Candidate #1 was friendly, made the rounds and did talk about the job he/she is currently doing.
Candidate #2 did the same AND mixed in personal tidbits. AND this person asked where we lived in the area and why we would recommend it and what we thought was important about the area.
My vote goes for #2, even though I don't get to vote! Here's why.
This person is good at quickly developing relationships. This person also figured out that if he/she could get advice from us, that he/she would gain buy-in. Not a bad skill to have in this economy when helping each other might mean the difference between survival and the other end of the stick.
I learned a lot just sitting back and watching this all unfold. I'm going to figure out how to use this knowledge to everyone's advantage. I promise!
