Did I Just Ace My Virtual Interview?

So, you’ve just finished your Zoom, Teams, etc. interview and are wondering to yourself…how did that go? Should I feel positive or pessimistic about my chances of moving forward in the interview process after that? Did I talk too much? Did I not talk enough? Did I sell myself? Were they bored?

DOZENS of questions will run through your head after pressing that red "End" button.

Before I jump into some of the telltale signs your virtual interview went well, let me preface by saying that when it comes to the interview process, there are no guarantees.

If some or all of the things discussed below happened during your interview, it’s certainly a positive and should be taken as such. On the flip side, if some or even all of them didn’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean it was a "bad" interview.

Read on for my Top 10 Signs You Aced Your Virtual Interview…

1.??????Eye Contact and Body Language

As we all know, a lot of things can be “said” and “heard” nonverbally. If your interviewer is making eye contact with the camera often (keep in mind, there may be multiple instances that they are not for notetaking purposes), it’s a great sign of engagement. Also, take note of HOW they sit. Were they upright and at full attention? Or were they slumped over in their seat? Your brain will pick up on numerous nonverbal cues throughout your interview, listen to what it’s telling you.

2.??????They Asked About Other Opportunities

Hiring managers who ask about other opportunities you are pursuing is a very good sign they are considering moving forward. They are trying to gauge how quickly they need to move you through their pipeline to not lose you to another opportunity. And of course, if they schedule your next interview before the end of the first one then you know there’s a high level of interest.

3.??????They Asked You to Meet Others

Not as common in a virtual setting, but if the hiring manager asks you if you can meet with other team members or their manager, you can rest assured that they’ve liked what they’ve heard. Even if this doesn’t happen immediately on the same call, it’s one of the clearest signs that you should be positive about your chances.

4.??????Your Interview Ran into “Overtime”

If your interview was supposed to be 60 minutes long, and you glance at the clock in your taskbar and see you’re now into the 61st minute or more, that is a great sign! Every recruiter runs their schedule differently of course, but I always leave a half-hour minimum between scheduled interviews to wrap up notes, gather my thoughts, and get everything entered into our CRM tool (ok, and maybe grab a snack). That 30-minute timeframe also can get eaten into when I’m highly engaged and want to spend more time getting to know a candidate. ?

5.??????It Felt More like a Conversation

If you hung up feeling like it was more of a “just the facts, please” interrogation-style interview, it doesn’t mean you bombed it. But, if it felt like you and the interviewer(s) could be holding this meeting over dinner and drinks and the conversation just flowed naturally with a lot of back and forth, take that as a huge positive. It also gives you great insight into how you may fit into the company and its culture. And, if they laugh at some of your bad jokes, even better!

6.??????They Laid Out the Next Steps

Very rarely do hiring processes result in an offer after just one interview as we all know. So, if your interviewer(s) proactively lay out what the remaining steps are to getting the job offer, this is amazing! It shows they’re already thinking ahead to what lies next for you on this path. If they don’t bring it up themselves, don’t worry. When they allow you to ask questions of them, this should ALWAYS be one of them if not already answered for you.

7.??????You Feel Sold on the Company

Don’t forget that YOU are interviewing THEM too. A good interviewer should be representing their company as an attractive place to work for talented individuals, but not all do. If they’re proactively bringing up company values, benefits, their approach to employee development, etc. this is a great sign. They are trying to invigorate you and excite you for the company and the opportunity. If they aren’t interested, you typically won’t see them taking this route.

8.??????They Got a Little Personal

Did you feel interested in the interviewer(s) on a personal level? If you did, that’s a byproduct of good conversation, and they most likely feel the same way. I typically ask about people’s hobbies, their dream role (and no I don’t expect it to be the one we’re actively discussing), their likes/dislikes about their current role, etc. If they seem curious about you as a person, and not just as an employee, this is a great indicator of your potential to move forward. Don’t forget that if questions get too personal, that you are most likely not obligated to answer.

9.??????They Speak to You as if You’re Hired

The difference between your interviewer(s) starting a sentence with, “When you’re hired” as opposed to, “If you’re hired” is HUGE. This is a good sign they may feel they’ve found the right person for the job. Keep your ears open for these types of verbal cues. They may also start talking about your availability to start, your timeline and process around resigning from your current role, or if you’re okay with them beginning the background check process.

10.??The Most Unlikely but Best Sign

At the end of the call, the interviewer says, “I’d like to make you a verbal offer.” In my 12+ years in recruiting, talent acquisition, HR, etc. I’ve seen or heard of this happening a whole four times. But who is to say you’re not next?

One last nugget of knowledge for you... I am often asked about the protocol for sending a thank you email. I think that you should always send one within 24 hours (ideally the same business day if possible). If more than one interviewer, I do not feel there is a need for separate emails. Put the hiring manager in the "To" field, and CC the remainder of the interview panel. Here is a pretty good template from themuse.com (with one small add-in from me) that I frequently send to people when they ask what to write:

Hi [Interviewer Name] or [(Company Name) Team],

Thank you so much for meeting with me [today/yesterday]. It was such a pleasure to learn more about the team and position, and I’m very excited about the opportunity to join [Company Name] and help [bring in new clients/develop world-class content/anything else awesome you would be doing] with your team.

I feel my skillset in [insert skill(s) here] and experience with [insert relevant experience here] would be a true asset to [insert company name].

I look forward to hearing from you about the next steps in the hiring process, and please do not hesitate to contact me if I can provide additional information.

[Sincerely/Thank You/Best Regards],

[Your Name]

Please feel free to share on your feeds with anyone in your network who may find this beneficial, and Follow me or Connect with me if you haven’t already. I wish all of you the best of luck in any interviews to come, virtual or otherwise.