I once had an on-site interview with an unnamed la...

I once had an on-site interview with an unnamed large Bay Area tech company. I flew halfway across the country and drove an hour for it. I was excited, but it was one of those grueling all-day multi-round situations. By midday, there was a break for lunch which I was looking forward to for the mental rest but also to pick the minds of an employee. It's always good to get an insider's view.

Presumably they had volunteers choosing to be interviewee lunch buddies... but it sure didn't seem like that to me. I think I got the most disinterested, flippant, noncommittal person in the whole company. It was clear he couldn't care less about being there and talking to me. He barely made eye contact, and mostly gave one-sentence responses like "It's alright" as he stared at his french fries.

Needless to say it was a major letdown and killed my excitement momentum. This was 100% the reason I didn't get an offer and it definitely had nothing to do with me flunking the next round! (That was sarcasm.) But recruiters and managers in this space should really make sure the employees involved are truly interesting and willing to put forth the best face of the company.