Your data, your control

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

    The short version: Your data is yours. We never sell your personal information. We collect only what's necessary to operate the platform. You control what you share, and you can delete your data at any time.
  

1. Who We Are

ThoughtfulHire ("we," "us," "our") operates the website thoughtfulhire.com and the ThoughtfulHire hiring platform. We are the first Thoughtful Hiring platform designed for candidates whose minds work a little differently. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our platform.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

Account information: Name, email address, and password when you create an account.
Profile information (job seekers): Skills, experience, work preferences, and — only if you choose — accommodation preferences. You control what you share. No diagnosis disclosure is ever required.
Profile information (employers): Company name, contact information, job listings, and interview questions.
Contact form submissions: Name, email, and message content when you contact us.
Communications: Messages sent through our platform between candidates and employers.

Information collected automatically:

Usage data: Pages visited, time spent, features used, and general interaction patterns.
Device information: Browser type, operating system, and device type.
Cookies and analytics: We use essential cookies to keep the site working. With your permission, we also use Google Analytics to understand how people use the site, such as which pages are visited and what kind of device is used. Analytics cookies are set only if you choose “Accept All” in our cookie banner. If you choose “Essential Only,” no analytics cookies are set, though Google may still receive a basic page-view signal that carries no identifier linking your visits together. We do not use advertising cookies. You can change your choice at any time in Cookie preferences.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Operate and improve the ThoughtfulHire platform
Match job seekers with relevant opportunities using our AI matching, which is built with bias guardrails and designed for regular audit
Facilitate the interview process, including sending interview questions in advance
Communicate with you about your account, applications, and platform updates
Ensure platform safety and prevent misuse
Comply with legal obligations

4. What We Never Do

    We never:
    Sell your personal data to third parties
Pass on the reason behind an accommodation choice. Your interviewer receives your accommodation choices as interview setup instructions — for example, "session configured for audio-only with captioning." The reasons behind them, any diagnosis, and any self-identification never leave our system
Require you to disclose a diagnosis or medical condition
Use your data for targeted advertising
Share your profile information with employers you haven't applied to

  

5. How We Share Information

We share your information only in these circumstances:

With employers you apply to: We share only the profile information you've chosen to make visible. Your accommodation choices are converted into interview setup instructions for the person interviewing you — what to configure, not why. The reasons behind them, any diagnosis, and any self-identification are never shared with the employer.
Service providers: We work with trusted third-party services for hosting (WP Engine), analytics (Google Analytics), and email delivery. These providers are contractually required to protect your data.
Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, or legal process.

6. Artificial Intelligence

ThoughtfulHire uses artificial intelligence in two distinct ways, described transparently below.

Thea (our AI assistant): Thea is a conversational AI assistant embedded on our website to answer questions about ThoughtfulHire. When you chat with Thea, your messages are sent to Anthropic, the maker of the Claude AI model that powers Thea, and processed to generate responses. We do not use Thea conversations to train AI models. Anthropic's handling of these messages is governed by Anthropic's commercial terms and privacy policy, which prohibit training on API inputs by default. Thea should not be used as a substitute for professional advice of any kind — including medical, legal, financial, or mental health advice. Thea will disclose that she is an AI assistant when you open the chat. You are never required to use Thea; all the same information is available elsewhere on the site.

Candidate-employer matching: ThoughtfulHire uses AI-powered matching to surface relevant opportunities to job seekers and relevant candidates to employers. Matching is based on skills, experience, location, and stated preferences. Our matching system is built with explicit DEI guardrails and designed for regular bias audits. It never uses protected characteristics or accommodation needs to rank or exclude a candidate; accommodation preferences are used only to confirm that an employer can meet them. No AI system is perfect, and matching is a recommendation — not a decision. All hiring decisions are made by human employers, not by our software. You may request human review of any matching outcome by contacting us.

What we never do with AI: We never use AI to make automated hiring decisions. We never share your profile or conversation data with AI providers for training purposes. We never generate AI content impersonating you. We never use facial recognition, voice analysis, or emotion detection on candidates.

Your rights regarding AI: You can choose not to use Thea. You can request information about how matching worked for a specific role. You can request correction of any information AI systems have about you. You can opt out of AI-assisted matching by contacting us, though this will limit platform functionality.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encryption in transit (TLS/SSL), encrypted data storage, access controls, and regular security audits. While no system is 100% secure, we take every reasonable precaution to protect your personal information.

8. Your Rights & Choices

You have the right to:

Access your personal data at any time through your account settings
Update or correct any information in your profile
Delete your account and all associated data
Export your data in a portable format
Opt out of non-essential communications
Withdraw consent for optional data sharing at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@thoughtfulhire.com.

9. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. If you delete your account, we remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

10. Children's Privacy

ThoughtfulHire is not intended for users under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: privacy@thoughtfulhire.com
General inquiries: hello@thoughtfulhire.com