This is a very fair point. The recruiter and the company they're working with don't always have the same incentives, so it's entirely possible the former will p

This is a very fair point. The recruiter and the company they're working with don't always have the same incentives, so it's entirely possible the former will put forward candidates that don't meet the requirements just to fill their quota too. Add this to how the work actually being done in a company often has very little to do with the interview or application process, and well, it's no wonder applying for them is such a crapshoot now.