I had one phone screen interview with a third-party recruiter. Second phone screen was with the hiring manager. Third interview was 1:1 interview with the hiring manager and four other members on the management team. The initial interviews were standard screening interviews. Very detailed and well done.
The 1:1 got off to a bad start when the hiring manager came out to the lobby smiling, looked me up and down, and suddenly looked very disappointed. Yes, I am in my 40s, not overweight nor hideous, but was qualified and my current position was in performing the same duties as their position required (as came out in the screening interviews).
The interview quickly degenerated as the hiring manager seemed to be justifying themselves that I could not, would not, and did not have any applicable skills to perform the job duties. I did fantastic when interviewing with the other members of the panel (was 1:1 with each) and felt I was a great fit for the position and the company. Wrap up interview with the hiring manager was spent with me trying to salvage a possible hiring opportunity. The hiring manager had no interest and would have saved a lot of time if they had just said I was not a fit or otherwise ending the interview. This interview cost me a half-day pay.
In a follow up with the recruiter, and without me going into any details or bringing up my suspicions, I was cautioned that Austin was a small technical community, and this interview relationship should be kept amicable (sort of an implied threat?).