Did you nail that interview? Signs to look for

At the moment, Australia’s unemployment rate is remarkably low at 3.8% which means it’s an employees market. If you skipped economics in school or don’t really know what that means: there are plenty of jobs to go around because the majority of the population is working. So if you’re unemployed or looking to make a career move, you’ve got options! This also means you can probably push for your non-negotiables to be met. If you need a refresher on what non-negotiables are and why they’re important, take a look at this article here.

However you decide to capitalise on this employee-friendly market, you’re bound to arrive at an interview sooner or later. And we know this can be a nerve-racking time for people. 

Take it from us, we’ve helped our clients place thousands of candidates throughout the years, so we know a thing or two about how to handle an interview! 

And we get it. Waiting to hear back can be a nerve-racking. If you’re feeling stressed, take it as a good sign. Because it shows you care!

First and foremost, we recommend that you don’t email the HR manager to address the elephant in the room. So then how do you really know if your interview went well or not? The good news is there are a number of signs to indicate whether or not your interview went well. So, take a breath. Inhale. (One and two). And exhale.

Quit chewing your nails and check out some of these telltale signs to quell those nerves.

TIME

Let’s talk brass tacks. If your interview went over time and you’re at the early stages of the interview process, it’s a promising sign that things went well.

It’s safe to say the HR manager has other candidates they're talking to, let alone their other day to day responsibilities they've get to. So they’ve chosen to keep the interview going because they're interested in YOU. They want to explore if you’re a good fit for them. 

But don’t ring the bell yet, if you have great chat it’s possible the HR manager really enjoyed chatting with you. So be wary of that too!

And don’t panic if your interview ends early. Sometimes the HR manager just needs a few points to get started on the initial screening call or they might just have competing priorities in their day. So if it goes short it’s not always a bad sign, and if it goes over it’s often a good sign and an indication that you’ll hear back. 

CONVERSATION

We all know what a good conversation is. It’s like a dance, two people ebbing and flowing in and out of a rhythm. Now, an interview is a conversation too, but this type of conversation is usually dominated by one person directing a line of questioning at the other. So thinking back to your interview, did you feel like you received genuine responses? Did you make them laugh or smile? Did it flow like a dance? In other words, did the interview feel like it was a conversation between two people as opposed to a direct line of questioning? If yes, take this as a good sign too! 

Like any good conversation it’s been two people who are interested and engaged in each other. So it’s a good idea to come up with some questions of your own. But instead of pulling out the generic moves like, “What is your favourite part about working here?” or our personal favourite “What are the benefits like?”, try asking these questions during an interview to keep the conversation going but also show some real strategic intent:

1. What does success look like in the role for you?
2. What kind of help do you/the manager need right away? 
3. What has kept you here?

Asking your interviewer questions lets you gauge their level of enthusiasm about the organisation and helps you figure out whether or not the role is the right one for you.

PREPARATION

If the interviewer knows your resume better than you did and was armed with plenty of thought-out questions about your experience, it means they were prepared. And if they’re prepared it’s another really good sign that they’re interested in you. 

It also communicates that the organisation takes their hiring process seriously, and is well organised which all leads to signs that you’ve landed a good opportunity. 

Another good sign is if the HR manager starts preparing you for what work would be like if you were to get the role. If they start chatting about what the people are like, or if they start offering you little tidbits about certain people or disclaimers about how types of things work ‘around here’, just go with it. Let them keep going and let them know you’re interested. Don’t play hard to get, make sure you communicate you’re interested. 

SELL SELL SELL

If you felt like you were being sold the role, you’re in hot demand! They might do this if they think you’re interviewing at different places and think you’re a great fit. They will do their best to convince you that this is the best place for you.

Now, make no bones about it, it’s HR’s job to sell you. But there’s a difference between an HR manager rattling off great aspects of the role and speaking highly of the job, and you being sold on why you’d enjoy the job. 

NEXT STEPS

If the interviewer starts discussing the next steps during the interview or you feel like they’re moving things along quickly, it’s because they’re trying to remove the obstacles and get you going as quickly as possible, which is also a great sign. This is more likely to happen during the early stage of the interview process, so it’s not necessarily a hole in one if you’re at the later stages of the interview process, but it’s definitely a good sign early on. 

If the conversation at any stage of the process goes to the medium to long-term future, this is also a good sign. If they want to know if you have travel plans, or if you’re going away at all, they want to know if you’re going to be a fit long term. This will be prompted by questions like “What’s your ideal start date” or “I want to loop in someone else for you to meet”.

As a tip, you should always send a follow-up thank you message. If you get a response, it’s a very good sign. Because it’s not common to get a response to that email. 

Remember, a great interview should leave you feeling positive and clear about the next steps. Trust your instincts, take a walk and stay calm!