I eventually hired a candidate who came prepared. She not only knew about the magazine but had researched the company. In a reverse reference check, she'd even gleaned information about me from mutual friends in the business. Every job hunter can do this but few seem to. I was impressed by this candidate's work and flattered by the compliments she relayed from our mutual friend.
Potential bosses are as prone to flattery as anyone.
Another candidate was a close second, mainly because she asked incisive, probing questions. Some made me think of aspects of our business and my department in new ways. I liked her razor-sharp line of thinking until she asked me about the marketing department's role in publishing. At first, I was dumbfounded. While I understood her question, the answer could have been inferred by the fact that I was adding to my staff.