Technology has made it easier for recruiters to access candidates. Inevitably we have more recruiters and a mass commodity on our hands. In other words, we may have created the very environment that has made recruiters what they are today.
Excellent candidates are typically well known and highly sought-after. This in turn creates a situation where the candidate may be double submitted.
People who know what they are doing -- people who “get it”, or have real talent in their area of expertise -- can instantly and accurately rate the ability of peers in a way others can’t; it’s like a sixth sense. Great designers immediately know when they see good design, because they have refined taste in design. Great programmers know when they see good code, because they have developed taste in code.