Privacy Notice
Last updated: August 2026
Our commitment to your privacy
Douglas Jackson has been providing recruitment and executive search services since 2007. Trust, discretion and transparency are fundamental to the relationships we build with candidates, clients and professional contacts.
This Privacy Notice explains what personal information Douglas Jackson Limited collects, where we obtain it, how and why we use it, who we may share it with, how long we retain it and the rights you have in relation to your information.
It also explains how we use artificial intelligence (AI), recruitment technology and other digital tools within our recruitment and executive search processes.
Douglas Jackson Limited is registered in England and Wales under company number 6091414 and acts as a recruitment consultancy, employment agency and executive search business.
Who this Privacy Notice applies to
This notice applies to personal information we process about:
- candidates and prospective candidates;
- individuals identified through executive search and market research;
- clients and prospective clients;
- employees or other individuals whose information is provided to us by clients;
- referees and professional contacts;
- Career Services customers;
- website visitors and people who contact us through our website;
- subscribers to our jobs, newsletters, webinars, reports and market insight; and
- other individuals with whom we have a professional relationship.
Our services are intended for adults and we do not knowingly collect personal information relating to children.
What information we may collect
The information we collect depends on your relationship with Douglas Jackson.
For candidates and prospective candidates, this may include:
- your name and contact details;
- CV and career history;
- current and previous employers and job titles;
- professional qualifications, skills and experience;
- LinkedIn and other publicly available professional profile information;
- salary, remuneration and benefits information;
- career objectives, location and working preferences;
- interview notes and consultant observations;
- information relating to roles or opportunities you have discussed with us;
- correspondence and communications with Douglas Jackson;
- references or professional market feedback;
- assessment information where relevant to a recruitment process; and
- right-to-work or other information where required as part of a recruitment process.
We may occasionally process health or disability information where you voluntarily provide it and it is necessary to make reasonable adjustments or otherwise support you through a recruitment process.
Where we monitor diversity within our recruitment activity, this is generally undertaken using anonymous or aggregated information for reporting and analysis rather than to make decisions about individual candidates.
For clients and other professional contacts, we may collect your name, job title, organisation, business contact details, communications with us and information relevant to our professional relationship.
Clients may occasionally provide us with confidential personal information about employees or other individuals as part of an executive search, succession, restructuring or recruitment process. We treat this information confidentially and use it only where relevant to the services we have been asked to provide.
Where we obtain personal information
Not everyone in our network has applied for a role or registered directly with Douglas Jackson.
Executive search requires us to research markets and identify people who may be relevant to current or future leadership opportunities.
We may therefore obtain professional information from:
- LinkedIn and LinkedIn Sales Navigator;
- publicly available professional profiles;
- company and organisational websites;
- our existing professional networks and database;
- referrals and recommendations;
- professional networking and industry contacts;
- recruitment and data-enrichment tools;
- publicly available professional sources;
- clients;
- referees and professional contacts; and
- information you provide directly to us.
You may also provide information through our website, including through our chatbot, contact forms or by uploading your CV.
Where we obtain personal information from another source, we handle that information in accordance with applicable UK data protection requirements.
How we use your information
We may use personal information to:
- identify and contact individuals about relevant career opportunities;
- provide recruitment and executive search services;
- assess experience, skills and potential suitability for an opportunity;
- search and match candidates against client requirements;
- communicate with candidates throughout a recruitment process;
- provide career and market information;
- undertake executive search research, market mapping and talent intelligence;
- advise clients on leadership markets and available talent;
- develop candidate shortlists;
- conduct appropriate professional referencing and due diligence;
- maintain professional relationships with candidates and clients;
- provide Career Services where requested;
- provide Leadership Index reports, market insight, webinars, events and other relevant professional content;
- improve our services and recruitment processes;
- administer our website and technology;
- comply with legal and regulatory obligations; and
- establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.
Candidate representation and sharing your CV
Douglas Jackson will not send your identifiable CV, candidate profile or personal details to a prospective employer for a specific opportunity without your express permission.
We normally obtain this permission in writing.
We may discuss the availability or background of talent with clients on an anonymised basis. Where we undertake this type of market discussion or reverse marketing, information identifying the individual will not be disclosed unless and until the individual authorises us to do so.
Artificial Intelligence and recruitment technology
Douglas Jackson uses technology, including artificial intelligence and AI-enabled tools, to support elements of our recruitment, executive search, research and business processes.
AI may assist our consultants with activities including:
- searching and matching candidates against a role or brief;
- summarising CVs and professional profiles;
- summarising interview notes, meetings or conversations;
- preparing candidate summaries;
- market mapping and recruitment research;
- identifying relevant experience, skills or information;
- supporting ranking or scoring against defined recruitment criteria;
- organising and analysing recruitment information; and
- drafting or improving communications.
