Privacy Policy

Last updated: 4 July 2026

1. Who we are

Fern ("Fern", "we", "us") operates fernrecruitment.co.nz, a recruitment platform that helps New Zealand small businesses in high-turnover sectors receive AI-screened, ranked shortlists of job applicants.

For any privacy question or request, contact: fernrecruitmentsupport@gmail.com

2. Information we collect

From businesses using Fern:

• Account details (name, email, business name) via our sign-in provider
• Business details entered on the account/settings page
• Job role information posted to the platform
• Payment details when unlocking a role (once payment processing is live)

From job applicants:

• Information submitted through our application form, including name, contact details, CV/qualifications, and answers to role-specific questions

We only collect information that is necessary to provide the shortlisting service, in line with the Privacy Act 2020.

3. How we collect it

• Business account information is collected directly when a business signs up
• Applicant information is collected directly from applicants when they submit our application form
• We do not buy, scrape, or source applicant information from any other channel

4. How we use it

• To screen and rank applicants against a role's stated requirements
• To generate a shortlist for the hiring business
• To allow a business to review ranked candidates and, on unlocking a role, make direct contact
• To operate and improve the Fern platform

5. Automated screening and human review

Fern uses an AI-assisted process to screen and rank applicants against the criteria a business specifies for a role. This is a tool to support the business's hiring decision — the business, not the AI, makes the final decision about who to contact and hire. Ranking and reasoning are provided to help a human reviewer make an informed choice, not to make the choice automatically.

We review our screening criteria to ensure they relate to genuine job requirements and do not rely on protected characteristics under the Human Rights Act 1993 (such as age, sex, disability, ethnicity, religious belief, or family status).

6. Who we share information with

We use the following service providers to operate Fern, each of which processes data on our behalf:

• Tally — collects application form submissions
• Clerk — manages account authentication
• Airtable — stores business, job, and applicant records
• Make.com — runs the automated screening pipeline
• Vercel — hosts the Fern website and application
• Stripe — processes payments when a business unlocks a role

Some of these providers store or process data outside New Zealand. Where personal information is disclosed overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure it receives comparable levels of protection, consistent with our obligations under the Privacy Act 2020.

We do not sell applicant or business data to third parties, and we do not share applicant information with any business other than the one the applicant applied to.

7. How long we keep information

• Applicant information is retained for 6 months after a role is closed, unless otherwise requested, after which it is deleted unless the applicant is hired or requests otherwise
• Business account information is retained for the life of the account plus 6 months after closure, unless otherwise requested, for legitimate business and legal purposes

8. Your rights

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

• Ask what personal information we hold about you
• Ask us to correct that information if it's wrong
• Make a complaint about how we've handled your information

To exercise any of these rights, contact fernrecruitmentsupport@gmail.com. If you're not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.

9. Security

We use industry-standard authentication and access controls to protect data on the platform, including restricting access to locked (unpaid) role data at the server level.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be noted with an updated "Last updated" date above.

11. Contact

Questions about this policy: fernrecruitmentsupport@gmail.com