Privacy Policy

StaffSearch AI is run by Paul Stephen Thompson, trading as Helix Media Engine (ABN 66 926 581 596), Queensland ("we", "us"). We handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

1. What we collect

Job seekers

• When you apply: your name, email, phone, right-to-work status, availability (start date, days and shifts), tickets and skills, experience, what you tell us about yourself, any resume you upload, and answers to any follow-up questions from the employer.
• If you make a little ad: your first name, the work you want, area, hours, days, tickets, experience, right to work, a short "about you", phone and email.
• If you chat with Emma: what you type, so she can answer and find jobs.

Businesses

• Your name, business name, ABN (and the details the Australian Business Register returns, such as the registered name and status), email, password (stored only as a scrambled "hash"), the jobs you post, your chats with Arie, and your hiring notes and decisions.
• Payment is handled by Stripe. We receive confirmation of payment, but never your full card number.

Everyone

• Basic technical information such as your IP address and browser type, used to keep the website secure and stop spam and abuse (for example, limiting how many times a form can be sent).

Please don't include sensitive information (such as health, religion, criminal record or union membership) in an application unless a job genuinely needs it. We don't ask for tax file numbers, bank details or ID documents.

2. Why we use it

• To run the website: show jobs, send your application to the employer you applied to, and help employers manage applicants and book interviews.
• To send job seekers who made a little ad the jobs that fit them.
• To rank applications with AI (see section 4).
• To send messages about your account, application or ad (for example "a job that fits you", interview invitations, or a "position filled" note).
• To keep the website safe: checking ABNs, spotting scams, fake applications and bots, and handling reports.
• To take payments, keep records the law requires, answer questions, and improve the website.

We don't sell personal information and we don't use it for advertising.

3. Who we share it with

• The employer you apply to gets your application, contact details, resume, answers and AI score. Employers agree to use them only to consider you for that job.
• Little ads are not shown to employers. Only the StaffSearch team sees them. An employer only gets your details if you choose to apply.
• Service providers that help us run the website, under their own privacy obligations: Cloudflare (website delivery and security), Stripe (payments), and our email provider (sending emails). Some of these companies store or process information overseas, including in the United States.
• Public job ads (not applicants' details) are shared with search engines, job sites and social media to reach more job seekers. Your business name only appears on an ad if you choose to show it.
• Government or police, if the law requires it or to prevent serious harm or fraud.

4. AI and automated decisions

• Our AI runs on our own computer. It reads applications and compares them with the job's requirements to give a score and reasons. It is instructed to ignore age, gender and other personal attributes that shouldn't count.
• No decision about you is made by the AI alone. The score helps the employer sort applications; the employer reads them and decides who to contact or hire. Every application is still shown to the employer.
• The AI also flags things the employer asked about - for example if someone can't work the days needed, needs visa sponsorship, or the application looks fake.
• If you'd like to know more about how your application was scored, contact us.

5. Cookies and storage

We use one essential cookie to keep business owners logged in. Your browser may also remember small things on your own device (such as whether Emma's voice is on, or the private link to your little ad). We don't use advertising, analytics or tracking cookies.

6. How long we keep it

• Applications and resumes: deleted 30 days after the job closes.
• Little ads: go to sleep after 60 days without an update, and are deleted 6 months after that. You can delete yours any time with your private link.
• Business accounts: kept while the account is open. Payment and tax records are kept as long as the law requires (usually 5 years).
• Information about people blocked for fake applications or scams may be kept to stop it happening again.

7. Keeping it safe

We use encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, private links, login protection and access limits. Employers can only see applicants for their own jobs. No system is perfectly secure; if a data breach is likely to cause you serious harm, we'll tell you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as the law requires.

8. Your choices and rights

• See or fix your information: email us and we'll respond within 30 days.
• Delete it: job seekers can delete their little ad with their private link, or ask us to delete applications. Businesses can ask us to close their account.
• You can use the jobs pages and chat with Emma without giving your name. You do need to give your name and contact details to apply, so the employer can reach you.

9. Questions and complaints

Contact us at [email protected]. We'll reply within 30 days. If you're not happy with our answer, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992.

We may update this policy; the date at the top shows the latest version.