Are you trying to find out whether an interview went well?  Waiting to hear if you got the position can be frustrating, but learning how to identify the signs  that an interview went poorly should encourage you to reflect, brace yourself for the future, take a step back and look at it critically.

It’s important to remind yourself that an interview does not reflect your likeability, intelligence or self-worth. It’s a test  of how well  your skills fit with the needs of a company. Before you start getting down on yourself don’t assume anything.  You may not get the position, but you’re on your way to landing the next one.

 The interview is cut short

Initial telephone interviews and video interviews last 20 to 30 minutes. If it ended abruptly or only went for 15 minutes, it’s a sign that your interview went badly. Your answers may have been too short and you may not have sold yourself properly. Unfortunately, you may have been considered unfit for a job, leading to a short interview. The interviewer might  skip asking further questions because they weren’t satisfied with your answers to the more straightforward one

The first few questions will be designed to identify your motivation and personality.

Questions Like:

• Tell me about yourself?
• Why did you apply for this position?
• Why do you want to leave your current employer?

The Interviewer seems uninterested or distracted

It’s quite normal for the interviewer to take  notes during the telephone interview.  Signs of this for example is  hearing keyboard typing. If the interviewer isn’t paying attention to you, he or she is concerned about something else.  Therefore in this case,  isn’t paying attention to your replies or he may take a long time to think about the next question to ask. If the interview is interested in getting to know you, he or she will have a compiled  list of questions to ask during the interview. In this way rapport is built and  connection is mutual.

Limited information is shared about the company and position

The structure of a job interview isn’t always straightforward. This is because  every recruiter has their own style of conducting an interview. Likewise, there are few things that you should also expect from the interviewer. And that is; what it would be like working in a specific job role within the company, the set-up of the team you’ll work with and current projects the team is working on. This set the tone of an interview as it allows the interviewer to ask questions relating to your career background, work experiences, skills, ability to work in a team, and learn about projects that you have done in your previous jobs. Indeed, during the interview, you are given the opportunity to talk about your experience and skills. However, if the interviewer did not  share a good impression about the company or position. This might mean that the company is undergoing a structural change or the person they are hiring for is not well defined. 

In my role I have encountered similar challenges as a recruiter, and that’s just the nature of the job. A word of advice; when you are given the opportunity to ask questions during the interview, also ask questions about current changes that are happening in the  company or in the team. You should gather as much information about the position, the tools and systems they are working with. Thus, it basically comes down to you showing interest and wanting to learn more about the company. This give an opportunity to fill in any gaps or insecurities the interviewer might have about you earlier during the conversation