I was in Colorado at the time, but agreed to meet up and have a video chat about things. When I jumped on the call, I noticed that — surprise! — someone from HR

I was in Colorado at the time, but agreed to meet up and have a video chat about things. When I jumped on the call, I noticed that — surprise! — someone from HR was on the call as well. It's always an onerous sign when HR "joins you" for a call or an in-person meeting. But when the person inviting you doesn't tell you in advance that they'd like to have their pal from HR join in? That's a pretty solid indication that not only is the chat not going the be particularly fun. They've pretty much reached a certain "disconnect" stage with you already, and are already in the mindset of going over your head -- and beyond caring how disconcerting this may be for you, or how you might react. As a prerequisite to excreting you out of their system more formally and definitively, shortly thereafter.