What agencies are asking of me/us
Thread poster: S_G_C
S_G_C
S_G_C
Romania
Local time: 15:51
English to Romanian
Mar 9, 2017

Apart from the reasonable and logical requests, such as a recent CV, information about rates, CAT tools, copies of diplomas/certificates/authorizations and so on, when registering on-line/filling in on-line forms, several companies ask for my date of birth and a few of them even ask for a photo of me. Why is that? It's not like I'm applying for a front-desk or internal HR job and it's not like they are going to send me flowers or gifts on my birthday.

Have you received any similar r
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Apart from the reasonable and logical requests, such as a recent CV, information about rates, CAT tools, copies of diplomas/certificates/authorizations and so on, when registering on-line/filling in on-line forms, several companies ask for my date of birth and a few of them even ask for a photo of me. Why is that? It's not like I'm applying for a front-desk or internal HR job and it's not like they are going to send me flowers or gifts on my birthday.

Have you received any similar requests or any request that seemed awkward/inappropriate to you?

[Edited at 2017-03-09 18:14 GMT]
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Jean Lachaud
Jean Lachaud  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 09:51
English to French
+ ...
several reasons possible Mar 9, 2017

In my experience, many agencies do not understand that working with independent contractors is different from hiring people to work 9-5 jobs in the office.

However, possibly, asking for a photo is supposed to protect them against the known translator-impersonation scam.

And then again such photos of independent contractors find their way on the agency's website, meant to be one of their employees.


 
Annamaria Amik
Annamaria Amik  Identity Verified
Local time: 15:51
Romanian to English
+ ...
Handling personal data Mar 10, 2017

Sorana_M. wrote:

Apart from the reasonable and logical requests, such as a recent CV, information about rates, CAT tools, copies of diplomas/certificates/authorizations and so on, when registering on-line/filling in on-line forms, several companies ask for my date of birth and a few of them even ask for a photo of me. Why is that? It's not like I'm applying for a front-desk or internal HR job and it's not like they are going to send me flowers or gifts on my birthday.

Have you received any similar requests or any request that seemed awkward/inappropriate to you?


In countries with a tradition of bureaucracy like mine/ours, companies tend to ask for personal data too easily.

When I am asked for my personal data that is irrelevant to my business relationship because I issue an invoice and I have a tax number, so they should handle it as a B2B relationship, I always ask the agency: are you registered as a data controller? (Romania: operator date cu caracter personal) Any individual or business entity that regularly handles and works with other people's personal data, i.e. data that can be used to identify the person, must register as a data controller. Normally this question alone deters them from insisting that I give this data. Quite often it turned out they didn't really need it at all.


 
S_G_C
S_G_C
Romania
Local time: 15:51
English to Romanian
TOPIC STARTER
City of birth Mar 10, 2017

I have just tried to fill in an on-line form in a company's own system for vendors. I failed, but my city of birth was a mandatory field.

 
Artem Vakhitov
Artem Vakhitov  Identity Verified
Kyrgyzstan
English to Russian
+ ...
Thanks for the tip, Annamaria Mar 12, 2017

Annamaria Amik wrote:

When I am asked for my personal data that is irrelevant to my business relationship because I issue an invoice and I have a tax number, so they should handle it as a B2B relationship, I always ask the agency: are you registered as a data controller? (Romania: operator date cu caracter personal) Any individual or business entity that regularly handles and works with other people's personal data, i.e. data that can be used to identify the person, must register as a data controller. Normally this question alone deters them from insisting that I give this data. Quite often it turned out they didn't really need it at all.


Thank you for this tip, Annamaria! It can be valuable when dealing with companies that are data-hungry for no apparent reason.


 


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What agencies are asking of me/us







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