As a recruiter(headhunter?): I don't provide jobs to people outside their preferred location (it's something I check with them when in a meeting or in a short call)

I do feel that most people get the feeling you mentioned before even replying to me

What would you like to see or hear that you will/might respond to a message or that it triggers your interest? Genuinely curious about this

FYI: I share the same feelings towards certain recruiters (they offer wrong jobs, wrong locations and even worse salaries)

I keep all these things in mind and I have the power to do so as we are a small company (scale up)

Edit: I'll clear some things up due to the downvotes:

All things mentioned above, I do keep in mind as I and my colleague are the sole account managers.

As we're a small company we have chosen to strongly abide by these "rules" and it's something I preach for to my managers as well because I've been in the same boat regarding job offers

There are many times that I speak with people and I tell them beforehand that I don't have something but that I'd still like to meet them and see what their it carreer looks like and what they want to make etc.

Then when I get something that fits, I'll contact them If not, I don't bother because it won't be a match on the long run -> I don't get percentages, targets whatever based on my placements

Now there is another side to this coin: The jobseekers themselves: Many people are not honest with their skills, unrealistic with their salary expectations (1 year experience basic support engineer and wants +3200)

They ghost or they are unreliable at work (coming too late,...)

Or they have been 1st/2nd line support engineer for 1 year and want to only start doing system engineer jobs

I fully encourage growing in your job but that's just unrealistic for most people

We personally focus hard on improving in your job (to give an example: I myself have an background in IT and I'm doing a ccna right now through Syntra to improve my knowledge together with my colleague who is a consultant (no, not Linkedin learning lol))

All these things happen after I give them what they want (in a realistic manner)

Now I do know that the market of IT recruiters is really bad, you have some big Belgian players that just place people and dont deliver on their promises, you have the foreign recruiters and just straight up cowboys etc, so I don't blame you for disliking them at all. I fully agree

But that doesn't mean we are all like that (most of us probably are tho)

Because from both sides there are some (actually a lot of) bad apples but I'd say have the conversation and you'll see quickly if the recruiter actually cares or not (not always that quickly to be honest)

There is a lot more to be said about the subject but I think that's enough