I actually had a very good interview experience at google even though I didn't get an offer. One interviewer and I clearly did not get along but that happens other companies too.
Same here. The recruiter was super nice and it all went very quickly. I got to a second interview, but then didn't make the cut. I understand why; I screwed up those interviews pretty badly. It was my first technical interview ever. But, the experience was great and I'm much better at tech interviews now.
But, unless you were being an ass to that interviewer, whether you got along or not is not a measure of your quality as an employee.
Presumably you were being polite and trying to develop a rapport.
That means you didn't get along because the interviewer brought their own baggage or narrow mindedness into the interview.
This is very common and shows the interview process was incompetent.
That may sound like a strong word, but if you were qualified and they didn't hire you because of what this guy said, then they are, by definition, incompetent.
Maybe arbitrary is a nicer word to use, but it's the same thing.
More importantly, conditions like "unless you were being an ass to that interviewer" make it an entirely sensible comment, in my view. I remember strongly disliking how fellow interviewers had zero empathy. They generally have more power in that situation, and therefore more responsibility for reasonable outcomes.
I definitely agree with your observation that empathy is important, and an interviewer has responsibility for creating an environment in which the interviewee is comfortable.
I also agree with the commentor that interviewers can be very arbitrary, and that is not good.
I only took issue with "That means you didn't get along because the interviewer brought their own baggage or narrow mindedness into the interview. This is very common and shows the interview process was incompetent."
Commentor doesn't know what went on in that room, and doesn't know that this is what happened in this case.
