Job Applicant Privacy Notice

This Privacy Notice explains how Ficosota Ltd. (“Ficosota”, “we”) and the companies within the Ficosota Group involved in the recruitment process collect, use and protect your personal data when you apply for a job with us. It applies to all recruitment channels we use, including our Career Website (available at: careers.ficosota.com) external job platforms (such as Jobs.bg, LinkedIn and others), applications submitted by e-mail or in person, as well as applications received through recruitment agencies or job events.

The recruitment and selection process for Ficosota Ltd. and Ficosota Food EAD is carried out in a centralized manner. Depending on the position for which you apply, your personal data may be processed by one or more companies within the Ficosota Group involved in the selection procedure.

This Notice is intended to provide you with clear and transparent information about which personal data we process, for what purposes, on what legal grounds and how you can exercise your rights as an applicant.

Which of your personal data do we process?

“Personal data” means any information about you that may identify you, including information that may be protected in accordance with the applicable national and European law.

For the purposes of managing your job application, we may collect and process the following categories of personal data. The specific data processed may vary depending on the recruitment channel you use (Career Website, external job platforms such as Jobs.bg or LinkedIn, applications submitted by e-mail or in person, or via recruitment agencies) and on the information you choose to submit.

We process only the personal data that is necessary for evaluating your application and carrying out the recruitment process. You should not submit documents containing special categories of personal data (such as health data, biometric data, information about racial or ethnic origin, political or religious beliefs, or other sensitive information), nor any inappropriate, offensive or irrelevant content. The personal data processed during the selection of job applicants is, as follows:

Category of personal data	Types of data included	Legal basis / Purpose of processing
Identification and Profile Information	First name, last name, (middle name – optional), city, country/region	Necessary to identify you and manage your application – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR
Contact Information	E-mail address, telephone number	Communication with you throughout the recruitment process – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR
Professional and Educational Background	Education and qualifications, professional experience, skills, certificates	Assessment of your suitability for the position – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR
Documents uploaded or submitted by you	CV, cover letter, portfolio, certificates, work samples, additional documents you voluntarily provide	Evaluation of your application; processing limited to what is relevant to the position – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR
Data collected through our Career Website	Registration data, account details, job preferences, Area of Interest, saved applications	Account creation and operation of the Career Website; management of your profile – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR
Data from recruitment platforms or agencies	Information received from Jobs.bg, LinkedIn, employment agencies, or referrals	Application management when the application is submitted through third parties – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR
Talent Pool and Job Alerts (voluntary)	Contact data, profile information, application history	Only if you provide consent: to consider you for future suitable positions and to send you job alerts/career updates – Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR
Internal recruitment data	Interview notes, assessment results, communication history, internal scoring (non-automated)	Conducting interviews, tests and evaluations as part of the recruitment process – Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR
System and security logs	Technical logs, user activity records generated by the ATS	Ensuring system security and proper functioning – Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (legitimate interest)

For what purposes will we use your data?

We process your personal data in order to administer and evaluate your job application, to manage your profile on our Career Website (if applicable), and to conduct all necessary steps prior to entering into an employment agreement. The processing described below applies regardless of the channel through which your application was submitted (Career Website, external job platforms such as Jobs.bg or LinkedIn, applications sent by e-mail or delivered in person, or applications submitted through recruitment agencies).

Processing necessary for managing your application and conducting the recruitment process (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR)

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

to receive, register and review your application for the specific position for which you have applied;
to identify you as an applicant and to distinguish your application from those of other candidates;
to contact you, schedule meetings, send assessment tools, instructions, tests, cases or other materials required for the selection process;
to assess your qualifications, experience, skills and overall suitability for the position;
to carry out interviews, tests, practical assignments, remote projects or other evaluation methods, depending on the requirements of the role;
to maintain records of the assessments, communications and steps performed during the recruitment process;
to prepare for the conclusion of an employment agreement in case your application is approved.

This processing is necessary to take steps at your request prior to entering into an employment contract and does not rely on your consent.

Processing for your Career Website registration (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR)

If you choose to create an account on our Career Website, we process your registration data, profile settings, saved applications and job preferences in order to operate your account, enable you to apply for roles faster, update your information and manage your applications.

Processing based on your voluntary consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR)

We will process your personal data for the following additional purposes only if you provide your explicit consent:

to consider your profile for other open or future suitable positions within the Ficosota Group for a period of 12 months (Talent Pool);
to send you job alerts, newsletters and updates about career opportunities within the Ficosota Group.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by sending an e-mail to dpo@ficosota.com. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal and does not influence your participation in the ongoing recruitment process.

