How would you interpret this email

[Shoelacesundone]

Had a job interview today.

Three candidates and we were all brought in together (other two were lovely).

They were a bit thoughtless over comms...we were all there over two hours which they hadn't told us. Nor did we expect to meet each other! But overall professional.

At end of my interview I sensed I was their favoured candidate (they were really selling the job to me and very complimentary). They said they were ready to move very fast.

Couple of hours after leaving I get an email titled Thanks.

It says Hi (my name). Thanks for coming in today. We will be in touch by close of play next Friday.

I think they've offered it to someone else as this doesn't sound promising!

I think that’s a standard reply they’ve sent to all the candidates.

Standard reply, possibly while they sort out technicalities. Doesn't mean you haven't got it. Hopefully, you'll get a phone call tomorrow. Good luck!

I definitely wouldn't think they've offered it to someone else based on that email.

I've received similar and then been offered the job.

I think that’s standard, with three candidates to discuss it’s perfectly normal to need a bit of time to consider who to offer the role to.

Well I'm jolly glad I asked as I was 95% certain this was code for "no thanks".

I'll put it out of mind and keep on searching but I can be pessimistic so it's helpful to see neutral people don't read it like I did.

My darling Dad said they probably wanted to meet their bank manager next week to ask if they could pay me loads more than the advertised salary. He is funny.

The key here is by next Friday. So if you hear on Friday then you're their last choice

I can’t stand that phrase “close of play”…so that would upset me but the delay wouldn’t. I’d think they wanted to explain why I wasn’t to be disappointed if I didn’t hear from them quickly - they’re indicating they’re interested.

If it was a straight no, it would have said so.

Standard

Please don't say things so definitively when you have no idea.

Could mean anything.

One of the panel is getting on a plane and won’t be back til next Wednesday. They have another candidate to interview next Wednesday. They have offered it to someone else who is thinking about it and you’re still in the running.

It’s probably not a definite no. If it is a definite no and they are happy to keep you hanging they are not the kind of organisation you want to work for anyway.

We are not allowed to make offers on the day - HR like to check through paperwork first. For this reason we never interview on a Thursday or Friday so we can clear things up by the weekend.

Wherever people stand on our list of recommendations after the interview, we give the same deadline, usually of a week. We are cautious because it's easy to over promise. Have they already done right to work checks and taken up references? I wouldn't read much into this.

Thanks everyone. @Mangledrake that's very insightful! I would really like this job. I will let you guys know as I hear!

I had this once and then didn't hear anything for over a week past their deadline. Turns out they had liked two of us so much they were lobbying to expand the job to two hires. Then someone key to the message went off sick for a week.
I certainly don't see anything more than a formality this is what you can expect now email.

Update: They emailed yesterday to invite me to a second interview by Zoom with the company owner.

The interview isn't for another week.

Thank you so much for encouraging me not to catastrophise!

Good luck!