Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy
This policy explains:
- What information we collect during our application and recruitment process and why we collect it;
- How we use that information; and
- How to access and update that information.
Your use of Google services is governed by any applicable terms and our general Privacy Policy.
Types of information we collect
This policy covers the information you share with us and/or which may be acquired or produced by Google LLC, its subsidiaries and its affiliates during the application or recruitment process including:
- Your name, address, email address, telephone number and other contact information;
- Your resume or CV, cover letter, previous and/or relevant work experience or other experience, education, transcripts, or other information you provide to us in support of an application and/or the application and recruitment process;
- Information from interviews and phone-screenings you may have, if any;
- Details of the type of employment you are or may be looking for, current and/or desired salary and other terms relating to compensation and benefits packages, willingness to relocate, or other job preferences;
- Details of how you heard about the position you are applying for;
- Any sensitive and/or demographic information processed during the application or recruitment process such as gender, information about your citizenship and/or nationality, medical or health information and/or your racial or ethnic origin;
- Reference information and/or information received from background checks (where applicable), including information provided by third parties;
- Information relating to any previous applications you may have made to Google and/or any previous employment history with Google;
- Your information from publicly available sources, including online, that we believe is relevant to your application or a potential future application (e.g. your LinkedIn profile); and/or
- Information related to any assessment you may take as part of the interview screening process.
How we use information we collect
Your information will be used by Google for the purposes of carrying out its application and recruitment process which includes:
- Assessing your skills, qualifications and interests against our career opportunities;
- Verifying your information and carrying out reference checks and/or conducting background checks (where applicable) if you are offered a job;
- Communications with you about the recruitment process and/or your application(s), including, in appropriate cases, informing you of other potential career opportunities at Google;
- Creating and/or submitting reports as required under any local laws and/or regulations, where applicable;
- Where requested by you, assisting you with obtaining an immigration visa or work permit where required;
- Making improvements to Google’s application and/or recruitment process including improving diversity in recruitment practices;
- Complying with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes or enforceable governmental requests; and/or
- Proactively conducting research about your educational and professional background and skills and contacting you if we think you would be suitable for a role with us.
- As part of our commitment to equal opportunity employment, we may process information regarding your membership in various organizations to support our diversity and inclusion efforts. This may include associating participant membership with sensitive and/or demographic information.
We will also use your information to protect the rights and property of Google, our users, applicants, candidates, employees or the public as required or permitted by law.
If you are offered and accept employment with Google, the information collected during the application and recruitment process will become part of your employment record.
If EU data protection or UK data protection law applies to the processing of your information, our legal basis for processing your information
We collect and process your information where it is necessary in order to take steps, at your request, prior to our potentially entering into a contract of employment with you.
We may also seek your consent to process your personal information in specific circumstances, or process it where necessary to comply with a legal obligation or for purposes connected to legal claims. If we use your information to improve our application or recruitment process, we do so on the basis that it is in our legitimate interests to ensure we recruit the best possible candidates.
Who may have access to your information
- Your information may be shared with our affiliates, subsidiaries or joint ventures in the US and in other jurisdictions, in relation to the purposes described above. If you have been referred for a job at Google by a current Google employee, with your consent, we may inform that employee about the progress of your application and let the Google employee know the outcome of the process. In some cases, if it is identified that you have attended the same university/school or shared the same previous employer during the same period as a current Google employee we may consult with that employee for feedback on you.
- Google may also use service providers acting on Google’s behalf to perform some of the services described above including for the purposes of the verification / background checks. These service providers may be located outside the country in which you live or the country where the position you have applied for is located.
- Google may sometimes be required to disclose your information to external third parties such as to local labour authorities, courts and tribunals, regulatory bodies and/or law enforcement agencies for the purpose of complying with applicable laws and regulations, or in response to legal process.
- We will also share your personal information with other third parties if we have your consent (for example if you have given us permission to contact your referees), or to detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or to protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, our users, applicants, candidates, employees or the public or as otherwise required by law.
