It's a bad thing. Here's a true story:
Not long ago, following an interview with a company, I emailed the hiring manager (with whom I had spoken and emailed previously) with a short thank-you for having me in for the day.
Time goes by and I don't hear back from said hiring manager. I follow-up with the HR recruiter a week later, and he'll find out why I haven't heard a reply.
The hiring manager follows up with me a day later, saying among other things that they felt I was trying to "game" their interview process by communicating directly with their team, and was trying to influence their evaluation.
I thanked them for the follow-up and wished them good luck filling their role. The manager then states that they're still considering which candidates to pursue for a final conversation. My reply: I likely wouldn't be a good fit for their culture, but appreciated the consideration.
I'm not sure it ever dawned on the manager why I declined at that point.
