There is an excellent article over at Creating Passionate Users, Don't ask employees to be passionate about the company! which examines the differences between people who have a passion for their employee and a passion for their work. I think I might involve the simple 4-question test into any interviews I do in the future as it is a good match to some of the questions I already ask ("Have you contributed any code or writings to the wider community").
  • When was the last time you read a trade/professional journal or book related to your work? (can substitute "attended an industry conference or took a course")

  • Name at least two of the key people in your field

  • If you had to, would you spend your own money to buy tools or other materials that would improve the quality of your work?

  • If you did not do this for work, would you still do it (or something related to it) as a hobby?

I've always been interested in recruiting team members with a passion for their trade, who are keen to learn and show their ability. Hopefully these questions will help me to achieve this in the future.