Thanks for this research link! I couldn't argue with that. Bad UI makes a bad impression (and is embarrassing).

I guess my main gripe is that companies with exceptionally good UI are the ones that tend to look over candidates who don't also showcase strong visual design, but in reality those new hires would be working within their design system, so the value of more visual design skills is diminished compared to other skills. So really, it's more prudent to look for candidates that demonstrate ability to work consistently within a visual vocabulary, whether or not its stellar, while also demonstrating ability to dive deep on the UX aspects of the job.