Obviously, I would prefer to work with this guy than with someone more interesting but clueless. However, this doesn't mean that I would be happy doing it. On

Obviously, I would prefer to work with this guy than with someone more interesting but clueless. However, this doesn't mean that I would be happy doing it. On the one hand, you present a very idealized case: how can she engage in (tangentially) work-related discussions if she's never around when discussions happen outside of meetings? After 8 years in industry and 4 as a PhD student, I have worked with and around many excellent people. However, I still have to meet someone that fits your example. They probably exist, but it is way easier to find either excellent interesting people or excellent boring people who simply won't get as engaged in your team/company. On the other hand, at least for a small company, hiring the wrong person is much more costly than passing on a good candidate. Thus, when you interview (hopefully excellent) boring persons, probabilities are hugely stacked against them.