we have no idea what we are talking about

1st in Software Development from a leading tech institute. A few years practical experience as a developer. An active, ongoing interest in new technology coupled with a semi-impressive github profile.

  we are only interested in squeezing candidates for leads

If you offer me a lead, I'll take it. I don't however, speak to candidates with the intention of simply farming them for market info. I will only ever speak to a candidate if I legitimately think I can help them. Your time is just as valuable as mine and I've no interest in wasting either.

  we like to pigeon-hole everyone we speak to into a specific role

Key-word matching is what bad recruiters do. They also happen to be the same people who can't differentiate between Java & javascript. How am I meant to know what your perfect job is if I have never spoken to you? That's why I don't ring people with the intention of shoe-horning them into a generic job spec that's sitting on my desk.

The very fact that he is here talking to us tech-types puts him outside the realm of all of the tech recruiters I've ever known. I think that's enough to at the very least give him the benefit of the doubt.

It varies quite a bit to be fair. It depends on a number of factors including salary level, client size, formal agreements in place, potential for future business, etc.

The lowest fee I have charged to date is equivalent to 15% of the candidates salary. I have also worked on roles where my fee has been 35% so as you can imagine, it really is circumstantial.