it is really testing a particular set of social skills

I need my engineers to have strong communication skills, so this is intentional and desired.

    ...which have minimal bearing on an engineer's ability to do their job

In positions I've held, communicating and remembering are pretty desirable qualities. For engineers and others. I need my engineers to be able to do those things. You obviously don't. That's fine. We'll hire different engineers. Everybody wins.