> Should hiring decisions be entirely divorced from context?
If by 'context' you mean things not related to the applicants ability to do the job, yes. They don't have anything to do with the ability to do the job.
> Should employers not worry about anything but 'can the person do the job right now'?
No, they should not. Whether they can do the job is your first and only concern.
There are so, so many reasons why someone might be forced to take a less than 'optimal' job. Maybe there are no appropriate jobs in the area available anymore and the applicant is trying to switch fields to one where they can find work. Or maybe they have a family now and can't do the 70-80 hour work weeks for lead dev positions they could do when they were single. Or maybe they've developed anxiety from having the weight of a business' systems lying on their shoulders alone and want a generally easier gig. I've known people in my peer group their late 20s and early 30s that found themselves in all these situations.
These are not the applicants fault, and to reject him on that basis alone makes no sense.
If by 'context' you mean things not related to the applicants ability to do the job, yes. They don't have anything to do with the ability to do the job.
> Should employers not worry about anything but 'can the person do the job right now'?
No, they should not. Whether they can do the job is your first and only concern.
There are so, so many reasons why someone might be forced to take a less than 'optimal' job. Maybe there are no appropriate jobs in the area available anymore and the applicant is trying to switch fields to one where they can find work. Or maybe they have a family now and can't do the 70-80 hour work weeks for lead dev positions they could do when they were single. Or maybe they've developed anxiety from having the weight of a business' systems lying on their shoulders alone and want a generally easier gig. I've known people in my peer group their late 20s and early 30s that found themselves in all these situations.
These are not the applicants fault, and to reject him on that basis alone makes no sense.