A party that asks you for money to get work is, according to the Fraud Helpdesk, a warning sign [1]. At VOIDS, taking part is always free for students and starters according to our website, because companies pay for placements [2]. As a candidate you have privacy rights: access, correction and in some cases deletion of your data [3]. The Dutch data protection authority (AP) names four weeks after the end of an application procedure as the usual retention period on rejection, and a maximum of one year with consent as reasonable [3].
What is a talent pool?
A talent pool is a collection of candidates that an agency proactively proposes to employers, including for roles that aren't yet public. According to the VOIDS website, as a member you get personal matches, off-market opportunities and invitations to events; we put you forward to an employer if there's a concrete match, not broadly [2]. Note the difference with the community: 4,000+ is the number of students and starters in our community, not the number of people in the talent pool.
What does it cost you?
According to the Fraud Helpdesk you shouldn't pay for work for which you should be the one being paid [1]. That's not a statutory rule but a warning against fraud; see our article on fake job ads. At VOIDS taking part costs nothing and the companies where we place people pay [2].
How long may an agency keep your data?
For applications the AP gives a guideline. If you aren't hired, it's customary for data to be deleted no later than four weeks after the end of the procedure. You can give consent for longer retention, for example for a later vacancy; a reasonable period is then a maximum of one year after the end of the procedure [3]. VOIDS states in its privacy policy that candidate profiles are kept for up to 12 months so that we can contact you about future opportunities, and that you take part in the talent pool with consent [4].
Which rights do you have?
- Access: you may know which data an organisation holds about you [3]
- Correction: you can ask for incorrect or missing data to be adjusted or completed [3]
- Deletion: in some cases you can ask for your data to be erased [3]. In 2020 the AP imposed a fine of € 6,000 on a recruitment company that hadn't deleted the data of three people after they asked; the fine was made public in 2024 [5]
- Complaint: go to the organisation first; if you can't resolve it, you can file a complaint with the AP [3]
With whom does an agency share your data?
VOIDS states in its privacy policy that candidate information is only shared with potential employers when relevant for a specific opportunity, that employers must treat the information as confidential and may only use it for recruitment, and that service providers for our website and communication systems may also have access [4]. The talent page states that your profile isn't shared broadly and that you can ask at any time for your data to be changed or deleted [2]. You can ask via contact@voids.agency.
What do you look out for with any agency?
- Read the privacy policy: which data are kept, for how long and with whom are they shared?
- Ask whether your profile is only put forward per vacancy with your consent
- Check that you don't have to pay anywhere and don't have to send a copy of your ID before there's an employment contract
- Keep proof of your deletion request and ask for confirmation
Sources
- Fraudehelpdesk: Ik heb gereageerd op een vacature, accessed 11 October 2026.
- VOIDS: Talent: community, jobboard en talentpool, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (2025): Job applications (quick answers for applicants), accessed 11 October 2026.
- VOIDS: Privacybeleid, accessed 11 October 2026.
- Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (2024): Boete voor recruitmentbedrijf om negeren verwijderverzoeken, accessed 11 October 2026.
Transparency: VOIDS connects working students with organisations and therefore has an interest in this topic. We back up facts with sources and connect research and trends to our own experience from practice.
