I attended 3 interviews, the third being a face-to-face session that the hiring manager suddenly decided to have. I understand that there is one final interview that I did not manage to get to.
First interview was with a peer (virtual). It went well and there was mutual rapport.
Second interview (also virtual) was with the hiring manager. She categorically commented that I was able to pinpoint the key issues surrounding the company. Based on that, I gathered that she was impressed and she excitedly invited me to meet at her office. I sent a thank you note after the interview and she promptly responded, and requested the HR to arrange the face-to-face meeting.
When I arrived at the office for the face-to-face meeting, it became split up into 2 segments:
1) Interview with another peer - This went smoothly and I did not note any red flags.
2) Face-to-face chat with the hiring manager - Again, this went smoothly and there were good vibes. She categorically asked if I was "still interested" in the role. I confirmed my interest and she said she will arrange for me to chat with her superior, which would be the final round. Again, I sent a thank you note following this meeting and the hiring manager responded promptly.
The next week, I got the shock of my life - The HR informed me via email that they would be proceeding with other candidates because they "more closely meet the position requirements", which is a generic reason. I requested for specific feedback for me to take away from my time invested this process, but the HR didn't reply. Hence, I dropped a note to the hiring manager (who had been so passionate and responsive till that point in time), but she just ghosted me and simply forwarded my email to the HR, who basically replied with a generic email again. I am utterly disappointed at the drastic change in attitude of the hiring manager.
In conclusion, the good vibes don't mean anything at all until you get the offer. If you get hired, good for you. If you don't, sorry - you wasted your time on a company that doesn't even have the basic decency to provide feedback to candidates who invested precious time on them.