To address the OP's 'Perfect World' recruiting scenario: "I'm not sure what the answer is - probably some kind of flat-fee recruiter that makes extensive use o

To address the OP's 'Perfect World' recruiting scenario: "I'm not sure what the answer is - probably some kind of flat-fee recruiter that makes extensive use of technology to automate and clean up the process with some (good) people on standby for edge-cases." This is exactly what Mighty Spring (https://www.mightyspring.com https://www.mightyspring.com) is - a high quality technical recruitment agency which is managed entirely by you, the candidate, through a web app. The app helps you build out your career preferences and then shows you jobs matched to your background. If you're interested in hearing more about a specific opportunity, you can request that a recruiter from Mighty Spring call you to provide more details or put you directly in touch with the company. The best part? Their recruiters are technical and don't call unless you ask them to. (Full disclosure; I'm the founder of Mighty Spring and an ex-recruiter to boot. OP hit the nail on the head with this post, IMHO.)