I was contacted about a fully remote position by both the recruiter and the hiring manager. After speaking to both (without the other's knowledge, unbeknownst to me), this is the feedback I received: Hiring manager: You'd be so great for this role, but we can't pay what you're worth in your metro area. You shouldn't have to sacrifice pay for your passion. I know of another company hiring for a similar role that will pay what you're looking for; let me talk to my contact there and get back to you. (This a response I never would've expected during an interview. Such generosity.) Recruiter after a <15 minute conversation: Thank you for your time, but you don't have enough experience. If your company is having problems finding candidates, it could be because your recruiter has limited (if any) understanding of what the hiring manager actually wants and needs in a candidate. Worse, it could be because the recruiter isn't listening. The recruiter in this story interrupted me every time I tried to answer their questions. It could be because you're not offering enough base salary when your benefits are, to be kind, low quality. Either way, saying "you're not qualified" to a candidate who checked all the boxes and has copious experience is rude. For me, it's rude enough that I wouldn't speak to that recruiter again; I do, after all, have a job that compensates better than what they brought to me. A better response would've been, "Your requirements and this position are misaligned," or, "This seems like a mismatch. We're happy to be in touch if a position better meets your experience and your needs."