With whom can we share your personal data?

Ficosota treats your personal data with strict confidentiality and discloses it only when this is necessary for the purposes of the recruitment process or when required by law. Depending on the position for which you apply and the recruitment channel you use, your data may be shared with the following categories of recipients:

Service providers (processors)

We may share your personal data with external service providers who support us in the recruitment and HR process, such as:

providers of recruitment and career platforms (including the Career Website / ATS system);
IT and cloud service providers;
providers of assessment tools, testing platforms or online interview solutions;
agencies supporting the management of HR processes.

Such disclosure takes place only when necessary and on the basis of written agreements ensuring that the recipients process the data strictly in accordance with our instructions and with an adequate level of protection, in line with Art. 28 GDPR.

Other companies within the Ficosota Group

Your application may be shared with other companies from the Ficosota Group involved in the recruitment process for:

managing centralized recruitment activities;
evaluating candidates for positions within different companies of the Group;
considering your profile for other suitable roles (only if you have provided your consent for the Talent Pool).

Public authorities (where required by law)

We may disclose your data to competent authorities only when legally obligated to do so.

Recruitment agencies or platforms through which you applied

If your application was initially submitted through a recruitment agency or external job platform, we may exchange information with them for the purpose of administering your application, where applicable.

For what period of time will we store your personal data?

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to manage your application and comply with our legal obligations.

Data processed for a specific recruitment process

Personal data collected for the evaluation of your application for a specific position is stored until the end of the respective recruitment process and for an additional period necessary to protect our legitimate interests in case of claims related to the recruitment (typically up to 6 months after the end of the process).

Talent Pool (only if you have provided consent)

If you choose to join our Talent Pool, your personal data will be stored and may be reviewed for other suitable positions within the Ficosota Group for a period of 12 months from the date of your consent. You can withdraw your consent at any time.

Job alerts and career updates (only if you have provided consent)

If you have subscribed to receive job alerts, newsletters or career-related updates, we will store and use your contact details for as long as your consent remains valid.

Successful candidates

If you are selected for employment, your application documents and related data will become part of your employee file and will be stored for the duration of your employment and in accordance with the applicable legal requirements and internal policies of Ficosota.

System logs and technical records

Technical logs generated by the Career Website / ATS may be stored for a limited period necessary to ensure the security and proper functioning of our systems, in accordance with our internal security policies.

Carrer Website data

Career Website account data is stored for as long as your account remains active. If you do not log in or use your account for a period of 24 months, the account will be automatically deactivated and your data related to the account will be deleted, unless you choose to reactivate it before that time.

Your rights with regard to your personal data:

In accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the applicable Bulgarian legislation, you have the following rights in relation to the personal data processed by the Ficosota Group during the recruitment process:

Right of access – to obtain confirmation whether we process your personal data and to receive a copy of the data, together with information about the processing.
Right to rectification – to request the correction of inaccurate data or completion of incomplete data concerning you.
Right to erasure (“right to be forgotten”) – to request the deletion of your personal data when the legal conditions are met, such as when the purpose of processing has been fulfilled, you have withdrawn your consent (where applicable), or when your data has been processed unlawfully.
Right to restriction of processing – to request that the processing of your personal data be restricted in the cases provided for by law (for example, when the accuracy of the data is contested or when you have objected to the processing).
Right to object – to object to the processing of your personal data when it is based on legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
Right to data portability – to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, and to request that we transmit it to another controller, where technically feasible and where the processing is based on consent or on a contract.
Right to withdraw consent – where the processing is based on your voluntary consent (e.g., Talent Pool or job alerts), you may withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of the processing carried out before the withdrawal.

You can exercise your rights by sending a written request to: dpo@ficosota.com. Additional information about the procedure and conditions for exercising your rights is available in the Ficosota Policy on exercising rights of personal data subjects, published on our website www.ficosota.com.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) if you believe that your personal data has been processed in violation of data protection legislation.

How to contact us?

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Notice or the processing of your personal data during the recruitment process, you may contact us at:

Ficosota Ltd / Ficosota Group

48 Madara Blvd., Shumen 9700, Bulgaria
10 Trakiyska Str., Shumen 9700, Bulgaria
102 Bulgaria Blvd., Business Center Bellissimo, Sofia 1680, Bulgaria

For matters related specifically to data protection, you may contact our Data Protection Officer at:
dpo@ficosota.com