One challenge when interviewing for a job is whether it went well or not. And without getting a direct offer, even your intuition might be wrong about how you did.
But there is some good signs to look for that likely signal you will get the job. Let’s take a look at what those are and why it might indicate you’ll get hired.
Good Signs You Got the Job After an Interview
There are many signs you got the job after an interview. These signals are something that can definitely clue you in that you are the top candidate.
1. Plenty of positive body language.
You might notice the interviewer seems relaxed, excited, showing they are vested in your answers, and you see other positive body language cues. This doesn’t alone mean you’ll get the job after the interview, but is a good sign they like you.
2. They indicate when you’ll be working there.
Subtly, you may pick up the interviewer using phrases that indicate a potential start date or basically indicating when you’d be able to start. Of course, that’s if you accept an offer they send you! But you’ll hear things like “When you start..” or “When you work here…” compared to “The person we hire will start…” language.
3. The conversation becomes casual.
Beyond the professional and detailed questions, you notice the interviewer becomes more laid back and personal with you. This can indicate that they trust you already and think your skills are the right fit. So now they are trying to get to know you better in a more informal way.
4. The interview runs over the scheduled time.
Often a good sign you might get the job is if your interview goes long. If the interviewer is asking more questions or enjoying the chat, it is often a good sign they are enjoying the conversation when it goes over the scheduled time. This is when they might tell you more about the company, team, etc.
5. You get introduced to other team members.
If you are interviewing for a remote job, you’ll probably have separate virtual interviews scheduled with other team members. But it’s possible the interviewer could ask someone to hop on the video if the interview is going well.
And if you are in person and the hiring manager walks you around and introduces you to others, it’s a positive indicator a job offer is coming your way.
6. They are interested in your current job search.
During your job interview, you might be asked about your current search. At this point they are usually looking to see how far along in the process you are and how quickly they might need to move. If the company wants to move quickly with you in the interview process, that’s a good sign they are interested in you.
7. Deeper dive into salary, benefits, and culture.
A good job description will already include details on salary, benefits, and culture. Unfortunately, not all do. But a good hiring manager will dive into some of these details during the interview.
But a positive sign you will get the job is when they spend a lot of time on this and seem to be selling you on those benefits.
8. They pitch you on how great the company is.
Beyond pitching you on the benefits and perks, they are working on selling the company to you. They want to get you excited about the job role, managers, coworkers, and overall company. Their goal is to impress you, so you have no hesitations on accepting a pending job offer.
9. You are asked to provide references
During the interview or towards the end they might ask you for references. Not all companies and jobs will do this even if you get an offer. So don’t be discouraged if this is not asked of you during your interview process.
But for those that do – if they ask for them during the interview and you find out they were contacted – it’s a good sign a job offer might be coming your way.
10. Very attentive to your answers and interests.
Have you ever had a job interview where the person conducting it seems disinterested?
It doesn’t mean you are necessarily bombing the interview, some are just poor at paying attention. I had one or two of these before, even though I was highly qualified for the role I applied.
But if you notice the interviewer is very attentive, is telling you how impressed they are, and asks you more questions specific to your past roles and interests – they are digging your vibe.
11. They ask follow up questions to your responses.
Typically, the interviewer will have a list of specific interview questions to run through. Some common ones like “Why Do You Want to Work Remotely?, “What Are You Most Proud Of?”, or “Do You Want To Tell Us Anything Else About You?”
But if the interviewer is going deeper and asking additional follow up questions on the fly, it’s a good sign they are intrigued by you.
12. Mention often they want to move quickly with next steps.
Beyond the other positive indicators you will get the job, you’ll notice the interviewer talks about next steps often. Maybe they mention how fast they want to move you through the process or even schedule the next interview during your meeting with them.
13. They email first or reply quickly to your thank you email.
After your interview, I always recommend you send a quick followup email thanking the interviewer for their time, maybe a quick recap, and your interest in continuing the conversation. If you get a fast reply or they even email you first with excitement, then it’s a good sign you are high on their priority list of candidates.
14. They talk about the overall onboarding process as a new employee.
One area an interviewer might dive deep into is the onboarding process. Usually this is towards one of the last interviews or when you are actually hired. But if discussed in an early job interview, this can indicate that they see you in this role and want to share what the process is like.
15. Using various verbal indicators that they are impressed with you.
Lastly, there are additional verbal indicators they are impressed with you. Beyond positive body language, you’ll hear things like “That’s really cool, I love XYZ” or “I’m interested in learning more about something you shared…” or “I’m impressed by XYZ, can you share more about…”
Why You Didn’t Get the Job Even After Positive Signals
“So what gives!? I didn’t get an offer/ job and I noticed almost all of the signs listed above!”
As I mentioned earlier, even with the good signs indicating you’ll get the job, there is no guarantee until that formal offer letter hits your inbox.
Even then, offers can still be rescinded due to various circumstances.
Here’s a few reasons why you might not get the job offer, even when all signs point to you being the selected candidate.
- A change in the business. Whether the hiring budget just dropped, business is pivoting, or economic struggles – it’s possible that the company is no longer hiring for this role even after the interview process.
- A more qualified candidate just interviewed for the job. Sometimes a last minute candidate popped onto the recruiter or hiring managers radar via an application or referral and was deemed a better fit for the job.
- The job title and description has changed. The team hiring decided to go in a different route and update what the job entails. Even if you feel you are a good fit, often the company ends up starting fresh with interviewing for the role.
- The interviewer was more eager than the team. Sometimes the hiring manager may see you as the frontrunner for the role, but the rest of the hiring committee (if there is one) may prefer another candidate. Thus giving you a bit of a false flag that you were going to be hired.
- Your assumption of the signs is off. Maybe you think that many of the signs that you got the job from above happened, but your perception was wrong. While you don’t want to stress yourself out wondering if those signs happened or not, it’s possible you were overconfident in what you think you heard and saw.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are applying for an in-person, hybrid, or remote job – remember that the hiring process will vary from each company.
And although you received good signs you will get the job after an interview, there is just no guarantee that you’ll get an offer.
Often you’ll find your intuition is correct, but don’t let it get you down if it doesn’t happen. And if you do notice any positive signs, do not get discouraged either.
Some hiring managers have a good poker face and it might be difficult to catch their clues that you are a top candidate.
Going on job interviews can be tough, but you got this!
About Todd Kunsman
Todd is the founder of Remote Work Junkie and has been featured in numerous publications like Business Insider, HuffPost, CNBC, and more. He’s been a remote work advocate for close to a decade and has been working remotely full-time for 5+ years. He’s also a marketing, personal finance, and music nerd 🤓
