A recruiter's income is proportional to salary * time-spent-per-position. If they could close deals 20% faster by settling on salaries that are 5% lower, it wou

A recruiter's income is proportional to salary * time-spent-per-position. If they could close deals 20% faster by settling on salaries that are 5% lower, it would increase their annual income. Also, repeat business is controlled by the firm, not by the employee, so it is to their advantage to keep the firm happy.