I don't like receiving unsolicited template emails from recruiters. However, you never know when you might need them, or their colleague, in future. So, althoug

I don't like receiving unsolicited template emails from recruiters. However, you never know when you might need them, or their colleague, in future. So, although I don't respond to unsolicited template emails, I politely respond to individual LinkedIn requests, individual emails and phone calls. It doesn't take long to understand the opportunity, explain my position and ask them to only contact me in future if they have some specific kind of role I'm interested in. Usually they go away with no hard feelings and sometimes they've called me back in a couple of months with something genuinely relevant. Now, just occasionally I've run into a total asshat. In fact, there is a guy who calls me in my current role who actually wants to act as an agent for my company. Every week he calls and asks to speak to <made_up_name>, expresses surprise when I say they don't work here and then asks who's in charge now. Every week I tell him never to call here again and every week he calls. If I could be bothered, I would report him to the phone company, authorities or whatever but frankly, life is too short and it's almost more of an amusement now.