What does privacy compliance cost a recruitment agency?
Privacy compliance for a recruitment agency really costs in one of three ways: a cheap generic template that is the wrong shape for you and goes stale, a bespoke lawyer engagement that is expensive and still goes stale, or a sector-specific kit that is kept current as the law changes. The trap is thinking of it as a one-off document cost. The real cost is keeping the documents current, and in recruitment the law is moving.
By Jon Oates, Founder of Privaproof · Last updated
General information, not legal advice. Privaproof is not a law practice.
The three ways agencies pay for this
- The free or cheap generic template. A generic privacy-policy generator costs little or nothing, but it is written for a generic business, not a recruiter. It will not cover candidate-versus-employee data, third-party collection from referees, disclosure to client employers, offshore screening, sensitive-info handling, or the automated-decision disclosure. And it does not update itself, so it is stale the moment the law moves. Cheap to buy, expensive when it does not fit or is out of date.
- The bespoke lawyer engagement. A lawyer can draft you a tailored set, and that is genuinely valuable, but it is a significant one-off cost, and a document drafted once still goes stale as the law changes unless you pay again to refresh it. Right for some agencies; overkill or unaffordable for many small ones.
- The kept-current sector kit. A recruitment-specific document set, maintained as the law changes, sits between the two: written for how a recruiter actually handles candidate data, at a self-serve price, with updates when the rules move.
Why "kept current" is the part that matters in recruitment
Recruitment privacy is not static. From 10 December 2026, if your applicant-tracking system scores, ranks or auto-rejects candidates, your privacy policy must disclose that automated decision-making. The employee-records exemption is also under review. A document you bought or drafted before these changes needs updating, and the cost people forget is the cost of noticing the change and refreshing every affected document. Read: the ADM rule and your ATS
What Privaproof costs, and what you get
The Recruitment Kit is not on sale yet, so there is no checkout and no price to quote today. When it opens it will be a recruitment-specific document set (privacy policy with the automated-decision disclosure, candidate collection notice, sensitive-screening procedure, data-breach response plan, retention schedule and the supporting documents), kept current as the law changes, with no recurring lawyer's bill and no lock-in. You can join the founding list to be told the price and the opening date when they are set. The kit is self-authored by Privaproof and is not independently reviewed by a solicitor.
That is the honest positioning: cheaper and better-shaped than a generic template that does not fit, and a fraction of a bespoke engagement, with the currency built in rather than paid for each time the law moves.
Common questions
Can we just use a free template and be done?
You can, but a free generic template will not cover the recruitment-specific points (candidates vs employees, referees, client-employer disclosure, offshore screening, the automated-decision rule), and it will not update when the law changes. The cheapest option often costs the most when it does not fit or is out of date.
Is a lawyer worth it?
For some agencies, yes, especially complex or higher-risk operations. For many small agencies a maintained sector kit covers the ground at a fraction of the cost. You can always take specific legal advice on the parts that are genuinely bespoke to you.
Why a subscription rather than a one-off?
Because the documents go stale otherwise. The 10 December 2026 automated-decision rule is a live example: a one-off document needs a paid refresh; a kept-current kit carries the change for you.
This is general information and document templates you tailor to your own business, not legal advice. Privaproof is not a law practice and does not provide legal advice. This kit is not yet on sale, so no price is quoted here. Privaproof's recruitment documents are self-authored and are not independently reviewed by a solicitor. For advice on your specific circumstances, consult a qualified Australian legal practitioner.