When most people think about job interviews, they imagine energy, charisma, and quick small talk that instantly builds rapport. But here’s the reality: most software engineers aren’t like that. They’re usually quiet, thoughtful, and happiest when solving problems in the background. This doesn’t make them less capable. In fact, it’s often the opposite. But it does mean that a quick fifteen-minute Teams call is not enough to judge their ability or potential.
Hiring managers often lean too much on first impressions. A candidate who seems shy or reserved might get overlooked, while someone more talkative is assumed to be the stronger hire.
The problem? Research shows this approach doesn’t work. Google’s former Head of People Operations, Laszlo Bock, explained that unstructured interviews are some of the least effective predictors of job performance. Structured interviews combined with real work samples, on the other hand, give you a far better picture of someone’s ability.
And many engineers are naturally introverted. Harvard Business School research shows that introverts are often disadvantaged in hiring and promotions simply because workplaces (and interviews) tend to reward extroverted energy over quiet focus. So if your process relies on first impressions alone, you’re almost guaranteed to miss out on some exceptional talent.
Reserved doesn’t mean incapable. Many engineers aren’t natural self-promoters, they’d rather show their skills through the work itself. A quick Teams call doesn’t capture that.
Performance isn’t about charm either. The ability to design scalable systems, debug under pressure, or write clean code has very little to do with how confident someone sounds in the first five minutes. And unfortunately, bias creeps in when your interview process favors extroverts. You end up filtering out incredible problem-solvers who just don’t “perform” in surface-level conversations.
If you really want to understand an engineer’s potential, your process needs to go deeper:
- Structured technical interviews: Use coding challenges or real-world design scenarios.
- Collaborative problem-solving: Let candidates work through a task and explain their thinking.
- Pair programming or take-home tasks: Practical tests replicate the work environment far better than a Team’s call icebreaker.
- Multiple touchpoints: Give candidates more than one chance to connect, the quiet ones often shine once they’ve warmed up.
Software engineers aren’t hired to entertain in interviews. They’re hired to solve complex problems, build systems that work, and think in ways most of us can’t.
A fifteen-minute Microsoft Teams call will never show that. If you want the best people, you need to go beyond first impressions and create an interview process that actually lets their skills shine.