Privacy & Cookie Statement

Topic-Group  is fully aware of the importance of the protection of the privacy of the employees of its clients, suppliers, prospects and/or any other body with whom Topic-Group  has a business relationship (hereafter: ‘employees of business relations’), as well as prospect employees and visitors to its websites. The personal data of these groups of people is therefore handled and protected with the greatest possible care.

By means of this Privacy Statement, we would like to inform you about the manner in which Topic-Group  handles the collection of personal data. By using the website and/or participating in activities and events organised by Topic-Group , you agree with this Privacy Statement.

In this document, we will describe the following matters:

  • Article 1: The data we collect
  • Article 2: How and when we collect personal data
  • Article 3: Why we collect personal data
  • Article 4: With whom we share personal data
  • Article 5: How long we keep personal data
  • Article 6: How you can access, supplement and/or can delete your personal data
  • Article 7: Various & other matters
  • Article 8: The use of the Website an cookies
  • Article 9 : Disclaimer

Article 1. What personal data do we collect?

Topic-Group  processes the minimum required personal data for the delivery of its service. Additional data may be required to be able to tailor the service and/or agreement better to your, or our, specific requirements. Below, and in the remainder of this document, we will set out our privacy policy by target group (prospect employees, employees of business relations and visitors to our website).

1.1 Prospect employees (paid employees or hired in)

  • Public profile information on social media and public sources. This includes LinkedIn, Facebook and other public data sources, for example.
  • Name and address details, e-mail address, telephone number and other contact information.
  • Date of birth only if this has been included in your CV.
  • Curriculum vitae (CV), information on your work experience and information on education, training, internships, insofar as provided to us by yourself.
  • Data on short-term availability and leave insofar as this is relevant.
  • Other data that is (or may be) important in the context of the assessment of your suitability as a potential candidate for a vacancy, such as salary (indications), information from interviews, any references and testimonials. All the information we collect about you is provided on a voluntary basis.
  • Topic-Group  never records special personal data unless this is (as yet) made compulsory by law. ‘Special personal data’ means data about race, religion or personal beliefs, political affinity, health, sexual orientation, trade union membership, criminal personal data and/or personal data relating to wrongful conduct.

1.2 Employees of business relations

  • Name, first name, e-mail address, telephone number
  • Position
  • Company details
  • Possible contact moments and agreements

1.3 Visitors to our websites

For visitors to our website who register for our newsletter; who wish to download one of the White Papers or publications; who wish to contact Topic-Group  via the contact form; who register for or participate in an event or Webinar; who wish to be kept informed about one of our blogs; who wish more information on one of our solutions or services:

  • Name, first name, e-mail address, telephone number
  • Position
  • Company details
  • Possible contact moments and agreements

For prospect employees who register via one of the Topic-Group  websites, the above section also applies to them.

Article 2. How and when do we collect personal data?

2.1 Prospect employees (paid employees or hired in)

  • Topic-Group  collects personal data from the moment data is entered on one of our websites via direct registration, via responses to externally placed vacancies, when participating in events and/or other activities organised by Topic-Group  and/or if you register yourself with us in any other way.
  • Topic-Group  collects data from the moment digital or personal contact is sought with our branches, recruitment consultants and/or resource specialists.
  • Topic-Group  collects data if one of our professional recruitment consultants and/or resource specialists actively seek contact with external candidates. We will then always request your permission to keep your data.
  • The personal data is received and processed by our recruitment consultants, resource specialists and/or their immediate employees.
  • If someone registers independently via one of the forms on Topic-Group ’s website(s), this data is processed automatically.

2.2 Employees of business relations

  • Topic-Group collects personal data from the moment data is entered on one of Topic-Group ’s websites via direct registration and/or if you register yourself in any other way.
  • Topic-Group collects data if a Topic-Group  employee actively seeks contact with employees of business relations.
  • The personal data is received and processed by a Topic-Group  employee.
  • If someone registers independently via one of the forms on the Topic-Group  website(s), this data is automatically processed. 

2.3 Visitors to our website

If someone registers independently via one of the forms on the Topic-Group  website(s), for our newsletters, White Papers, product information, events, webinars, etc, this data is automatically processed.

Article 3. Why do we collect personal data?

3.1 Prospect employees (paid employees or hired in)

Topic-Group only collects and processes data for the performance of its recruitment process and resourcing services, being the filling of the Topic-Group vacancies and job placement (recruitment and selection, executive search, interim contracts) to (temporarily) being able to fill vacancies at its clients. More specifically, personal data is collected and processed by us:

  • for recruitment purposes to fill vacancies within Topic-Group ;
  • for intermediary purposes: to assess the suitability and availability in connection with intermediary activities towards a permanent and temporary resourcing assignment at clients of Topic-Group ;
  • to be able to make offers and/or provide information about our service provision and other activities directly related to this;
  • during the establishment and maintenance of an intermediary relationship in a resourcing assignment;
  • to keep proper records and to comply with laws and regulations such as identification, employment legislation, tax and social security legislation, NEN-ISO 4400-1 and SNA guidelines;
  • for management purposes, such as internal management information, to carry out audits and checks and for quality purposes such as issuing recruitment reports and Resourcing reports to clients.

3.2 Employees of business relations

Topic-Group collects and processes personal data:

  • to be able to make offers and/or provide information about our services and other activities directly related to this;
  • for the establishment and maintenance of a commercial relationship;
  • to be able to record an assignment in an agreement with a business relation and to maintain and perform the agreement with the business relation;
  • for keeping proper records and recording and following up agreements.