- It is your responsibility to obtain consent from referees before providing their personal information to Google.
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Google operates globally, which means your information may be stored and processed outside of the country or region where it was originally collected including in the United States. In some of these countries, you may have fewer rights in respect of your information than you do in your country of residence. Regardless of where your information is processed, we apply the same protections described in this policy. We comply with certain legal frameworks relating to the transfer of data, such as the frameworks described below.
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Adequacy Decisions: The European Commission has determined that certain countries outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) adequately protect personal data, which means that data can be transferred from the European Union (EU) and Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland to those countries. The United Kingdom (UK) and Switzerland have adopted similar adequacy mechanisms. We rely on the following adequacy mechanisms:
EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Frameworks. As described in our Data Privacy Framework certification, we comply with the EU-U.S. and Swiss-US Data Privacy Frameworks (DPF) and the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. DPF as set forth by the US Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use and retention of EEA, UK, and Swiss personal information. Google LLC and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (unless expressly excluded), has certified that it adheres to the DPF Principles. Google remains responsible for any of your personal information that is shared under the Onward Transfer Principle with third parties for external processing, as described above. To learn more about the DPF, and to view Google’s certification, please visit the DPF website. Google is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the US Federal Trade Commission. If you have an inquiry regarding our privacy practices in relation to our DPF certification, we encourage you to contact peopleops-help@google.com. You may also refer a complaint to your local data protection authority and we will work with them to resolve your concern. In certain circumstances, the DPF provides the right to invoke binding arbitration to resolve complaints not resolved by other means, as described in Annex I to the DPF Principles.
- Standard contractual clauses. The European Commission has approved the use of standard contractual clauses (SCCs) as a means of ensuring adequate protection when transferring data outside of the EEA. Such clauses have also been approved for transfers of data to countries outside the UK and Switzerland. By incorporating SCCs into a contract established between the parties transferring data, personal data is considered protected when transferred outside the EEA, Switzerland or the UK to countries which are not covered by an adequacy decision. We rely on SCCs for our data transfers where required and in instances where they are not covered by an adequacy decision. If you want to obtain a copy of the SCCs, you can contact peopleops-help@google.com.
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Adequacy Decisions: The European Commission has determined that certain countries outside of the European Economic Area (EEA) adequately protect personal data, which means that data can be transferred from the European Union (EU) and Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland to those countries. The United Kingdom (UK) and Switzerland have adopted similar adequacy mechanisms. We rely on the following adequacy mechanisms:
Google takes appropriate steps to protect information about you that is collected, processed, and stored as part of the application and recruitment process.
Our retention of your information
If you apply for a job at Google and your application is unsuccessful (or you withdraw from the process or decline our offer), Google will retain your information for a period after your application. We retain this information for various reasons, including in case we face a legal challenge in respect of a recruitment decision, to consider you for other current or future jobs at Google and to help us better understand, analyze and improve our recruitment processes.
If you do not want us to retain your information for consideration for other roles, or want us to update it, please contact hrdatarequest@google.com. Please note, however, that we may retain some information if required by law or as necessary to protect ourselves from legal claims.
Your rights in respect of your information
In certain countries, you may have certain rights under data protection law. This may include the right to request access or to update or review your information, request that it be deleted or anonymized, or object to or restrict Google using it for certain purposes.
If you wish to exercise a right of access please contact hrdatarequest@google.com. We will respond to any requests in accordance with applicable law, and so there may be circumstances where we are not able to comply with your request.
If you are in the EEA, the UK or Brazil and if you can’t find the answer to your question in this policy, you can contact Google’s Data Protection Officer at: data-protection-office@google.com. Depending on your country of residence, you may also raise any questions or concerns you have regarding your personal information with your local data protection authority.
Changes to this Policy
We may change this policy from time to time. We will post any changes to this policy on this page.
U.S. state law requirements
Some U.S. state privacy laws, such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), require specific disclosures for state residents.
