**Excerpt:** A candidate arrives late, ignores interview preparation instructions, struggles with their technical setup, and leaves a poor first impression. Most hiring managers would reject them immediately. But what if they are the most qualified candidate for the role? Discover how leading companies separate interview performance from job performance, avoid costly hiring mistakes, and identify when a bad interview should not outweigh exceptional technical skills. Learn the key factors every recruiter and hiring manager should consider before rejecting a great engineer after a poor interview experience.