By Mike Simpson
Wrapping up an interview is exciting, but it’s also a bit nerve-wracking. After all, you won’t know how the hiring manager felt about your performance until you get the call, right? Not necessarily. In some cases, there are signs you will get the job after an interview.
Now, you won’t know anything official until the hiring manager reaches out. But there are usually some clues that can help you determine if an offer could be on the horizon. If you want to find out more, here’s a look at how to know if an interview went well.
The Moments After an Interview
Alright, before we dig into signs you will get the job after an interview, we need to touch on some other points.
In a typical job market, candidates have to submit six applications to get one interview, and it takes around five months to land a new job. That means you dedicate a lot of time and energy to finding a position.
When you start seeing signs you got the job, you might start assuming that your job search is coming to an end. However, it’s critical not to get your hopes up even if you see a ton of signs that you got the job. Why? Well, for a few reasons.
First, nothing is official until you get the offer. It doesn’t matter how complimentary the hiring manager was or how impressed they seemed. If you don’t have a formal job offer in hand, nothing is guaranteed.
Second, you never know how impressive other candidates are. While you might be the top contender when your interview ends, the next interviewee might outshine you. It happens.
So, while a bit of cautious optimism is fine, don’t go any further than that. It isn’t officially yours until you have a job offer, so it’s best not to assume your job search is done. Instead, keep pursuing other opportunities, ensuring your job search stays on track no matter what happens.
Something else you need to do in the days after an interview is allow the process to unfold naturally.
If you follow up after an interview too aggressively, you might waste a lot of your hard work. Hiring managers don’t appreciate candidates rushing or pressuring them. The hiring manager doesn’t have to change their approach to match you’re preferred timetable, so don’t try to speed things up just because you want a decision.
Additionally, try not to dwell on the interview. Overthinking things is only going to increase your stress levels, so try to take a deep breath and continue with your job search while you wait to hear about the results.
20 Signs You Will Get the Job After an Interview
How to know if you got the job; it’s something that candidates think about after every interview. Luckily, there are some indicators that suggest your performance was strong and that an offer may be on the horizon.
If you’re trying to figure out how to tell if the interview went well, here are 20 signs you will get the job after an interview.
1. “When” Instead of “If”
One of the biggest signs that the hiring manager is likely to extend a job offer is using “when” instead of “if” statements in conversation. For example, “when you start” instead of “if you’re selected” suggests that the hiring manager is envisioning you in the role, making it more likely that an offer is coming.
2. Getting a Meet and Greet
Another one of the big signs that you got the job is if the end of the interview turns into a meet and greet. Hiring managers don’t usually take candidates who aren’t top contenders out to see the rest of the team. So, if you’re being introduced to other employees, that’s good stuff.
3. Positive Body Language
The interviewer’s posture can clue you in on how they think the interview is going. If they were smiling when you speak, nodding along with you, and leaning slightly in your direction, those are all signs an interview went well.
4. Saying They’re Impressed
Certain verbal cues are also strong signs an interview went well. If the hiring manager says they were “impressed” by your answers or credentials, that usually means they are interested in what you bring to the table, which works in your favor.
5. Asking for Your References
If the hiring manager requests your job references at the end of the interview, that’s a good sign. It’s a step they may not take with candidates they don’t want to potentially pursue, so requesting your references list suggests that you’re still a contender.
6. Initiating Some Casual Conversation
Interviews usually start off as all-business. If the conversation begins to shift away from your credentials and toward more casual topics, it could mean the hiring manager feels confident in your capabilities.
After all, if they had doubts about your skills or experience, they’d keep asking about them. Once they start discussing more casual topics, it usually indicates that they’ve made up their mind about whether you could handle the job and want to spend the remaining time getting to know you a bit better.
7. Outlining Any Next Steps
Usually, if a hiring manager is interested in a candidate, they want to keep them in the pipeline. Outlining any next steps isn’t just about informing you of what to expect; it’s about keeping you engaged in the hiring process, making it a good sign that a job offer may be forthcoming.
8. Getting the Hiring Manager’s Contact Details
If a person other than the hiring manager has overseen interview scheduling and communications up to this point, getting the hiring manager’s contact details is a big deal. It shows that they want to remain connected directly, indicating they are interested in staying in touch without a person in the middle.
