Would you mind if I contact you with some questions? They don't relate to anything confidential, but they aren't the sort of things I can ask a recruiter.
(Posting anonymously because I'm in the middle of interviewing with Google)
My experience so far has been very different. I was contacted by a recruiter a few weeks ago. I had a phone interview within a week of the initial contact. Within three days, they got back to me to schedule an onsite interview.
The one negative I've encountered so far: Google has an office near where I live, but will not interview me there. This will require significant travel on my part.