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And, like it or not, this is one of the main reasons that certifications matter at some job positions. If I have two candidates that are equal in every way except candidate A is more creative but candidate B has the XYZ certification, which one am I going to be better prepared to defend when pushed?

The problem identified in this discussion is that the criteria for hiring are rigid and too narrow in scope, not that they are ill-defined. You could defend why you hired aomeone even if you measured things besides algorithms, and used a dynamic interview process.

I came here to make this point.

We cannot ignore the social / political reality that underlies most of the decision making within a business. Having some sort of pass/fail mechanism is a way of insulating the decision maker from full responsibility of that decision