Tech recruiters really can be this dumb. I've been on both ends several times.

I remember hiring for a test dev, writing the description for the recruiter, I included all the things I'd like to see. Python, test automation experience, open source contributions etc (this was for a public facing repo).

I get back a question a day later asking if they need Java or not. That felt really out of place so I walked over and had a conversation. Turns out they were filtering out anyone who had more than requested. Python AND Java experience? No thank you.

On the upside once we ironed that out I ended up hiring two people I've been friends with for a decade+. Sometimes the recruiters just need help.

Now the other side of things...I've definitely had recruiters screw up and lose very good candidates, but it was always for stupid shit like they forgot to send the offer letter for a week or they accidentally put them in the "no" pile.

Heh, this one time we got a recruiter ping our team out of the blue saying they had a candidate. No one knew what the hell the position was for. Turns out the recruiters had forgot about a bunch of openings we had closed like a year before, they just never took down the postings. We asked him how he found the job, and the candidate said he manual went through the thousands of open positions until he found one that fit him. He hired him after the first round and he turned out to be awesome.

What my company used to do, person A asks for higher hour rate. Manager can't get approval from his manager.

Person A quits, but is told you can always apply for the job again. Request for a new hire is made, people show up, also person A. In the end person A is hired for a better hour rate.

I do know a scrum coach that tried this only to be not hired because person B showed up and they liked him more.