Q. Why have you asked me to provide you with a scanned copy of my passport, or photo ID Driver’s licence, when I am applying for a permanent job ?

A. Due to The Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 2003 we now require proof of identification, and eligibility to work in the UK for ALL candidates (UK / EU / or Non- EU ) who are submitted for a role.

For more information, please check out http://www.berr.gov.uk/employment/employment-agencies/index.html

The Regulations stipulate that this information need only be provided to the agency "prior to introduction or supply", which effectively means before your interview or before starting work in a new position.

Q. I have been informed by another recruitment consultant/recruitment agency that I am going to be blacklisted in the industry as I have turned down an offer made by their client. Does such an industry blacklist actually exist?

A. Let IT Mob put your mind at ease, and assure you that no such blacklist exists. Unfortunately, this is a threat utilised by unscrupulous and unprofessional agencies when a candidate has declined an offer. But rest assured, it is an empty threat.

Please bear in mind that recruitment agencies and consultancies are facilitators; ensuring that candidates are matched up with the right opportunity. As a candidate, however, you have every right to make your own decision regarding the merits of an offer (ie whether to accept, or decline). If you decline an offer in a professional manner, and explain the reasons/rationale for doing so, this should not draw a heated response. The consultant in question may feel aggrieved, due to the loss of their commission, but this should not effect the service provided.

However, it is imperative that both the consultant AND candidate act in a professional manner. If the candidate decides to decline an offer a few days before they are scheduled to start with a client, but does not have the courtesy to ring and notify the agency, it is completely understandable if the candidate is the recipient of a heated response from the consultant. Furthermore, it is also completely understandable if said consultancy refuses to deal with the candidate again, and decides to blacklist or purge that candidate from their own database.