Recruitment Privacy Statement

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) values your privacy. We will use the information you provide when you are applying for employment with us, to assess your suitability for employment and to report on anonymised key metrics (e.g. diversity outcomes). The information we collect will be handled in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By submitting a job application or registering your interest in employment you are consenting to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information as described below.

The ABS has engaged Acendre to manage current and potential vacancies posted on the ABS Careers site and the online application, selection and onboarding processes through the ABS eRecruit system.

Information from you is collected directly when you: 

• create a registration profile on the ABS Careers site
• commence and/or submit an application
• register your interest in vacancies at the ABS.

This information will be securely retained on the ABS eRecruit system to enable the ABS to contact you throughout the selection process. It is also retained for your future reference. Information retained on the ABS eRecruit system (including incomplete and submitted applications) will not influence future applications you may make with the ABS.

Additional information may be collected from you directly at any other stage during the selection process, including any tests of competency you may undertake, or at interview or from third parties such as your referees.

If you are a successful candidate you will be required to provide additional personal information (which may include sensitive information about your criminal and medical history). This will enable us to conduct any required pre-employment checks and to facilitate the creation of a new employee record on our corporate and payroll systems.This personal information will be retained in accordance with the ABS General Records Policy.

We may also collect information from third parties as required by or allowed by law. This can include from law enforcement agencies as part of our criminal history check, or medical test results.

If you do not provide all the information requested during the recruitment process the ABS may be unable to process your application or properly consider it.

Your contact information will be retained on the ABS eRecruit system making it easier for you to apply for other jobs with the ABS and for you to track the progress of your applications online.

If you no longer wish to have a registration profile on the ABS eRecruit system, please email recruitment@abs.gov.au requesting deletion of your ABS eRecruit system registration.

The information collected about you will be kept secure and confidential. It will only be used to assess your suitability for the role you are applying for, or similar roles if you provided permission in your application.

In some cases an Order of Merit or Merit Pool may be created and used to fill similar roles at the ABS or other Australian Government agencies within 18 months from when the original vacancy was advertised. If placed on an Order of Merit or Merit Pool, with your permission, your details may be shared within the ABS or another Australian Government Agency looking to fill a similar vacancy.

If your application is successful, the information collected about you during the application process and subsequent electronic onboarding through the online application system will be used to commence your employment. The information will be transferred to the ABS payroll system and your ABS personnel file. The ABS will not disclose your personal information without your consent, or unless required or authorised by law. 

Your information may be used by: 

• members of the Selection Panel responsible for assessing your application
• the Delegate (the departmental manager who has overall authority to approve recruitment decisions) 
• ABS staff involved in the administration of recruitment services, workforce planning and personnel functions 
• if you consent, another Australian Government agency who have requested use of the ABS’s merit lists.

We may also disclose your information to an external provider/s if they have been engaged to manage or assist with the recruitment process. Where external systems are incorporated into a recruitment process, the ABS will load essential contact information into the system so that you can receive information about the assessment task.

We may also disclose personal information to an external provider/s in the course of on-boarding successful candidates. This is typically for the purposes of confirming your eligibility (such as criminal background checks or verifying documents). The ABS will contact you or obtain your consent prior to loading your information into any third party system. In circumstances where there are shared tenancy arrangements, the ABS may need to share your personal information with another party/agency to obtain the appropriate building access for your employment. The ABS will not disclose your personal information without your consent.

These providers and systems meet ABS minimum security requirements, are required to retain your information in Australia and maintain your confidentiality.

The ABS privacy policy explains how you can make an inquiry or lodge a complaint if you think the ABS may have breached your privacy rights or its privacy responsibilities.

For more information contact the National Recruitment Unit on 1800 249 583 or recruitment@abs.gov.au