I had an initial interview with the VP of Marketing for a Director of Product Marketing role. I was notified in a polite note directly from the VP that they were moving forward with other candidates, but I was very impressed with how the company conducts this part of the process.
The VP contacted me directly within a day or two of my application. He cared enough to do the phone screen himself, rather than hand me off to some recruiter. The interview was excellent, with the VP clearly organized and thoughtful. He had obviously read my resume and the cover letter.
In a way, it's funny to me that I write such a review, but it’s so rare these days to find this level of personal dedication and thoughtfulness. I wasn’t handed off to a brainless AI bot with no human judgment.
This brief experience tells me this is a company and a hiring manager who would be great to work for!