorised to provide that information;
2. (b)inform the individual that the information will be provided to North Workforce Connect; and
3. (c)make this Privacy Policy available to that individual.

In this Privacy Policy:

Candidate means a person who contacts, registers with or is referred to North Workforce Connect in connection with a potential employment opportunity.

Employer means an organisation that contacts or engages North Workforce Connect in connection with recruitment services.

Personal information means information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether or not the information is true and whether or not it is recorded in a material form.

Sensitive information includes health information, criminal history, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, sexual orientation, trade union or professional association membership and other information defined as sensitive information under applicable privacy law.

North Workforce Connect may collect:

1. (a)name, address, email address, telephone number and preferred contact method;
2. (b)résumé, cover letter and employment application information;
3. (c)education, qualifications, licences, registrations and professional memberships;
4. (d)employment history, experience, skills and career interests;
5. (e)preferred roles, sectors, locations, hours, salary expectations and availability;
6. (f)information about work rights or visa status where relevant;
7. (g)interview notes, readiness assessments and information about workplace expectations;
8. (h)information provided during résumé refinement or interview preparation;
9. (i)referee details and information provided by authorised referees;
10. (j)feedback from interviews, Employers and post-placement check-ins;
11. (k)information about employment offers and Placements; and
12. (l)complaints, incidents or other communications connected with our services.

North Workforce Connect may collect:

1. (a)names, positions and business contact details;
2. (b)business names, addresses, ABNs, ACNs and related corporate information;
3. (c)information about vacancies, organisational needs and workplace culture;
4. (d)position descriptions, remuneration, hours, location and role requirements;
5. (e)candidate feedback and recruitment decisions;
6. (f)information about interviews, offers, Placements and onboarding;
7. (g)information provided during initial-week, 30-day and 60-day check-ins; and
8. (h)agreements, invoices, payment records and related communications.

North Workforce Connect may collect:

1. (a)names, positions and contact details;
2. (b)information about the relationship with a Candidate;
3. (c)references provided with the Candidate’s authority;
4. (d)referral information and evidence of consent; and
5. (e)information concerning referral commissions and payments.

When a person uses the Website or contacts North Workforce Connect electronically, we may collect:

1. (a)information submitted through the Website contact form;
2. (b)IP address and approximate location;
3. (c)browser, device and operating-system information;
4. (d)pages viewed, links selected and time spent on the Website;
5. (e)dates and times of access;
6. (f)the website or platform from which the user was referred; and
7. (g)cookies, analytics and similar technology data.

North Workforce Connect may collect invoice information, payment amounts, transaction references and payment status.

If payment information is processed by a third-party payment provider, that provider may collect bank-account or card details under its own terms and privacy policy. North Workforce Connect does not ordinarily retain complete payment-card details.

4.1North Workforce Connect does not intentionally collect Sensitive Information unless it is reasonably necessary for a recruitment purpose and the collection is lawful.

4.2Sensitive Information may include:

1. (a)health or medical information relevant to the inherent requirements of a role or a requested workplace adjustment;
2. (b)criminal-history information where a check is lawful and relevant;
3. (c)working-with-children or similar screening information; and
4. (d)professional or trade association membership.

4.3North Workforce Connect will only collect Sensitive Information:

1. (a)with the individual’s consent, where required; or
2. (b)where collection is otherwise required or authorised by law.

4.4Candidates should not provide Sensitive Information unless it has been requested and is relevant to a proposed role.

5.1North Workforce Connect may collect personal information:

1. (a)directly through the Website contact form;
2. (b)during telephone calls, emails, meetings or interviews;
3. (c)through résumés, applications and supporting documents;
4. (d)through SEEK, Jora, LinkedIn, Indeed and other recruitment or professional platforms;
5. (e)from authorised referees;
6. (f)from Employers and prospective Employers;
7. (g)from referrers who confirm that the Candidate consented to the referral;
8. (h)through university contacts, the Northern Study Hub, libraries and community or professional networks;
9. (i)from publicly available professional or business sources; and
10. (j)automatically through cookies and Website analytics, where used.

5.2Where lawful and practicable, a person may contact North Workforce Connect anonymously or using a pseudonym. This may not be practicable where North Workforce Connect needs to assess or introduce a Candidate, verify identity or enter into an agreement.

5.3If requested information is not provided, North Workforce Connect may be unable to:

1. (a)respond to an enquiry;
2. (b)assess or register a Candidate;
3. (c)discuss or identify suitable opportunities;
4. (d)introduce a Candidate to an Employer;
5. (e)verify qualifications, references or work rights;
6. (f)provide recruitment services to an Employer; or
7. (g)administer a Placement or referral arrangement.

