Legal
Plain English summary: When you engage Hire Decoded, you are commissioning a professional screening service at a fixed fee. We work to a signed brief, deliver a structured shortlist, and include a GDPR Data Processing Agreement with every engagement. The fee is payable in advance. If no qualifying candidates are found, we deliver a Findings Report and refund 50% automatically. We are not a recruitment agency and charge no placement fee.
Hire Decoded is a recruitment screening and hiring intelligence service operated as a sole trader in Ireland. We provide human CV screening, structured shortlisting, and related hiring support to businesses via hiredecoded.com. References to "we," "us," or "our" refer to Hire Decoded. References to "you" or "your" refer to the client organisation engaging our services.
By submitting an intake form, making payment, or otherwise engaging our services, you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions and the Data Processing Agreement (DPA) incorporated by reference in Section 7. If you do not agree, you should not engage our services.
We offer three service tiers — Essentials, Standard, and Premium — as described on our website at hiredecoded.com. The specific deliverables for each tier are set out on the pricing page and confirmed at the point of engagement. Services are provided on a per-role, fixed-fee basis.
Optional add-on services including Job Description writing, Interview Pack, and Rating Framework are available as described on our website and subject to these terms.
Hire Decoded is a screening and shortlisting service. We are not a recruitment agency and we do not source, headhunt, or directly approach candidates on your behalf. We assess existing applicants who have applied for your role through your own channels. No placement fee applies — ever.
All screening is conducted by an experienced human recruiter against the criteria set out in your signed Role Intake Brief. We do not use automated screening tools or AI scoring as the basis for our shortlist decisions. Candidate CVs are assessed within your own ATS or applicant management system — we do not download or retain candidate data.
Every engagement begins with completion of the Role Intake Brief, which captures your must-have criteria, dealbreakers, salary band, and access instructions for your applicant pool. The signed brief becomes the basis for all screening decisions.
You have 14 days from the date of payment to submit your completed Role Intake Brief. If the brief is not submitted within 14 days, your engagement will lapse and a credit note will be issued for use within 6 months.
If your applicant pool appears insufficient to produce a qualifying shortlist, we will notify you before screening is complete. You may choose to pause the engagement and repost the role, or proceed with the understanding that a Findings Report may be the outcome.
Standard and Premium tier engagements include one revision pass. If the initial shortlist does not reflect the signed brief, we will re-screen at no additional charge following receipt of your written feedback. One revision per engagement.
All fees are as stated on hiredecoded.com at the time of engagement, denominated in Euro (€), and payable in full in advance via Stripe before work commences. Prices are exclusive of VAT where applicable.
For roles receiving more than 150 applications, a supplementary fee may apply. This will always be confirmed in writing before screening begins — you will never be charged without prior agreement.
We do not charge a placement fee, success fee, or percentage of salary at any point. The fixed fee is the total cost of the engagement.
The standard turnaround is 5 business days from receipt of your completed Role Intake Brief. Premium tier engagements carry a 3 business day turnaround commitment.
Turnaround times are targets, not guarantees. We will notify you promptly if an engagement is likely to take longer than the stated turnaround, and will not commence charging any additional fee without your agreement.
Delivery is by email to the address provided in the intake form. You are responsible for ensuring the email address is correct and accessible.
A Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is included with every engagement at no additional cost. The DPA governs the relationship between you (as data controller for candidate data) and Hire Decoded (as data processor) in accordance with GDPR Article 28. By engaging our services you agree to the terms of the DPA.
Screening is conducted by accessing candidate applications within your ATS or hiring system using credentials you provide. Hire Decoded does not download, copy, or independently store candidate personal data. All access is for the sole purpose of delivering the contracted screening service.
You are responsible for ensuring that your use of Hire Decoded's screening service is consistent with your own GDPR obligations and privacy policy, and that candidates have been appropriately informed that their applications may be reviewed by a third-party screening service.
Access credentials provided by you are used only for the duration of the engagement and handled securely. You are advised to revoke access credentials once the engagement is complete.
You agree to:
All shortlist packs, findings reports, interview frameworks, and other written deliverables produced by Hire Decoded are our intellectual property until full payment has been received. Upon receipt of payment in full, you are granted a non-exclusive licence to use the deliverables for your internal hiring purposes.
You may not resell, publish, or share Hire Decoded deliverables externally without our written permission.
Our screening service is provided in good faith by an experienced recruiter. We cannot guarantee that any shortlisted candidate will be suitable for the role, will accept an offer, or will perform to any particular standard once hired. Hiring decisions remain entirely at your discretion.
To the fullest extent permitted by Irish law, Hire Decoded shall not be liable for:
Our total liability to you in respect of any engagement shall not exceed the fee paid for that engagement.
Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, or any matter where liability cannot be excluded under Irish law. Your statutory rights are not affected.
If you cancel after payment but before submitting your Role Intake Brief, a credit note will be issued for the full amount, valid for 6 months.
Once screening has commenced, the engagement fee is non-refundable. If you wish to cancel a live engagement, please contact us immediately at hello@hiredecoded.com.
Where screening is completed and no candidates meet the criteria set out in your signed brief, we will deliver a Findings Report explaining the assessment and automatically refund 50% of the engagement fee. You do not need to request this — it is issued automatically.
If we are unable to complete an engagement due to circumstances on our side, a full refund will be issued.
These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of Ireland. Any disputes shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Irish courts, without prejudice to any rights you may have under applicable EU law.
The European Commission provides an Online Dispute Resolution platform at ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr. Our contact email for ODR purposes is hello@hiredecoded.com.
Hire Decoded
Email: hello@hiredecoded.com
Website: hiredecoded.com