Critical Hire · by Optitude
Privacy policy
Senior appointments are sensitive matters. This policy sets out, plainly, what we collect and how it is handled.
Who we are
Critical Hire is an independent final-stage selection service operated by Optitude 360. This policy explains what information we collect through this website, why we collect it, and how it is handled.
For the purposes of UK data protection law, Optitude 360 is the controller of the information described below.
What we collect
When you submit an enquiry we collect the details you provide: your name, organisation, email address, telephone number, the role being appointed, approximate salary band, the number of finalists, your expected decision date and any context you choose to give about the appointment.
If you complete the Hiring Risk Diagnostic, your answers and indicative score are carried into your enquiry so you do not have to repeat them. They are stored with the enquiry.
We also record basic technical context: the page the enquiry was submitted from, how you reached the site (such as a campaign parameter or referring website), and the date and time of submission.
How your information is used
Enquiry information is used to respond to you, to scope a possible engagement and, where you go ahead, to deliver the review itself. The detail you provide about your least certainty is read by Simon Childs before any conversation so that the first discussion is already useful.
We do not sell your information. We do not use enquiry details for marketing lists, and we do not share them with recruitment agencies or third-party recruiters.
Email notifications
When you submit an enquiry, an immediate notification is sent to Simon Childs containing the details you provided, and a short acknowledgement is sent to you. These emails are delivered by a transactional email provider acting on our instructions.
If an email fails technically, your enquiry is still stored securely in our system and reviewed — a submission is never lost because an email did not arrive.
Storage, retention and security
Enquiry records are stored in an access-controlled database. Access is limited to the people who need it to respond to you and deliver the service.
We keep enquiry records only as long as they serve a genuine purpose: responding to your enquiry, delivering an engaged review, or meeting legal and accounting obligations. After that they are deleted.
No website form or email system can promise perfect security, and we do not claim otherwise. We handle enquiries with discretion and keep what we hold to a minimum.
Analytics
We measure how the site is used — which sections are read, which buttons are used, and whether campaigns bring visitors — using standard analytics events. These events do not include your name, email address, telephone number or the content of your enquiry.
Your rights
Under UK GDPR you can ask for a copy of the information we hold about you, ask us to correct it, or ask us to delete it. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office if you believe we have mishandled your information.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details below.