Until you develop some psychic powers, you’ll never know exactly what your interviewer was thinking. Unfortunately we can’t help you acquire supernatural abilities, but we can provide some clues that will help differentiate whether you “nailed” your interview, or it was the final nail in your candidacy’s coffin.
1. You meet extra people. If the manager you’re meeting with decides to introduce you to his/her team or makes an impromptu introduction to another manager, it’s probably a good sign. There’s no need to introduce you if you’ll never be back in the office.
2. The interview goes longer than expected.If a scheduled one-hour interview turns into three hours of strong back-and-forth banter, things are going really well. A manager has no need to continue a conversation if he/she has decided there’s no future between you and the firm. Conversely, if you’re back out the front door in 20 minutes, it’s probably time to send out some more resumes.
3. You hear, “How soon can you start?” While some companies ask this as a standard part of every interview, you’ve likely made a good impression if the manager isn’t reading the question off a form. It’s an even better sign if this comes later in the interview. This is known as asking “buying” questions. When a manager is truly interested in hiring you, they ask questions specific to closing the deal, such as “when can you start?” and “how much notice do you need to give?”
4. A connection is made. Like a first date, keep an eye out for subtle signs of compatibility. The interviewer’s body language, tone of voice, and demeanor all provide clues to whether or not you’ll be taking things to the next level.
5. You get all the dirty details. If you spend time breaking down the specifics of the role, the daily duties, future growth potential and have all your questions answered, you’ve likely done well. Going into the position’s particulars is a key step in the manager understanding if you’ll fit in.
6. You pick up on a clue from your recruiter. We work with the same clients repeatedly and learn a lot about their processes. Some clients do the same thing every time they are about to make an offer. For example, if you’re asked to meet with the HR Manager with one of our financial clients, it’s almost guaranteed you’ve made it through the technical portion of the interview unscathed and only need a final sign off before seeing an offer letter.