>Here is the other reality: If you are very talented and gifted, NO ONE WILL NOTICE AND TELL YOU.

I haven't had this experience. In any group dynamic that lasts long enough, there's usually at least a few folks making self-deprecating jokes about their intelligence in comparison, or someone explicitly asking for advice "from the big brain" or something similar.

Humor is usually involved, but I'm assuming that's just a way to make a potentially socially risky observation in a more acceptable manner.

Recruiters / management are sometimes more comfortable making blunt assessments of intelligence / talent than peers. To an extent, that's part of their job, so never having gotten that feedback professionally would seem odd.