6y
Hi there, this is Aaron (the CEO). First, thanks a bunch for your comments. Our internal mantra is "Love your feedback" which applies whether it's positive (yay, we get to celebrate doing things well) or negative (yay, we learned something that can help us get better). Both are good things and, in this case, it's clearly the 2nd one.
I'm sorry that the experience wasn't great for you. We do put a lot of time and effort into the interview process which, in turn, means candidates have to invest a bunch of time too. We think this investment is worthwhile as changing jobs a big deal and it's best to really get to know each other to make a confident decision.
When I get to meet candidates (I interview every person that joins), it's partly a courtesy to the candidate so that we can connect personally and thoroughly explore whether the direction and culture of the business matches up well with the style and aspirations of the individual. Part of my process is introducing you to other people in the team (I do this for every hire too) so you can get a sense of the character and general nice-ness of our people (you just can get that from an meeting room) - that was what the talking to others thing was all about :)
On the phone behavior, I always take notes for everyone I meet so I can share specific feedback with the hiring manager - sorry I didn't make that clearer, I can see how that might've looked a bit off.
I wish you all the best for your career search - the fact that our process took you to the final chat with me is a signal that you're a great candidate so I'm sure you'll find a great next step. Happy holidays!
Best, Aaron.