We interviewed a project manager candidate whom we later rejected, not because he was bad but because others were better and we only had two positions to fill. He got a nice email from the office coordinator stating more or less that.
Interestingly, he replied back, offering us a deal. He'd work for free for 4-6 months to prove himself, and if we then thought he was good we'd hire him.
I don't like the idea but I like his attitude. The idea is bad because the work is not all that easy, it can be quite stressful depending on the project, and it's only fair to pay people well for what they do. The attitude is good, though, because it's a great "what if", and a terrific sales strategy because I am very unlikely to forget about him, and I will be tempted.
There's no decision yet, but I think his chances went up. I told the management that we should consider bringing him in but see if we can fill three positions.