[mikekchar]

Interviews are a 2 way street. Candidates have as much right to evaluate the companies that are trying to hire them as the opposite.

Not the OP but, absolutely I want a personalised interview! I want the company I'm working for to care about the people they hire -- not to efficiently fill empty seats. Yes, normally that means I tend to work for startups. I'm happy with that.

It's fair to say that you want to be able to evaluate potential employees cheaply before you invest a full interview. It's also fair for people to offer ways to do that evaluation rather than running through someone's maze. Neither side needs to accept the other's offer, but there's no need for either side to take it badly.

A "no" is quite a good result if the company would otherwise be wasting the candidate's time.