“We’ll be in touch” means the speaker expects to contact you later, but it does not by itself confirm a decision or promise a specific outcome. After finishing a job interview, based on what they say at the end of the meeting, you could get conflicting signals from the possible employer. Depending on the interviewer’s intent, “we’ll be in touch” might be a strong positive or a strong negative. Considering the many options and understanding how to respond can help you enhance your chances and maybe preserve your job application. It’s tough to tell whether the interviewer is expressing something nice or bad. And, even if that’s unfavorable, whether or not their point of view is relevant to the decision to hire you remains unknown to you.
What does “we’ll be in touch” actually mean?
There’s a tough fact to face: not everyone will like you. That is the situation. Your presence in the office may make them feel intimidated. Or you may sense a prejudice against you. This is a fact of life. You must decide whether or not the discussion had chemistry when they say “we’ll be in contact” at the end of the interview. When you’re having a nice discussion with a close buddy, chemistry should feel comparable. It will appear as though the other person is participating in the discussion. And that they’re going to take the time to grasp and comprehend what you’re saying to each other. If you feel as if the interviewer was uninterested in the talk and they end with “we’ll be in contact,” it’s possible that the interviewer had a bad impression of the interview session.
How the phrase is used
“We’ll be in touch” is a common way to say that someone plans to contact you later. At work, it can appear in an email or be said in a conversation, including at the end of an interview. It is polite and can suit both formal and informal situations, but it is intentionally non-specific: it does not say exactly when the person will follow up or what their decision will be.
Examples of “we’ll be in touch”
- “Thank you for meeting with us today. We’ll be in touch after we’ve spoken with the rest of the team.”
- “I’ll review the notes from our conversation, and we’ll be in touch about the next steps.”
- “It was lovely speaking with you. We’ll be in touch soon.”
- “Thanks for sending your details. We’ll be in touch if there’s a suitable opportunity.”
The Negative Implications
People frequently wish to avoid causing a stir or are hesitant to deliver terrible news. It’s tough for someone who meets with enthusiastic (and sometimes desperate) job seekers daily to inform them they didn’t get the job, especially in person. This is especially tough when someone has just spent the previous 30 minutes or more bragging about their accomplishments.
If an interviewer decides you aren’t going ahead, “We’ll be in touch” indicates the firm will contact you via mail or email to let you know how the interview went. It’s less painful than stating, “I just heard all about your qualifications and all of the hard work you’ve put into your career, and I’ve ultimately decided you’re not qualified for this position.” But, of course, nobody wants to say something like that. “We’ll contact you” implies that “we’ll contact you if you don’t get the job.” “We’ll call you instead of you calling us” is another alternative.
However, the phrase alone is not enough to tell whether the decision is positive or negative. An interviewer may use it simply to close the conversation politely, so avoid treating it as a rejection or an offer unless they say so directly.
The Optimistic Meaning
When someone decides to move forward with your job application, “We’ll be in touch” implies that the firm will contact you to discuss the next steps. It’s unusual for an interviewer to offer you no sign that you’re moving forward and inform you the firm will call you in this case. The amount of questions asked by the potential employer is a good measure of how well you fared in the interview. She does not need to go deeper into your qualifications if she isn’t interested in you and has determined you won’t get the job. No one likes to leave an interview with no idea what will happen next, as every interviewer knows.
If the interviewer has a favorable impression about you and wishes to keep the conversation going, she should say anything other than, “We’ll be in contact.” This statement is generally followed by a timeline and indicates, “We’ll contact you with future actions.” The phrase “I will be in touch” is a more encouraging indicator, as it indicates that the interviewer is committed to reaching out to you.
Even when the interviewer sounds encouraging or mentions next steps, “we’ll be in touch” is not a job offer or a guarantee that you will move forward. Listen for any specific information they share, such as who will contact you or when, and continue considering other opportunities until you receive a clear outcome.
What if the interview went well, and they said, “We’ll get back to you.”
If you sensed a connection between you and the interviewer, but they still responded, “we’ll be in contact,” it just means they’ll meet with the rest of the team and get back to you as soon as possible. You must send an email thanking the interviewer the day following the session. This will aid that professional in remembering that they agreed to contact you about the opportunity. Your interviewer should provide you with unambiguous feedback after the session. Something along the lines of, “I truly loved our chat” or something similar. If they say anything like that but still add “we’ll be in touch shortly,” it means that a great interview was conducted.
A warm conversation can be encouraging, but it cannot confirm the interview result. You can thank the interviewer, ask what the next steps and expected timing are, and then wait for the update rather than trying to infer the decision from a closing phrase alone.
The Neutral Meaning
There can be occasions when an employer is genuinely unsure whether or not you are a good fit for the position. For example, you may have been the first person he contacts. You may have performed admirably and been on par with one or two other applicants. In this case, “We’ll be in touch” most likely implies, “I’ll think about the interview, about how it went, and I’ll call you to let you know whether you got the job or not.”