North Workforce Connect may collect, hold, use and disclose personal information to:

1. (a)respond to enquiries submitted through the Website, by telephone or by email;
2. (b)understand a Candidate’s interests, career goals, qualifications and experience;
3. (c)provide recruitment-linked readiness assistance, including light-touch résumé refinement and interview preparation;
4. (d)understand an Employer’s organisation, vacancy and workforce requirements;
5. (e)source, assess and shortlist Candidates;
6. (f)match Candidates with potentially suitable permanent employment opportunities;
7. (g)obtain consent to introduce a Candidate to an Employer;
8. (h)arrange interviews, assessments and lawful Trials;
9. (i)obtain references and verify information where authorised;
10. (j)coordinate employment offers and onboarding;
11. (k)conduct initial-week, 30-day and 60-day post-placement check-ins;
12. (l)obtain and communicate practical feedback concerning a Placement;
13. (m)administer Employer, Candidate and referral agreements;
14. (n)issue invoices and administer payments or referral commissions;
15. (o)manage complaints, disputes, incidents and insurance matters;
16. (p)operate, secure and improve the Website and recruitment services;
17. (q)prevent fraud, misuse and cybersecurity incidents;
18. (r)send marketing or service communications where permitted by law;
19. (s)comply with legal, taxation, insurance and record-keeping obligations; and
20. (t)establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

North Workforce Connect will only use or disclose personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, a related purpose that the individual would reasonably expect, with consent, or as otherwise required or authorised by law.

7.1North Workforce Connect may disclose relevant Candidate information to a prospective Employer for recruitment purposes.

7.2Unless a Candidate has provided a broader written authority, North Workforce Connect will ordinarily obtain the Candidate’s consent before disclosing the Candidate’s identity or résumé to a particular prospective Employer.

7.3Information disclosed to an Employer may include:

1. (a)the Candidate’s name and contact details;
2. (b)résumé and cover letter;
3. (c)qualifications, licences, skills and employment history;
4. (d)availability, employment preferences and salary expectations;
5. (e)information obtained through interviews or assessments; and
6. (f)reference or verification information that may lawfully be disclosed.

7.4An Employer receiving Candidate information is responsible for handling it in accordance with its own privacy obligations.

7.5North Workforce Connect does not control an Employer’s independent privacy, recruitment or employment practices.

8.1North Workforce Connect will not ordinarily contact a Candidate’s current Employer without the Candidate’s specific consent.

8.2North Workforce Connect may contact referees nominated or approved by the Candidate.

8.3North Workforce Connect or an Employer may request identity, qualification, work-right, police, working-with-children or other checks where relevant and lawful.

8.4Where consent is required for a check, the check will not be undertaken by North Workforce Connect without that consent.

North Workforce Connect may disclose personal information to:

1. (a)prospective and actual Employers;
2. (b)authorised referees and referral partners;
3. (c)SEEK, Jora, LinkedIn and other recruitment or professional platforms;
4. (d)identity, qualification, work-right and background-check providers;
5. (e)IT, cloud-hosting, email, website, cybersecurity and customer-management providers;
6. (f)payment processors and financial institutions;
7. (g)accountants, auditors, lawyers, insurers and other professional advisers;
8. (h)regulators, courts, government agencies and law-enforcement bodies where required or authorised by law;
9. (i)persons involved in investigating an actual or suspected unlawful act, data breach or security incident; and
10. (j)a prospective purchaser and its advisers in connection with a sale or restructuring of North Workforce Connect, subject to appropriate confidentiality protections.

North Workforce Connect does not sell Candidate information to third parties.

10.1Some recruitment platforms, cloud providers, email providers and other technology services may store or process personal information outside Australia.

10.2The countries involved depend on the service providers used and may include the United States.

10.3Where required by law, North Workforce Connect will take reasonable steps to ensure that an overseas recipient handles personal information consistently with applicable Australian privacy requirements.

10.4Current information concerning likely overseas disclosures is available on request.

11.1North Workforce Connect takes reasonable administrative, technical and physical steps to protect personal information from:

1. (a)misuse, interference and loss; and
2. (b)unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

11.2These measures may include:

1. (a)password and access controls;
2. (b)multi-factor authentication where available;
3. (c)reputable cloud and technology providers;
4. (d)encryption where appropriate;
5. (e)software updates and malware protection;
6. (f)secure storage and disposal procedures; and
7. (g)cybersecurity and incident-response procedures.

