Answer: Small talk.

From the Independent:

A recent study by the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta confirmed just how important making a good first impression is – after 163 mock interviews, interviewers were asked to rate applicants’ competence after a few minutes of small talk and then again after 12 job-specific questions.

The research found that the candidates who’d successfully built a connection with their interviewers from the start received higher scores overall than those who failed to build an initial rapport, even if they did equally well in the job-related questions. “An applicant’s ability to spark rapport seems to have a unique influence on whether he or she gets the job,” lead study author Dr Brian W. Swider told the Wall Street Journal. 

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About the Author

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.