These technologies are used to support our consultants, not replace professional judgement.
Douglas Jackson maintains human oversight of its recruitment and executive search processes. We do not rely solely on AI to make final decisions about whether a candidate should be rejected, shortlisted, recommended or appointed.
Where AI produces a match, score, summary or other output, this forms part of the information available to our consultants and is considered alongside professional experience, direct conversations, assessment, the requirements of the role and other relevant evidence.
We recognise that AI and recruitment technology continue to develop. We review the tools we use and seek to ensure personal information is used appropriately, proportionately and securely.
Where third-party technology providers process personal information on our behalf, we seek appropriate contractual, privacy and security safeguards.
If you have questions or concerns about the use of AI in relation to your information, please contact our Data Protection Lead using the details below.
Impact 360 and behavioural assessment
As part of our Impact 360 methodology, some recruitment assignments may include job and behavioural assessment through McQuaig.
Where relevant, candidates will be informed about the assessment process.
McQuaig assessment information is interpreted through the McQuaig system and used alongside interviews, career experience and other relevant evidence as part of a broader, human-led assessment process.
Assessment results are not used by Douglas Jackson as the sole basis for an appointment decision.
Meeting transcription and AI-assisted notes
With your knowledge and permission, Douglas Jackson may use meeting transcription, recording or AI-assisted note-taking functionality during candidate or client meetings.
This may include functionality available through Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Copilot or our recruitment technology.
Where transcription or recording is proposed, participants are informed. If you do not wish the technology to be used, you may say so and it will be removed or switched off.
Transcripts and summaries may be retained where relevant to our recruitment, executive search or client relationship.
References and professional market information
Where formal references are required, candidates will normally provide or authorise the relevant referees.
As an executive search business, Douglas Jackson may also undertake informal professional referencing or obtain professional opinions and market intelligence through our established networks.
This may occur without contacting the individual first and helps our consultants develop a broader understanding of professional reputation, experience and potential suitability.
Informal or “soft” referencing is used as part of Douglas Jackson’s internal professional assessment and is not presented to a client as a formal candidate reference.
Our lawful bases for processing personal information
We process personal information under one or more lawful bases provided by UK data protection law.
Legitimate interests
We may rely on legitimate interests where processing is reasonably necessary for our recruitment, executive search and professional activities.
This may include:
- identifying and approaching potential candidates;
- maintaining our professional candidate and client network;
- matching individuals with relevant career opportunities;
- executive search and market research;
- maintaining professional relationships;
- relevant business-to-business communications;
- providing relevant market intelligence, reports, events and professional insight; and
- improving and protecting our services and systems.
When relying on legitimate interests, we consider our interests alongside the rights and interests of the individuals whose information we process.
Contract
We may process information where it is necessary to provide a service you have requested or to fulfil our contractual obligations.
Legal obligation
We may process or retain information where required to meet a legal or regulatory obligation.
Consent
Where consent is the appropriate lawful basis, for example for certain optional activities or processing, we will ask for it. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
Different lawful bases may apply to different processing activities. The fact that we ask for permission to represent you for a particular vacancy does not necessarily mean that consent is the lawful basis for all of our processing of your personal information.
Marketing, market insight and professional communications
Douglas Jackson maintains long-term relationships with senior professionals, candidates, clients and organisations within the markets we serve.
We may contact professional and business contacts with information we reasonably believe may be relevant to them, including:
- career opportunities;
- market and leadership insight;
- Leadership Index reports;
- webinars and events;
- newsletters;
- research;
- executive career information; and
- relevant Douglas Jackson services.
Depending on the circumstances, these communications may be sent on the basis of our legitimate interests or because you have specifically requested or subscribed to them.
You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe option provided or by contacting us at mail@douglas-jackson.com.
Opting out of marketing does not necessarily prevent us contacting you about a recruitment process, service you have requested or another legitimate professional matter.
Career Services
Where you purchase or request Douglas Jackson Career Services, relevant personal information may be shared with our specialist Career Services provider, CVIA Ltd / CV and Interview Advisors, where necessary to provide the service.
This may include your CV, career history, professional profile and other information you provide for CV writing, interview support or related career services.
Information is shared for the purpose of providing the service and not for the sale of your personal information.
Payments
Where you purchase a paid service from Douglas Jackson, payments may be processed through Stripe.
Payment providers process payment information in accordance with their own privacy and security arrangements. Douglas Jackson does not need to retain your full payment-card details where payment information is processed directly by the payment provider.
We may retain appropriate transaction, invoice and accounting information where required for business, tax or legal purposes.
