Job applicant confidentiality question

[AH64]

I have a question regarding an applicants confidentiality within a
corporation while going through an interview process.

It has recently come to my attention that one of my applications/interviews
was made available to another candidate. This other candidate told me some
of the details of my interview. Is this legal? I thought that HR personnell
could not discuss applications with other applicants especially when they
are not within the organisation? I would like to know the legal status of
this situation.

[Moz]

So someone you know applied for a job at the same organisation where you had applied for a job, and the interviewer told this person you know, information about your interview with that organisation?

Is that correct?

Assuming the fact that you had applied for the job constitutes personal information (which I am sure it does), then this has to be a breach of the Privacy Act.

The question is, what do you do about it?

The last time I called the Privacy Commissioner in Victoria I was totally underwhelmed by their response. However it might be worth giving them a call to find out what your options are.

Have you been harmed by this information being released?

My personal view is that even if you have not been harmed, there needs to be serious consequences for this breach because you can bet it isn't the first time it has happened and it probably won't be the last, unless something is done.

[AH64]

Hi,
Yes, that is what happened. I just called the Privacy Commissioner in NSW and was equally underwhelmed. They basically said that as it was a 'rogue' individual who gave the information out (as far as I know my ex-colleague has a personal friend in the HR department of the company I applied for), I believe it was this person that disclosed information from my interview, which only the people in the interview room (or other HR personnel) would have been privvy to.

Neither of us got the job.

I have not been harmed by this as yet, but could be in the future.

[Moz]

Many privacy breaches are probably down to "rogue" individuals, but at the end of the day the responsibility lies with the company who employs them.

Maybe you should make a complaint to the CEO of the company and see what sort of response you get. It is a large company?

[AH64]

It is quite a large company. I think I will need to let someone there know what is going on as this is not ethical in my view at least.
Thank you for your response.