GoWest Recruiting Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 6/25/2025  Last Updated: 6/25/2025

1. Introduction

GoWest ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of job applicants and candidates who participate in our recruitment process. This Recruiting Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information during our hiring process.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect the following types of personal information from candidates:

• Contact Information: Name, address, phone number, email address
• Professional Information: Resume, CV, cover letter, work history, education, skills, certifications, professional      references
• Application Information: Job preferences, availability, willingness to relocate
• Interview Information: Notes from interviews, feedback from interviewers
• Background Check Information: Employment verification, education verification, criminal background checks (where legally permitted) once a job has been offered.
• Technical Information: IP address, browser type, device information when using our online application systems

Sensitive Information

We may collect certain sensitive personal information only when necessary and legally permitted:

• Background check results
• References and recommendations

3. How We Collect Information

We collect candidate information through various methods:

• Online job applications and career portals
• Resume submissions via email or job boards
• Recruitment agencies and third-party platforms
• Professional networking sites (LinkedIn, etc.)
• Employee referrals
• Direct contact and networking
• Interviews and assessments
• Background check providers
• References and former employers

4. How We Use Your Information

We use candidate information for the following purposes:

Primary Recruiting Purposes

• Evaluating your qualifications and suitability for positions
• Conducting interviews and assessments
• Communicating with you about opportunities
• Verifying information provided in your application
• Conducting background checks and reference checks
• Making hiring decisions
• Onboarding successful candidates

Secondary Purposes

• Building talent pipelines for future opportunities
• Improving our recruitment processes
• Complying with legal and regulatory requirements
• Maintaining records for equal opportunity compliance
• Analytics and reporting on recruitment metrics

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your personal information with:

Internal Teams

• Hiring managers and interview panels
• HR and recruitment staff
• Legal and compliance teams

External Partners

• Background check providers
• Reference check services
• Recruitment agencies and search firms
• Assessment and testing providers
• Legal advisors (when necessary)

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or to:

• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect our rights and property
• Prevent fraud or misconduct
• Respond to government requests

6. Data Retention

We retain candidate information according to the following guidelines:

Successful Candidates

• Information becomes part of employee records and is governed by our Employee Privacy Policy
• Retained for the duration of employment plus applicable legal retention periods

Unsuccessful Candidates

• Active Consideration: Information retained for up to 3 years to consider for future opportunities
• Legal Requirements: Certain information retained for compliance purposes (typically 1-7 years depending on      jurisdiction)
• Consent-Based: Information retained longer only with explicit consent

Deletion and Disposal

• Information is securely deleted or destroyed when retention periods expire
• Candidates may request earlier deletion (subject to legal requirements)
• Physical documents are shredded; electronic data is  permanently deleted

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect candidate information:

Technical Safeguards

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Access controls and authentication systems
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Secure backup and recovery procedures

Organizational Measures

• Staff training on data protection
• Access on a need-to-know basis
• Regular review of security policies and procedures

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Transparency

• Right to know what information we have about you
• Right to receive a copy of your personal information
• Right to information about how we use your data

Correction and Updates

• Right to correct inaccurate information
• Right to update or complete incomplete information

Deletion and Restriction

• Right to request deletion of your information (subject to legal requirements)
• Right to restrict processing in certain circumstances

Portability and Objection

• Right to receive your data in a portable format
• Right to object to certain types of processing

Withdrawal of Consent

• Right to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Note: Withdrawal may affect your application status

10. Third-Party Links and Services

Our recruitment platforms may contain links to third-party websites or integrate with external services. This policy does not cover third-party practices. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

11. Updates to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify candidates of material changes through:

• Posting updates on our careers website
• Including notices in our application systems

12. Contact Information

For questions about this policy or our recruitment practices or to exercise your privacy rights or make a complaint: 

Jennifer Huggard

jhuggard@gowest.org

206.340.4842

18000 International Blvd Ste 1102 – SeaTac, WA 98188 General Inquiries

 

13. Jurisdictional Considerations

United States

This policy complies with applicable federal and state privacy laws, including:

• Equal Employment Opportunity laws
• State privacy regulations (CCPA, CPRA, etc.)
• Sector-specific requirements

Other Jurisdictions

We comply with applicable privacy laws in all jurisdictions where we recruit, including specific requirements for data localization, consent, and individual rights.

 

Acknowledgment: By submitting your application or participating in our recruitment process, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Recruiting Privacy Policy.