How Do You Know if the Interview Went Well?

For many people an interview can be a nerve-racking experience. After an interview, the majority of people feel relieved; partly that the interview is over and partly because they feel the interview went well, but how can you tell if the company really is interested in you?

The closing remarks of an interview are a good indicator to judge how well an interview went. The interviewer will show his or her level of interestby informing you of the post-interview process and getting in contact with you.

Another sign is the body language. Smiling, leaning forward and eye contact are all examples of positive body language that shows that the interviewer is engaged. Nodding and taking notes can also be seen as affirmative responses and displays that what you are saying holds some sort of significance.

Throughout an interview you can normally sense if you share any chemistry or connection with the interviewer. So-called ‘small-talk’ is a common icebreaker for an interview and it is normally a pretext to relax the atmosphere and ensure that the conversation flows smoothly. In this period you can judge if the interview is going well or not and whether you have made a good first impression.

In the event that the interviewer asks about other job prospects it displays an eagerness to hire you. This is where the interviewer measures how ‘in-demand’ you are and how high the risk of you accepting a position elsewhere is, which can force them to speed up the hiring process to prevent losing out on you.

Time is a factor in everything and the longer an interview overruns the better it is. Typically time is costly for business, but an elongated interview displays an intent and enthusiasm that would not be granted otherwise. In addition to the first point about the closing remarks, if the interviewer gives you a time frame of when you can expect to hear back from them it reveals that you are a candidate that they are considering.

When answering questions that you have asked, the level of detail in the answer will expose whether the interviewer is still considering you. At this point the interviewer will be trying to subtly sell the position to you if you are still a potential candidate in their eyes.

The ideal statement is when the interviewer asks: “when can you start?” — this is often a sure sign that you have made a positive impression and will likely be having a second interview where applicable. In the case of a recruitment agency, they will be doing their best on your behalf to sell you to the employer.

Joe Mackenzie

Photo credits: Designed by Freepik

This article is restricted. You have to be logged in to be able to add further reactions.