11.3No electronic storage or transmission system is completely secure. Highly sensitive documents should not be sent through an unsecured channel unless North Workforce Connect has requested them and an appropriate transmission method has been agreed.

11.4If a data breach occurs, North Workforce Connect will investigate and, where required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme, notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

12.1North Workforce Connect retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for its recruitment, business and legal purposes.

12.2The applicable period may depend on:

1. (a)whether a Candidate wishes to be considered for future opportunities;
2. (b)whether an Employer relationship or Placement occurred;
3. (c)contractual, taxation, insurance and limitation-period requirements; and
4. (d)whether a complaint, dispute, investigation or legal claim exists.

12.3Unless a longer period is required by law or agreed with the Candidate, information about an unsuccessful Candidate will generally be retained for 24 months after the Candidate’s last meaningful interaction with North Workforce Connect.

12.4A Candidate may ask North Workforce Connect to stop considering the Candidate for future opportunities.

12.5When personal information is no longer required, North Workforce Connect will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it, subject to legal record-keeping obligations and routine system backups.

13.1An individual may request access to personal information held about them or ask North Workforce Connect to correct inaccurate, incomplete or out-of-date information.

13.2North Workforce Connect may require reasonable evidence of identity before processing a request.

13.3North Workforce Connect will respond within a reasonable period.

13.4Access may be refused where permitted by law. If access is refused, North Workforce Connect will ordinarily give written reasons.

13.5Requests may be made using the contact details in clause 20.

14.1The Website may use cookies, analytics and similar technologies to:

1. (a)operate Website functions;
2. (b)remember user preferences;
3. (c)understand Website traffic and usage;
4. (d)improve content and performance;
5. (e)detect security threats and misuse; and
6. (f)measure advertising or campaign performance.

14.2If Google Analytics or another analytics provider is used, that provider may collect IP address, device, browser and Website usage information.

14.3If advertising or remarketing tools are used, platforms such as Google, LinkedIn or Meta may use cookies or pixels to measure advertising or display relevant content.

14.4Users may manage or block cookies through their browser or device settings. Blocking cookies may affect Website functionality.

15.1North Workforce Connect may send information about recruitment services, employment opportunities, events and business updates where:

1. (a)the recipient has consented;
2. (b)the recipient would reasonably expect the communication; or
3. (c)the communication is otherwise permitted by law.

15.2Marketing communications will be sent in accordance with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) and applicable telemarketing laws.

15.3A recipient may opt out by:

1. (a)using the unsubscribe facility in an email;
2. (b)replying “STOP” to an SMS, where available; or
3. (c)contacting North Workforce Connect.

15.4Non-marketing communications necessary to administer an enquiry, recruitment process, agreement, interview, Trial or Placement may still be sent.

16.1The Website may contain links to SEEK, Jora, LinkedIn, social-media platforms and other third-party websites.

16.2North Workforce Connect does not control and is not responsible for third-party content, security or privacy practices.

16.3Users should review a third party’s privacy policy before providing personal information to that party.

17.1North Workforce Connect will obtain consent before publishing an identifiable Candidate’s or Employer representative’s testimonial, photograph or recruitment experience for promotional purposes.

17.2A person submitting content must not include another person’s personal information without that person’s authority.

18.1The Website and services are primarily directed to adults seeking or offering professional employment opportunities.

18.2North Workforce Connect does not knowingly collect personal information from a child under 16 without appropriate parental or guardian consent.

18.3Additional consent may be required for a Candidate under 18, depending on the proposed role and applicable law.

19.1Privacy complaints may be submitted using the contact details in clause 20.

19.2A complaint should identify the conduct complained of, relevant dates and the outcome sought.

19.3North Workforce Connect will acknowledge and seek to resolve the complaint within a reasonable period, generally within 30 days.

19.4If the complaint is not resolved satisfactorily, the complainant may contact:

Office of the Australian Information CommissionerGPO Box 5218Sydney NSW 2001Telephone: 1300 363 992Website: https://www.oaic.gov.au/

Privacy OfficerNorth Workforce Connect Pty LtdPO Box 1411Epping VIC 3076Email: diane@northworkforceconnect.com.auTelephone: 0407 362 357Business hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 am–5:00 pm

21.1North Workforce Connect may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes to its practices, services, technology or legal obligations.

21.2An updated policy will be published on the Website with a revised “Last updated” date.

21.3Material changes may also be communicated directly where appropriate or required by law.

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of Victoria and applicable Commonwealth laws.