Signs the Interview Went Well

7 Signs Your Retail Interview Went Well

So how did the interview go? If your honest answer is that you’ve no idea, you’re not alone. That’s how lots of people feel. But think back. There may be signs that you’ve smashed it.

It’s the end of the interview. The interviewer looks to their colleagues on their left and right. There’s a quick nod. Then they turn to you and say, “We’d like to offer you the job right now.”

We’ll be honest, that doesn’t happen very often (and we’ll explain why in a minute), but just as the absolute best-case scenario tends not to happen, neither does the worst-case scenario.

So if you have an interview looming and you’re having that recurring nightmare where you leave the room and just hear muffled laughter behind you (or some other signs the interview went badly), relax. Those sorts of interviews are real rarities too.

What do interviewers say at the end of an interview?

The truth is you almost certainly won’t be told how well you’ve done in your retail interview. You may have a feeling about it, but you won’t know.

The interviewer will probably give you the opportunity to ask questions, but you should avoid asking ‘have I got the job?’ because a) nobody does that, and b) there’s a good chance the interviewer won’t know either.
Yours may not be the only interview panel. It might be the first interview of the day with lots more to follow. There may be additional checks to make.

That’s why, at the end of the interview, your interviewer will simply thank you for taking part and explain that the company will be in touch. Don’t take that as a sign the interview went badly – it’s really the only thing they can say at that point.

What are the positive signs after an interview?

Even though your interviewer is unlikely to formally welcome you to the team, you may pick up signs that things went well. We should stress that if any of these happen at your retail interview, they don’t automatically mean you’ve got the job, but they may mean that, at the very least, you’ve left a positive impression.

Signs the interview went well #1: Nodding and smiling

Your interviewers will have a set of competencies against which they’ll be checking your responses. As an interviewer, you want interviewees to do well, and it’s often difficult not to nod and smile as you tick off another competency that the interviewee has neatly nailed.

Signs the retail interview went well #2: You don’t know where the time went

Despite their scary reputation, lots of people leave interviews having rather enjoyed them. For some, everything seems to flow so well that it passes in a flash. Providing you’ve given the interviewers room for the ebb and flow of conversation (i.e. you haven’t just talked at them non-stop for 45 minutes), an interview that flowed and passed in a flash is a positive indicator.

Signs the interview went well #3: Going beyond the advertised time

If you’ve been given an idea of how long your interview will last, a significant overrun could be a positive sign.

Signs the retail interview went well #4: Talking about you as part of the team

We’re often asked ‘how do you know if you’re a top candidate?’. One of the most surefire indicators is when an interviewer inadvertently starts talking to you as though you’ve already joined the company.

“There’s some product training we’ll need you to complete but we can talk about that once you’ve had your induction.”

“One of the things you’ll find on your first day with us…”

Comments like this suggest the interviewer is already thinking of you as one of the team. That’s a great sign.

Signs the interview went well #5: The guided tour

At the end of the interview, your interviewer asks, “Would you like a quick tour of the building?”. You say yes (obviously), and you spend the next 20 minutes walking the corridors. On the way, you might even ‘happen’ to bump into a senior figure. This sort of stuff doesn’t happen by accident, and your interviewer definitely doesn’t have time to give every candidate a tour. Take it as an excellent sign. 

Signs the retail interview went well #6: Positive body language

Leaning forward. Maintaining eye contact. Smiling. Being animated and chatty. We often advise interviewees to do all of these to help enhance their chances of success, but the same works in reverse too.

When there’s lots of positive body language on the interviewers’ side of the table (as opposed to scowling, looking down, gazing out of the window or sitting with arms folded – all signs the interview went bad) take it as a good signal.

Signs the interview went well #7: You crushed it

Sometimes you come out of an interview feeling as though you did pretty well. You answered most questions. You got stuck on a follow up question or two but generally, things were ok.

Sometimes, though, you leave an interview feeling unbeatable. You answered every question. You answered every follow up. You responded to every challenge with confidence and if you could have got away with punching the air mid-interview, you probably would have.

This isn’t a definite sign you’ve done well – we’ve all misread the room every now and again – but it’s certainly a positive sign.

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