Privacy policy statement for online applications

1.    Purpose and Legal Basis for the Processing of Personal Data

With this privacy policy, RWTH Aachen University fulfills its obligation to provide information in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU GDPR) for the processing of personal data. For more information on the terms "personal data", "processing", "controller", "third party", etc., please refer to the definitions in Article 4 GDPR. Pursuant to Art. 6 GDPR the processing of personal data is lawful if at least one of the following grounds applies:

  • Consent (Art. 6 para. 1 sentence 1 lit. a) GDPR) for the job alert
  • Preparation or performance of a contract (Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b) – processing of applications or conclusion of an employment contract

 

2.    Information on the Personal Data Collected

As part of the processing of your application, the following personal data will be collected:

  • Personal Data Salutation, academic title (if applicable), first and last name, date of birth, nationality,
  • Special data: (Severe) disability or equivalent status
  • Contact details: Email address, country, street, house number, city, postal code, additional address information
  • Language of communication, inquiry: "How did you hear about us?"
  • Language skills

Optionally, the following data may be collected:

  • School education: Highest school-leaving qualification, (expected) date of graduation from school
  • Vocational Training Host company, (expected) date of completion of training, (intended) qualification/degree, final grade of training
  • Bachelor's and Master's students Intended university degree, (expected) date of graduation, degree program, final overall grade (if applicable), information on employment as a student assistant
  • Further qualification: Eduction provider, intended qualification
  • Professional experience: Employer, period of employment, function/job description, information on employment at RWTH Aachen University
  • Information on skills and qualifications qualifying the candidate for the vacant position
  • Application documents (e.g. cover letter, CV, certificates, etc.)

Providing information about whether you have a severe disability (or equivalent condition) in the 'Personal Data' section of the application form is optional. If you are not severely disabled, do not have an equivalent status, do not want your status as severely disabled (or equivalent) considered in the application process, or do not wish to provide any information regarding this, please select 'No'. If you selected ‘No’ in response to the disability status question during the application process, but your application documents indicate that you have a severe disability or equivalent condition (e.g., if you included a copy of your disability ID or mentioned your disability in your CV or cover letter), we will assume this was an error. We will update your disability status in the Jobs Portal accordingly and notify you of the change.

At any time, you can object to being classified as a severely disabled person and to the involvement of the Representative Council for Staff With Disabilities in the application process by explicitly stating your objection. As a result, your application will be processed without taking into account the statutory procedural obligations or granting reasonable accommodations, which result in particular from §§ 163 ff SGB IX (Book 12 of the Social Code).

 

3.    Data Storage, Data Use, and Data Deletion

The personal data and documents you submit will only be used to process your application and, if you are hired, will be further processed for employment purposes.  Please note that conversely, RWTH will not enter into an employment relationship with you if you do not provide personal data with your application.

Your data will be stored for as long as necessary for these processing purposes or as required by law. If an employment relationship is not established, we may retain your data as long as is necessary to defend against possible legal claims.  Application documents will be deleted three months after the notification of the rejection decision, unless longer storage is necessary due to legal disputes.

You have the option of withdrawing your application at any time. In this case, your personal data (title, academic title (if applicable), first and last name, date of birth, nationality, (severe) disability or equivalent condition, information on prior employment at RWTH), your contact details (email address, country, street, house number, city, zip code, address supplement) and the status of your application including the history will remain stored in the job portal until the end of the application process. All application documents and information you provide, such as details about your education and professional background, will be deleted immediately once the application process is complete, except as required by statutory retention periods.

After the process is completed, your data will be stored for an additional six months to comply with legal requirements, particularly the obligations to provide evidence under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG). You also have the option to request anonymization of your personal data at any time by sending an email to jobportal@zhv.rwth-aachen.de . If you choose to do so, your personal data and files will be deleted from the Jobs Portal the next day. 

RWTH reserves the right to retain a limited amount of your data for statistical purposes beyond the standard retention periods. This data includes information on prior employment at RWTH, title, disability status, place of residence, year of birth, application status, school-leaving certificate, degree, professional qualification, academic title, and response to the question ‘How did you hear about us?’.  This data is anonymized and cannot be used to identify or reconstruct your application.

 

4.    Registration in the RWTH Job Portal Using Your LinkedIn Profile

This function allows you to use your existing LinkedIn account to register with the RWTH Jobs Portal or to create a personal account. If you choose to do so, we will check whether you have a valid LinkedIn account, which you can use to log in to the RWTH Jobs Portal. RWTH will only obtain information on whether or not you have a valid LinkedIn account.  No personal data is transferred from LinkedIn to the RWTH Jobs Portal.

 

5.    Email Alert for Job Openings

On the RWTH Jobs Portal, you can sign up to receive email alerts about new job openings at the University.  You can choose to get these alerts daily, weekly, or monthly, either linked to your user account or anonymously.  Your email address will be stored for as long as you opt to receive the alerts.  You can unsubscribe from the email job alerts at any time. Each email sent out contains a link to unsubscribe from the email job alerts.

 

6.    Jobs Portal Account

If you have a user account on the Jobs Portal, you can renew it regularly or will be prompted to do so every six months.  Accounts that are not renewed will first be deactivated and then automatically deleted after six months.

Accounts that are not completed or confirmed during registration will be deleted after 21 days. You have the option to delete your Jobs Portal account at any time.  Deleting your account will remove it immediately, along with all associated applications.

 

7.    People Involved in the Application Process

During the application process, the following individuals or institutions may access your submitted data and documents:

  • University nstitution offering the position
  • HR department managing the job advertisement
  • Jobs Portal Support Team
  • Representative Council for Staff with Disabilities
  • Equal Opportunities Officer
  • Staff Council

Your personal data will not be shared with third parties during the application process, except when necessary to defend against legal claims brought against the University related to the application process.

 

8.    Your Rights as a Data Subject

As a data subject, you have rights under the GDPR, including:

  • The right to know whether and which of your data is being processed (Art. 15 GDPR). Restrictions under § 12 DSG NRW apply.
  • The right to request the correction or completion of your personal data (Art. 16 GDPR).
  • The right to have your personal data deleted under Art. 17 GDPR. Restrictions under § 10 DSG NRW apply.
  • The right to request restriction of the processing of your data under Art. 18 GDPR.
  • The right to object to the processing of your data under Art. 21 GDPR.
  • The right to withdraw your consent. This does not affect the legality of processing prior to consent withdrawal (Art. 7 (3) GDPR).

In addition to these rights, you have the right under Art. 77 GDPR to lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection supervisory authority in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Landesbeauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit NRW
(State Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information)

Kavalleriestraße 2-4

40213 Düsseldorf

Phone Number: +49 211 38424--0

Email: poststelle@ldi.nrw.de

 

This is the authority with which to lodge a complaint in the event that the data-processing institution has not (fully) fulfilled its obligations.

 

9.    Person Responsible for the Processing of Your Personal Data and Documents:

The person responsible within the meaning of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation and other national data protection acts and regulations of the EU member states is:

Rektor of RWTH Aachen University
Templergraben 55
52062 Aachen (house address )
52056 Aachen (postal address )
Phone Number : +49 241 80-1
Fax : +49 241 80-92312
E-Mail: rektorat@rwth-aachen.de
Website: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/rektorat 

10.  Contact Details of the Officially Appointed Data Protection Officer:

Data Protection Staff Unit of RWTH Aachen University 
Templergraben 83
52062 Aachen (house address )
52056 Aachen (postal address )
Phone Number : +49 241 80-94114
E-Mail: dsb@rwth-aachen.de
Website: https://www.rwth-aachen.de/datenschutz