By the time a hiring manager sits down for the first real interview, most candidates have already formed an opinion about the company. Not from the job description, and not from the website. From the scheduling email. From how long it took to hear back. From the tone of a two-line message from a recruiter.
Hiring teams tend to think the interview process starts when everyone is in the room. Candidates experience it very differently. For them, it starts the moment they hit apply, and every touchpoint before the first real conversation is already shaping whether they show up excited or skeptical.