9. Receiving a Rundown of the Benefits and Perks
When a hiring manager finds a strong candidate, they want to entice them. Usually, the easiest way for them to do that is to discuss what the company offers employees, particularly when it comes to benefits. If the hiring manager starts excitedly sharing information about perks, that’s a positive indicator that they’re thinking about hiring you.
10. Asking About Your Transition Timeline
Hiring managers don’t ask candidates about their transition timeline unless they view them as top candidates. So, if they want to find out when you could start, consider that a positive sign. Similarly, if they present their preferred timeline and ask whether it could work for you, that’s also an excellent indication that they’re considering extending an offer.
11. Providing a Workplace Tour
Getting a tour of the workplace is a lot like meeting the team; it isn’t something that happens unless the hiring manager likes you. Typically, the tour is supposed to get you excited about the prospect of working there, increasing the odds that you’ll accept an offer. As a result, you can consider it one of the signs you will get the job after the interview.
12. The Interview Didn’t End Early
Usually, if a hiring manager isn’t interested in a candidate, they aren’t worried about giving them the entire allocated time. Instead, they’ll wrap things up much earlier, ensuring no one wastes any time on an interview that isn’t turning out.
But if your interview takes the full allotted time (or close to it), that’s a positive sign. The hiring manager wanted to spend every available moment learning more about you, so the odds are good that they were generally impressed.
13. There Were Follow-Up Questions
In most cases, hiring managers won’t dig deeper into a candidate’s responses unless they are genuinely interested. So, when it comes to how to know if an interview went well, being asked follow-up questions is a great clue.
14. Asking How You Feel About the Job or Company
Hiring managers often spend a bit of time “selling” the role or company to top contenders. So, if they ask for your impressions of the job or organization, that helps them gauge how you feel and learn about any doubts. Then, they can provide related information to address any concerns, ensuring you feel confident before they potentially extend an offer.
15. Initiating Salary Negotiations
Hiring managers might ask any candidate about their salary expectations. However, engaging in a full-blown salary negotiation isn’t something they’ll do unless they are genuinely interested. So, if there is a bit of a back-and-forth about pay rates and benefits, there’s a decent chance they’re trying to find a number they think you’ll accept when they do extend an offer.
16. Asking You to Sign Off on a Background Check
If permission to run a background check wasn’t part of the initial application, being asked to sign off on one is a good sign. Generally, companies don’t want to invest in a background check unless they are legitimately considering offering you the job. If they give you the permission form, the odds are good that you’re a top contender.
17. “You,” Not “New Hire”
Like using “when” instead of “if,” if the hiring manager starts saying what “you” will do in the role instead of what a “new hire” or “selected candidate” will do, that’s great stuff. It means they are picturing you in the position, so you know you’re at least in the running for the job.
18. Finding Out Your References Were Contacted
Regardless of when you provided your reference list, once those professionals have heard from the hiring manager, you can be pretty confident about your chances. While a hiring manager may contact references for the top couple of candidates, they usually don’t take the time if you’re not a top contender.
19. Immediate Reply to Your Thank You Email
Getting a reply to your thank you email right away is an excellent sign. It shows that the hiring manager feels that remaining in touch is critical and that you’re at the top of their mind, both of which may indicate that an offer isn’t far off.
20. Telling You You’re a Top Contender
In some cases, the hiring manager will be fairly upfront about their interest in bringing you onboard without formally extending an offer. For example, if you ask them, “Is there is anything keeping me from being the top contender for the role?” at the end of the interview, and they say, “No,” that’s a good indication that a job offer is on the horizon.
Putting It All Together
Ultimately, everything on the list above counts as signs you will get the job after an interview. They indicate that the hiring manager is genuinely interested in you as a candidate, so you can feel confident that you made a positive impression.
Just keep in mind that excelling during an interview isn’t a guarantee of anything. You don’t have the job until there’s an offer in your hand. So, even if things go swimmingly, keep up with your job search. That way, if this one doesn’t pan out, you won’t lose momentum.
Good luck!
Co-Founder and CEO of TheInterviewGuys.com. Mike is a job interview and career expert and the head writer at TheInterviewGuys.com.
His advice and insights have been shared and featured by publications such as Forbes, Entrepreneur, CNBC and more as well as educational institutions such as the University of Michigan, Penn State, Northeastern and others.
Learn more about The Interview Guys on our About Us page.