For 2 decades, I've worked as a software developer, as well as training and coaching developers in the disciplines of software development.
Through my work and through conferences, workshops and other events, I come into contact with hundreds of software developers every year, and I get a good overview of
Lol. This is not the calibre of the developer pool, it’s that the company sucks and the great developers can tell that by the time they finish reading the job post.
Edit: Let’s all say it together: “Great developers land at great jobs with great bosses and great pay and great work/life balance.” Then they spend decades telling anyone asking them to change jobs to go fuck themselves.
Source: I hear a polite version “go fuck yourself” all the time. Usually over a shared lunch that I paid for. As it should be. The talent is out there, and mostly happy where they are. They just don’t want to talk to a shitty employer. Heck, they usually don’t even want to talk to my excellent employer.