I'm not even sure what an interview that is not a discussion would look like and even less sure it would provide value, especially when it comes to technical ta

I'm not even sure what an interview that is not a discussion would look like and even less sure it would provide value, especially when it comes to technical talent. There's far too much time spent on validating "can this person do X that they claim they do." That can be easily tested or validated with reference checks. What is hard is knowing if an interviewee knows when to do X, when to do Y, and can they coordinate with teams A and B to get it done.