However, these approaches may be viewed as intimidating by recruiters because their focus is filling the reqs or jobs they already have on their plate.

For them it should be pointed out this is a long term strategy that pays dividends over time. And, it’s not necessary to stop everything you’re doing to reinvent yourself as a recruiter. Rather, take one or two techniques and begin to incorporate them in your weekly and monthly plan. As your network grows it will provide improved access to people and information.

Your pyramid perspective is fine but I’ve preferred to describe it as ’spinning the web’. That image more closely reflects the inter-connections of a network and how individuals far removed from one another by time, space, or discipline can affect a connection across the ‘web’.