We had just convened for the post interview discussion on a candidate we'd just interviewed.  I thought he'd done okay and was ready vote to move him to the next phase of the hiring process. My boss comes in, takes a seat, and doesn't want to pursue the applicant further.  Why?  Because he was a jerk to the receptionists, and that interaction was part of the interview. Any interaction that you have with a company, and the people that make up the company is fair game for the selection process.  Even if you're having a bad day, and the non-technical HR rep interviewing you keeps spelling out S Q L instead of saying SQL, you've got to keep your game face on.  All interactions ARE the interview process.