Who we may share information with
Depending on the service and circumstances, personal information may be accessible to or shared with:
- authorised Douglas Jackson employees and team members;
- prospective employers, where a candidate has authorised us to represent them;
- service providers supporting our recruitment, communications, IT and business systems;
- Access Vincere/Evo and associated recruitment technology;
- Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Teams and Copilot;
- McQuaig where behavioural or job assessment is used;
- CVIA Ltd / CV and Interview Advisors for Career Services;
- Twilio for SMS communications;
- Stripe for payment processing;
- professional advisers where necessary;
- regulators, law enforcement bodies or other authorities where legally required; and
- other organisations where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.
We do not sell personal information.
Our authorised research and support team may include individuals working outside the UK. They access Douglas Jackson systems using individual authorised user accounts and are expected to comply with appropriate confidentiality, security and data protection requirements.
International processing and transfers
Some of the organisations we work with, technology providers we use and authorised members of our team may be located outside the United Kingdom or may process information internationally.
Clients may also operate internationally, and where you authorise us to represent you, relevant individuals involved in a recruitment decision may be located in another country.
Where Douglas Jackson is responsible for transferring personal information outside the UK, we take steps intended to ensure that the transfer complies with applicable UK data protection requirements. Depending on the destination and circumstances, this may include reliance on UK adequacy regulations or appropriate contractual and other safeguards.
How long we retain personal information
We retain personal information only for as long as it remains reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, our professional relationship with you, and any legal or regulatory requirements.
Candidates
Candidate information is typically retained for up to five years.
As that period approaches, we may contact you to ask whether you wish to remain within the Douglas Jackson professional network and continue to hear about relevant opportunities and information.
Where there is no continuing reason to retain your information, it will be removed in accordance with our retention processes.
If you continue to engage with Douglas Jackson, update your information, apply for another opportunity or otherwise maintain an active professional relationship with us, the relevant retention period may restart or be reviewed.
Clients and professional contacts
Information may be retained while there is an active or continuing professional relationship and for an appropriate period afterwards where relevant to our business, legal or professional obligations.
Certain information, including contracts, invoices and financial records, may need to be retained for longer where required by law.
Your right to erasure and suppression
You may ask us to delete personal information we hold about you, subject to any information we are legally entitled or required to retain.
Where appropriate, following deletion we may retain a minimal suppression record, such as your name and email address, solely to help ensure that we do not inadvertently add or contact you again after you have asked us not to.
A suppression record will not be used for recruitment or marketing purposes.
If you subsequently choose to re-engage with Douglas Jackson, for example by applying for another role or contacting us about our services, we may create a new record based on the information you provide at that time.
Your data protection rights
Depending on the circumstances, UK data protection law may give you the right to:
- ask what personal information we hold about you and obtain a copy;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
- ask us to delete your personal information;
- ask us to restrict certain processing;
- object to processing based on legitimate interests;
- withdraw consent where we rely on consent;
- request portability of certain information; and
- raise a concern about how your personal information is being processed.
Some rights are subject to legal conditions or exemptions and will not apply in every circumstance.
To exercise your rights, contact mail@douglas-jackson.com.
You also have the right to raise a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) if you are concerned about how your personal information has been handled.
Security
Douglas Jackson takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, loss or destruction.
Our security measures include, where appropriate, controlled user access, individual system accounts, multi-factor authentication, firewalls, SSL/encryption technologies, malware protection and other security controls.
Access to personal information is limited to individuals who require it for legitimate business purposes.
No internet or information-storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we regularly review our systems and working practices to reduce risk and maintain appropriate safeguards.
Cookies and website analytics
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies for essential website functionality and may also use analytics technologies, including Google Analytics, to help us understand how visitors use our website and improve its performance and content.
Where required, non-essential cookies and analytics technologies should only be activated after the appropriate cookie choices have been made.
You can manage your cookie preferences through the cookie controls available on our website and, where appropriate, through your browser settings.
Our website may also contain links to third-party websites. Douglas Jackson is not responsible for the privacy practices of websites operated by other organisations.
Changes to this Privacy Notice
Technology, recruitment practices and data protection requirements continue to evolve, particularly in relation to artificial intelligence.
We may therefore update this Privacy Notice from time to time to reflect changes to our services, systems, suppliers, technology or legal obligations.
The latest version will be published on this page and the date at the top of the notice will be updated.
Where a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to the attention of affected individuals where required.
Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Notice, want to understand how Douglas Jackson uses your personal information, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:
Data Protection Lead
Douglas Jackson Limited
Garrick Suite
15 Market Street
Lichfield
Staffordshire
WS13 6JX
Email: mail@douglas-jackson.com
Telephone: 0345 620 9720
Company number: 6091414
You can also find information about your data protection rights through the Information Commissioner’s Office.