Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Gaia Search Ltd is a specialist recruitment agency placing professionals in the UK's environmental consulting and clean energy sectors. We are the data controller for the personal data we collect through this website and in the course of our recruitment activity.

Registered address: Gaia Search Ltd, London, UK
Company Registration: 15162203
Email: hello@gaia-search.com

2. What data we collect

Candidates

When you register your CV, apply for a role, or get in touch with us, we may collect:

• Your name, email address and phone number
• Your CV, work history, qualifications and professional memberships
• Your sector, experience level and location preferences
• Any additional information you choose to share with us
• Communications between us (emails, WhatsApp messages)

Clients

When you engage with us as a hiring organisation, we may collect:

• Your name, job title, work email and phone number
• Your organisation's name, address and relevant business information
• Details of roles you are looking to fill
• Communications between us

Website visitors

When you visit gaia-search.com we may collect basic technical data such as your IP address, browser type and pages visited. See Section 7 (Cookies) for more detail.

3. How we use your data

For candidates, we use your data to:

• Assess your suitability for roles you have applied for or expressed interest in
• Match you with relevant opportunities and contact you about them
• Introduce your profile to client organisations (with your knowledge)
• Keep you updated on roles that may be relevant to your experience
• Respond to your enquiries

For clients, we use your data to:

• Provide recruitment services and present suitable candidates
• Manage our working relationship with your organisation
• Send relevant sector updates and market insights (where you have consented)

4. Lawful basis for processing

Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following:

Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f))

For our core recruitment activity — matching candidates to roles and contacting candidates about relevant opportunities — we rely on legitimate interests. We have a legitimate business interest in doing this, and candidates have a reasonable expectation that a specialist recruiter may contact them about relevant roles.

Consent (Article 6(1)(a))

Where you submit your CV via our website registration form, you provide explicit consent to us storing and using your details for recruitment purposes. You can withdraw this consent at any time by emailing us.

Contract (Article 6(1)(b))

Where we have a contractual relationship with a client organisation, we process contact data as necessary to fulfil that contract.

5. How long we keep your data

We do not keep your data longer than necessary. Our standard retention periods are:

• Active candidates (placed in a role or recently in contact): up to 2 years from our last meaningful interaction
• Registered CVs with no subsequent contact: up to 1 year from the date of registration
• Client contact data: up to 3 years from the end of our working relationship
• Website enquiries: up to 1 year

After these periods, we will securely delete your data unless we have a legal obligation to retain it, or you have asked us to keep it on file.

6. Who we share your data with

We treat your data with discretion. We will only share your information in the following circumstances:

• Client organisations: We will only share your CV and profile with a specific client if you have agreed to be put forward for a role with that organisation
• Service providers: We may use third-party tools to manage communications (e.g. email, WhatsApp). These act as data processors on our behalf and are subject to appropriate data protection agreements
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your data if required to do so by law or a regulatory authority

We do not transfer your personal data outside the UK unless adequate data protection safeguards are in place.

7. Cookies

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to help the site function and understand how it is used.

Cookies we use

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics cookies: If we use tools such as Google Analytics, these help us understand visitor behaviour in aggregate (e.g. which pages are most visited). No personally identifiable information is collected through these cookies.

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings at any time. Disabling cookies may affect how certain parts of the website work.

8. Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data. You can exercise any of these by contacting us at hello@gaia-search.com. We will respond within 30 days.

• Right of access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: You can ask us to correct any inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: You can ask us to delete your personal data. We will do so unless we have a legal obligation to retain it
• Right to restrict processing: You can ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances
• Right to data portability: You can request your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format
• Right to object: You can object to us processing your data on the basis of legitimate interests. We will stop unless we can demonstrate compelling grounds to continue
• Right to withdraw consent: Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing

Right to complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO):

• Website: ico.org.uk
• Helpline: 0303 123 1113

We would appreciate the opportunity to address any concerns before you contact the ICO — please reach out to us first.

9. How to contact us

For any questions about this privacy policy, to exercise your data rights, or to request deletion of your data:

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will always reflect the most recent version.

If we make significant changes that affect how we use your data, we will notify active candidates and clients directly by email.