How to know if an interview really went well

Staffing firms get to hear both the candidate and interview perspective on interviews. Time-and-time again, we see candidates coming out of an interview glowing and thinking it went great while the hiring manager says they’ll be looking in a different direction.

There are several factors at play here:

• People are generally polite.
• There are laws that keep employers from being forthright with their impressions.
• The human spirit is generally endearing and optimistic.

As a result, candidates are likely to feel a generally positive “vibe” with the interview regardless of how well it has actually gone. The fact of the matter is unless the employer hinted toward next steps, you likely won’t be hearing back.

In some cases, the interviewer may be explicit in setting next steps:

• Setting up a follow-up meeting
• Getting very specific about the on-boarding process (this is more telling if given toward the end of the interview and isn’t just a general heads-up on how the process might go)

Other ways an interviewer can express interest in follow-up include:

• Double-checking that it’s okay to contact your references
• Asking how they can validate some specifics in your background

These are just a few examples. The important point is that without some sort of hint that the employer intends to take the next step closer to hiring you, any good will you felt in the interview is probably just niceties.

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