The first stage is a general chat, and whilst I normally like this approach as it gives both sides a great opportunity for a 'vibe check' - on this occasion it was a poor experience. The hiring manager had not even looked at my CV (and looked at my linkedin during the call) so was grossly under prepared to host an insightful conversation with me. I want to be challenged, inspired, and motivated to work for someone and the lack of prep here was off-putting. I had interviewed in Australia for a similar role and was very impressed by the way that hiring manager held the conversation. Slack has a fantastic reputation, and the brand certainly attracted me to apply however the experience between the TA / hiring manager was not a great reflection on brand. Interview difficulty for me was actually boring and I pulled out of the process (although I think they also had a hiring freeze which would also explain the relatively slow follow up).