How to Tell Confidence from Competence in an Interview

Some candidates walk into an interview and look like they’ve been waiting all week for it. They get comfortable fast, have a great story ready, and don’t seem rattled by anything you throw at them.

Others need a minute. They pause before answering. They ask you to repeat the question or clarify what you meant. But somewhere in the details of a project they worked on, it hits you that this person really knows what they’re doing.

If you interview people for a living (like we do), you see both types all the time. The tricky part is figuring out what someone’s interview style says about how they’ll perform once they’re on the job. Sometimes it says a lot. Sometimes it says almost nothing.

Confidence is great. But so is competence. You’ve hit the jackpot when you get both in one person. But if you’re making a hiring decision, it’s worth looking past how relaxed someone seems in the chair.

Ask for the story behind the success

A polished answer sounds good in the moment. A specific answer is what you can evaluate. So, when a candidate tells you they helped rescue a struggling project, keep on digging:

What part of that work was yours?
What constraints or trade-offs were you dealing with?
How did you know your approach was working?
What changed along the way?
What would you do differently now?

For a software developer, that might be walking you through a nasty bug they finally tracked down. For a quality professional, maybe it’s how they closed a documentation gap before an audit. Either way, you’re learning how they worked, not just how well they can summarize the ending.

You might also find out their role was smaller than the opening story made it sound. That’s fine. It’s useful to know. And if they’re quick to give credit to their team or admit what they’d change, that tells you something too.

Notice how they handle what they don’t know

When a candidate says, “I haven’t used that tool, but here’s how I’d get up to speed,” that’s a real answer. They’re being honest about where their experience stops and showing you how they’d handle the gap.

Technical people hit unfamiliar problems constantly. You want someone who can ask good questions, find reliable information, and keep moving.

One question we like: “What would you do if you ran into that on the job?” Even if they’ve never faced that exact situation, their answer can show you a lot about their curiosity and judgment.

Give candidates room to show what they know

We can all agree that interviews are a weird setup. Someone might be sitting across from a panel of strangers, trying to remember details from a project two years ago, while also guessing what you want to hear. A shaky first few minutes doesn’t necessarily mean much.

If someone seems stuck, try rephrasing the question or just give them a second. A simple follow-up like “What was your part in that?” or “Can you walk me through how you approached it?” often gets them past the headline and into the good stuff.

Communication may matter a lot for the role, and it’s fair to assess it. Just be clear with yourself about what you’re grading. How someone talks about their work and how well they do it can overlap, but they’re not the same skill.

Make it easier to compare candidates

If everyone gets different questions, comparing them fairly gets hard real fast. Using the same core, job-related questions for each candidate helps. You can still keep the conversation natural. But everyone gets a similar shot, and your interview team has something concrete to talk about afterward.

Base your evaluation on what you heard

Right after the interview, while it’s still fresh, write down a few specifics:

Did the candidate give a clear example?
Could they explain their role and reasoning?
How did they respond when you asked a follow-up?

Notes like these make it harder for confidence to get extra credit, or for a little hesitation to count against someone. They also make the hiring team’s conversation a lot more productive.

For roles that need a specialized skill, the interview is only one piece. Some companies give candidates a work sample or technical exercise too which can be helpful. Just make sure you know what it’s supposed to show and how it ties back to the day-to-day work.

Look for the person behind the presentation

The confident candidate might be exactly who you need. So might the quiet one. The interview is your chance to see how they think, how they work, and what they’d bring to your team.

We talk with candidates every day at Theoris, and the best interviews tend to have one thing in common. They give people space to talk about work they’re proud of, problems they’ve solved, and what they’re still figuring out.

That’s when a first impression turns into something you can use: a clearer picture of someone’s skills, experience, and potential.

Hiring for an IT, engineering, or quality and validation role?

Theoris can help you find people with the skills and experience your team needs.

How to Tell Confidence from Competence in an Interview

We’ve Optimized the Humanity Out of Work. Now What?

Ask for the story behind the success

Notice how they handle what they don’t know

Give candidates room to show what they know

Make it easier to compare candidates

Base your evaluation on what you heard

Look for the person behind the presentation

Hiring for an IT, engineering, or quality and validation role?​

Related posts

We’ve Optimized the Humanity Out of Work. Now What?

Contract vs. Direct Placement: How to Choose the Right Path

The Uninvited Third Chair: How AI Is Gaming Both Sides of Hiring

Hiring for an IT, engineering, or quality and validation role?