This policy is designed to help you understand how Google handles your information. In the sections above, we explain: (1) the categories of information Google collects and the sources of that information; (2) how Google uses information; (3) when Google may disclose information; and (4) how Google retains information. Google does not sell your personal information. Google also does not “share” your personal information as that term is defined in the CCPA.
State laws like the CCPA also provide the right to request information about how Google collects, uses, and discloses your information. And they may give you the right to access and correct your information, and to request that Google delete that information. Finally, the CCPA provides the right to not be discriminated against for exercising these privacy rights.
If you have questions or concerns related to your rights under CCPA, or would like to exercise your rights, you (or your authorized agent) can contact Google at peopleops-help@google.com. We’ll validate your request by verifying your interactions with Google, and may require that you provide us with additional information, such as any names, phone numbers or email addresses you have used when communicating with us.
The CCPA also requires a description of data practices using specific categories. This table uses these categories to organize the information in this policy.
Categories of information we collect
Identifiers and similar information, such as your name, phone number, and address; username and password; and unique identifiers tied to the browser, application, or device you’re using.
Demographic information, such as your age, gender, and language(s) spoken. If you choose, you may also provide additional information, like your racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Financial information, such as your current and/or desired salary and other terms relating to compensation and benefits packages.
Internet, network, and other activity information in connection with your use of Google accounts, systems, and services, such as your search terms; views and interactions with content; and information about the interaction of your apps, browsers, and devices with Google services (like IP address, crash reports, and system activity).
Geolocation data, including as determined by IP address, depending in part on your device and account settings.
Audio, electronic, visual, and similar information, such as information transmitted in connection with interviews or phone-screenings you may have, if any.
Communications data, such as emails that you may send or receive in connection with the application or recruitment process.
Health information, if you choose to provide it, in connection with the application or recruitment process, such as data you may provide in connection with an accommodations request.
Professional, employment, and education information, such as information you provide in connection with the application and recruitment process, as well as information Google may otherwise collect through reference checks, criminal and financial background checks (where applicable) and information from publicly available sources, including online, that may be relevant.
Other information you create or provide, such as the content you create, upload, or otherwise provide in connection with the application and recruitment process.
Inferences drawn from the information above.
Business purposes for which information may be used or disclosed
Administrative purposes: Google uses and may disclose information for purposes related to carrying out its application and recruitment process, including for assessing candidates; verifying information and conducting reference checks and criminal and financial background checks (where applicable); communicating with you; responding to requests for assistance with obtaining an immigration visa or work permit (where required); diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging; and other related activities.
Protecting against security threats, abuse, illegal activity, and violations : Google uses and may disclose information to detect, prevent and respond to security incidents, and for protecting against other malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity. For example, to protect our services, Google may receive or disclose information about IP addresses that malicious actors have compromised.
Auditing and measurement: Google uses information for analytics and measurement to understand use of Google accounts, systems, and services.
Maintaining our services: Google uses information to ensure our equipment, accounts systems, and services are working as intended, such as tracking outages or troubleshooting bugs and other issues.
Research and development: Google uses information to improve our application and recruitment process, including improving diversity in recruitment practices.
Use of service providers: Google shares information with service providers to perform services on our behalf, in compliance with this privacy policy and other appropriate confidentiality and security measures. For example, we may rely on service providers to help perform criminal and financial background checks (where applicable).
Legal reasons: Google also uses information to satisfy applicable laws or regulations, and discloses information in response to legal process or enforceable government requests, including to law enforcement.
Parties with whom information may be disclosed
Other people with whom you choose to share your information, such as the content you create, upload, or otherwise provide in connection with the application and recruitment process.
Third parties with your consent, for example if you have given us permission to contact your references.
Service providers, trusted businesses or persons that process information on Google’s behalf, based on our instructions and in compliance with this privacy policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.
Law enforcement or other third parties, in response to legal process or enforceable government requests, and as necessary to identify, report on and investigate violations of applicable laws and regulations.
Last updated: September 16, 2024