3.3 Visitors to our website

We only collect data of visitors who, by using one of the forms, have indicated that they want this to happen. This data is intended to be able to address a person with his/her first name and surname. We use the e-mail address for sending newsletters, White Papers, information on events, information about our services and solutions, blog information and/or other matters, electronically or via another route.

Article 4. With whom can we share your personal data?

Topic-Group shares personal data in all those cases where we are compelled to do so by law.

4.1 Prospect employees (paid employees or hired in)

Topic-Group can pass your personal data on to its clients. In limited cases, your personal data can be passed on outside Belgium if our client is based abroad. In that case, we will request your permission for this.

4.2 Employees of business relations

Topic-Group  can pass your personal data on to its permanent partners and/or parties who offer services to Topic-Group  for the organisation of events or for support during events.

4.3 Visitors to our website

Topic-Group  can pass your personal data on to its permanent partners and/or parties who offer services to Topic-Group  for the organisation of events or for support during events.

Article 5. How long do we keep your personal data?

For the purposes for which there are statutory retention periods, Topic-Group  will always respect these statutory retention periods.

5.1 Of prospect employees (paid employees, hired in staff or employees of resource suppliers)

If you have given permission for storing and processing your data, the standard retention period we use is after 12 months non activity , calculated from the date on which you have given permission.

5.2 For employees of business relations

  • To the extent there is no active agreement, data of employees of business relations is retained until such time you indicate that you no longer agree with this.
  • Data of employees of clients is kept for a period of 10 years after any form of service provision has ended, in order to be able to provide proper aftercare and insofar as no other statutory retention periods apply to this data.

5.3 For visitors to our website

If you have registered for one or more of our updates (newsletters, invitations to events and such like), these registrations continue to run until you cancel them yourself.

Article 6. Can you access, supplement or delete personal data?

You can always request to view the data we keep on you. If desired, you can change the data. You can also request us to delete your data. If you would like to do this, please contact our data protection officer via privacy@topic-group.com

If you request that we delete your data, we will send you a confirmation by e-mail, stating the date on which the data was deleted. We will delete all your data no later than 4 weeks after receipt of your request, unless processing is required for the performance of a statutory duty, substantiation of a legal claim, or a different ground included in the GDPR.

Article 7. Other matters

7.1 Security

Topic-Group  goes to great lengths to protect your personal data optimally against unlawful use. We do this by means of physical, administrative, organisational and technical measures. If data is provided to data processors who carry out services or assignments on behalf of Topic-Group , it has been agreed with them that they too will protect the personal data optimally.

7.2 Questions, comments, complaints or (suspected) data breach

For questions, comments or complaints about this privacy statement and associated subject matters, you can contact the data protection office of Topic-Group on privacy@topic-group.com. Topic-Group’s data protection contact is Mr. Frank De Winter

7.3 Changes

Topic-Group reserves the right to amend this Privacy Statement. These amendments will be published on our website. If after the amendment you continue to use the website, the amended Privacy Statement will apply to this use.

Article 8 .The use of the Website

Topic-Group  collects and processes data about visitors to our websites for business operations purposes and to develop and/or update website statistics.

8.1 General

The websites www.topic-group .com, and variances are the property of Topic-Group . Topic-Group  adheres to the statutory rules relating to personal data protection. This privacy statement contains information about the purposes that Topic-Group pursues in the processing of your personal data, about the use of cookies and on how you can exercise your rights in respect of your personal data.

8.2 Data processing

Topic-Group  collects and processes data from visitors to these websites for the benefit of its business operations and to collect website statistics. Topic-Group  shall never sell, hire or otherwise provide the personal data you have submitted to third parties except to third parties who are engaged to deliver the information you have requested or who provide support to Topic-Group  in the organisation of events; or if Topic-Group  is compelled to do so by law.

8.3 Cookies

Topic-Group  makes use of cookies on its websites. Cookies are small files placed on the hard disk of your computer by your browser. Cookies give us insight into the use of these websites, including the screen resolution, browser settings, visited pages, previous and next websites and the duration of a user session. The information stored by a cookie is not linked to your name, address and/or e‑mail address. If Topic-Group  collects personal data with the aid of cookies, it is processed in accordance with the provisions in our privacy statement.

Explanation of cookie use

Cookies can be placed by Topic-Group  and by third parties with whom Topic-Group  collaborates. Topic-Group  uses different types of cookies as listed below:

  • Functional cookies​: Fonctional cookies store information relating to choices made by visitors to our website and make sure that the use of the website is easier during a subsequent visit (by remembering the login details, for example). 
  • Web statistics and targeting cookies​: Topic-Group collects information on how visitors use our website. This information is measured with the aid of Google Analytics and enables Topic-Group  to attune information on the website to your requirements even better. This data is also used for marketing purposes and to improve the website. The collected data is not made available to third parties.
  • Reference to third parties​: On its websites, Topic-Group  uses links and buttons that refer to websites of third parties such as network services Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google, Instagram, YouTube. The moment a visitor clicks such a link or button, the visitor leaves Topic-Group ’s website and the cookie policy of that third party will apply.
  • Cancellation: When visiting www.topic-group.com and his sub domains, or associated websites, you are asked to agree to Topic-Group  placing cookies on your device. If you do not want cookies placed on your device, you can change the cookie settings of your browser. Please note that you must adjust the settings for each browser and device that you use. How you can adjust the settings, differs per browser. If required, consult the help function of your browser.

8.4 Websites of third parties

This privacy statement does not apply to all websites of third parties that are connected with this website by means of a link.

8.5 Adjustments to privacy statement

We reserve the right to adjust this privacy statement. Any changes will be published on this website.

8.6 Questions and information

If you have questions about the manner in which Topic-Group  handles your personal data or if you want us to change or delete your personal data, please contact us via e-mail: privacy@topic-group.com