idealpeople blog

After 7 years of hiring people from Entry-Level to Head/VP/Director of QA who do Software Test, QA, Release, Configuration, UAT and Packaging, Idealpeople wanted to reflect on what makes a super-wicked Software Test Professional.

I’m talking about a Software Test Engineer who knows why they got into Software Testing, even if it was accidentally.

A QA Engineer who sizzles when they talk about why they are in the business of keeping Software great.

A Software Test Lead who is inquisitive, likes to break stuff, and is diplomatic in communicating information to the Dev team, even when it’s bad news.

A Performance Test Engineer who has worked on products with high concurrency of users, in particular web, financial or mobile type applications and services. Load Testing will be the hot skill in 2008.

Someone who knows “Bugs are Like Diamonds, They can be found anywhere and they can cost you a fortune”
Quote is from Rosie of DrivenQA

A Software Test Manager who makes sure that money isn’t spent on tools just to gain the experience with the kit or the kudos of the label, but the choices around tools are based around those that are fit for purpose and cost effective.

A Head of QA, who ensures that they focus not just on getting the product out on time, but making sure that the experience of the user/customer is enriched. Someone who knows what they are looking for and knows how to get hiring right.

Do Qualifications Help?
We often get asked about the validity of industry standard qualifications and their worth/value…. And very often we’re on the fence or ‘neutral’. However, ISEB and related qualifications can indicate a formalised interest, and there’s no doubt that an ISEB can add real value to your application and salary or day rate market value for top-drawer Test opportunities.

Interview from the Frontline of Software Testing
Meet Tony, who works at a large Retail operation in the North of England, and has Test Strategy & Delivery Management experience spanning Ten years.

He has run teams ranging in size from 1 to 100 Testers. We like him a lot as he’s open minded in his approach to recruiting Test Professionals (he doesn’t rely at all on Online Advertising or even Agencies to hire) but on his own network of contacts – made up from people he has worked for before.

So, for Tony, maybe hiring Testers isn’t an issue at all. Instead of bemoaning the lack of skilled SW Test Pro’s that we are currently feeling, we asked him what qualities he looked for when hiring them, as we thought this would be useful to our Readership.

He agreed with us that Software Testing is in a boom at the moment, but also commented that; “The people in it for money alone aren’t the best Testers”

He believes that “Testing is all about Attitude” and said that he took little notice of CVs – preferring instead to interview people using scenario based questions, some based on his current environment and some based on previous environments he had worked in.

He felt, the most important aptitudes and traits include: Curiosity & Inquisitiveness, Adaptability, Trustworthy-ness, and an eye for detail. Above all, taking “Pride in their Own Work” was the most desirable quality, especially given that, very often, a Test Environment can be: The dumping ground for all organisational delivery failures!

All useful stuff if you are about to embark on a recruiting campaign for some Ace Testers, or if you’re looking at testing as a career.