How to Deal with the Closing
If you don’t understand what “we’ll be in contact” means, you may be on the edge of your seat for days or weeks. If that’s all the interviewer gives you, be assertive and ask for information- do so carefully. Ask a query like, “Do you happen to have a schedule for the next round of interviewers?” It’s a good indicator if the interviewer accompanies you to the office exit and introduces you to other employees along the way. If she stays in her seat and lets you walk out independently, it’s typically a bad indication.
Small details such as whether the interviewer walks you out are not reliable ways to predict the outcome; interviewers may have different routines or time constraints. A clear question about the next steps or the expected follow-up date is more useful than reading too much into these gestures.
How to reply to “we’ll be in touch”
Respond politely, thank the interviewer for their time, and ask about timing if it would help you plan. For example, you could say, “Thank you for meeting with me. Do you have an estimate of when I might hear about the next steps?” If they have already given you a timeframe, acknowledge it and wait until that period has passed before following up.
If no timeframe was given, you can send a brief follow-up email after a reasonable interval: “Thank you again for speaking with me about the role. I’m still interested and wanted to ask whether there is an update on the next steps. I look forward to hearing from you.” Keep the message courteous and continue your job search while you wait.
Similar phrases and alternatives
- “We’ll get back to you”: Similar in meaning and also vague; it indicates expected contact without giving a specific outcome or date.
- “We’ll follow up by (date)”: More specific and useful because it gives an expected time for the next contact.
- “I’ll be in touch”: A slightly more personal version, but it still does not confirm what the decision will be.
- “We’ll contact you if there’s a match”: More conditional and less promising than a general offer to be in touch.
How to change an interviewer’s opinion?
Let’s assume you had the impression that the interviewer was uninterested in the conversation. After the interview, the best thing you can do is send the interviewer a thank-you email. Thank them profusely for their time. This may not be enough to sway the interviewer’s perspective, but it may certainly help you get a “neutral” vote when they meet as a group.
What if they end the interview by saying, “Good luck?”
If they say things like “best of luck in your job hunt” or anything like that, it’s possible that the interview went badly. This indicates that the interviewer believed the interview went so badly that they are ready to inform you right away that they will not be pursuing your job offer. This is a professional manner of saying farewell to you, the candidate, by the interviewer stating “good luck” or something like that.
Still, “good luck” is not a definitive signal by itself. It can be a courteous goodbye, so consider the interviewer’s clear comments about the hiring process rather than assuming the outcome from that phrase alone.
Some signs that you got the job:
- It’s all about body language: Pay attention to the interviewer’s facial expressions. An attentive posture, a smile, and nodding in agreement as you talk are all indicators that they enjoy what you’re saying.
- You hear “when,” not “if”: If an interviewer is certain that you are the best candidate for the job, it will show in their word choice. They may, for example, use terms like “when” or “will” instead of “if,” which clearly suggest they’re considering you for the position. Using words like “when you begin…” or “this is who you will…” is an example.
- The conversation becomes more casual: Interviews are supposed to be all business, and interviewers usually keep to a standard set of questions. It’s a good indicator they’re impressed when the conversation moves away from your qualifications and gets more informal. They have led the conversation in a way that allows them to get to know you better, indicating that they are already certain you can execute the necessary duties for the position.
These behaviors and word choices may feel encouraging, but none guarantees an offer. Interviewers can be friendly and conversational with candidates at different stages of a hiring process. Wait for a clear update before treating any sign as a decision.
Conclusion
If you’re serious about the job and it’s been a while, follow up and ask for an update. But, more crucially, keep seeking employment until one excitedly approaches you with an offer. You don’t have a job until you have a job, so keep that in mind. There are always many other interview spots available for the same position in other companies.
FAQs
- Is “we’ll get back to you” a negative statement?
Not necessarily; “we’ll get back to you” is ambiguous and is not a reliable positive or negative signal. While it isn’t always a terrible indicator or indication of how they feel towards you, it is an unclear remark, which is undesirable in and of itself. When you hear something like this, ask for clarification and/or a timeframe.
- How do you respond to “we’ll get back to you”?
If you want to keep in touch and are willing to put up the effort, say, “Thanks, I look forward to hearing from you.” If you want to keep in touch but don’t want to be the one to initiate contact, say, “Thanks, I’ll look out for your update.” You can also ask, “When would be a good time for me to follow up?” If you don’t want to continue the conversation, a courteous “Thanks for your time” is enough.
- Is it a bad sign if an interviewer is to say, “I’ll call you?”
This is neither right nor wrong; it’s simply the way many job interviews happen. People often compare job interviews to dating, but in this instance, “I’ll call you” isn’t a disappointment. But, of course, it’s possible that the manager hasn’t phoned you because she’s too busy.