Imagine this scenario.
A candidate applies for a senior engineering position. Their résumé is impressive. Their technical assessment scores are among the highest you've seen. Their experience aligns perfectly with the role, and every indication suggests they have the skills needed to succeed.
Then the interview begins.
They're three minutes late. That's not bad, after all, it happens to everybody.
When they join, their camera is off. After being asked to turn it on, they reluctantly do so. The image is blurry. The camera sits off to the side of the desk, while the candidate stares at the monitor in front of them. To make matters worse, the camera points toward a bright window behind the person, leaving their face barely visible.
The interviewer then discovers the candidate has not read the interview preparation instructions. Their development environment isn't set up correctly.
The interviewer suggests that the candidate sets it up now, as it might not take more than a minute or two, and they can both continue with the interview.
Then, without a word, the candidate disconnects from the call entirely while trying to configure their work machine (they had mentioned they are not using their private laptop).
At this point, many hiring managers are ready to reject the candidate.
But should they?
The Danger of Judging Job Performance Through Interview Performance
Interviews are designed to predict future performance. However, they are not the job itself.
Many highly capable engineers, architects, and technical specialists spend their days solving complex problems; not optimizing lighting, camera angles, or virtual meeting etiquette.
The question companies should ask is not:
"Did this person interview well?"
Instead, ask:
"Are the issues we observed likely to affect their ability to perform the actual job?"
In my case, I was hoping that the candidate's internet connection just got cut off. If this were the case, we would resume the interview, maybe just on a different day.
But I wrote to them, and they never replied.
For the record, I have never felt so "ghosted". In this case, it was clear. The candidate did not pass the interview.
But were there cases, in which, accident happen, completely unrelated to the candidate, which prevent them from completing their interview?
When Companies Should Continue the Hiring Process
1. The Role is Primarily Individual Contributor-Focused
If the candidate demonstrates rare or difficult-to-find expertise, especially in highly specialized domains, it may be worth separating technical ability from interview logistics.
Exceptional talent is often scarce. Poor interview preparation should not automatically outweigh proven capability.
For system engineers, data engineers, machine learning specialists, or infrastructure experts, communication and presentation skills may be less critical than technical execution.
If the role requires building systems rather than selling ideas, technical competence should carry significant weight.
❗Double check whether this person is hired as an external consultant to get a job done and then leave; or whether they are supposed to integrate and work well together with a team.
2. The Candidate Shows Accountability
Did they acknowledge the issues? Did they apologize? Did they take ownership?
Mistakes happen. Accountability often predicts future success better than perfection.
3. The Interview Problems Appear Situational Rather Than Behavioral
A bad internet connection is different from arrogance.
A poorly configured laptop is different from refusing to prepare.
Companies should distinguish between temporary obstacles and persistent professional behaviors.
The Best Hiring Teams Look Beyond First Impressions
None of this means companies should ignore professionalism.
Punctuality, preparation, and communication matter.
However, great hiring decisions require distinguishing between signals that predict job success and signals that merely predict interview success.
The best candidates are not always the best interviewees.
And sometimes the engineer who struggles through the interview setup is the same engineer who will solve your toughest technical challenges six months later.
But when the engineer acted unprofessionally and disrespectfully towards one or more people on your hiring team, my verdict is Do No Hire.