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Hiring The Next Generation of Skilled Software Testers

Hiring The Next Generation of Skilled Software Testers. Adam White Manager, Test Engineering. Topics to Cover. The testing conundrum What do skilled testers do? Why the different definitions? What PlateSpin does The type of testers we look for.

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Hiring The Next Generation of Skilled Software Testers

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  1. Hiring The Next Generation of Skilled Software Testers Adam White Manager, Test Engineering

  2. Topics to Cover • The testing conundrum • What do skilled testers do? • Why the different definitions? • What PlateSpin does • The type of testers we look for. • Where And How We Find “The Next Generation” • Our Success • What we’ve done so far • Keeping them successful • Other techniques we are investigating • Wrap Up/Questions/Feedback and Your Stories

  3. What Do Testers Do? • Make sure that the product meets the requirements • Write unit tests • Verify processes are being followed • Read stack traces and follow code execution • Verify documentation • Report private, virtual and working set bytes

  4. Why the different definitions? • Here are a few possible reasons • Education systems • Testing stereotypes • Lack of training • Not certifications

  5. What PlateSpin Does

  6. PlateSpin PowerConvert™ OS Portability • Free movement of servers throughout your data center across infrastructures • Awareness of what you have • Move OS, Data, and applications • Continuous Server optimization

  7. What We Are Looking For Our interview process revolves around 4 key areas • Attitude (Read - PASSION!!!) • Smarts • Communication • Skills • Test Engineer VS Quality Assurance • In-depth Technical and troubleshooting skills • Systems level knowledge • Passion!!!

  8. Where We Look for The Next Generation • Universities • Mainly Waterloo • Expanding to Queens, U of T, McMaster • Career fairs • RIM park • PlateSpin • LinkedIn.com • Job boards • Recruiters

  9. Interview Process • Our Interview process evolution • Unstructured conversation • Structured/Canned questions • Free-form and structured

  10. Interview Process • Sample Questions • Ask them to test something (anything!) • Black box testing machines from Workroom productions. • Puzzle Questions • Many debates can be had on this • Book: How Would You move Mount Fuji • Surprisingly all the testers at PlateSpin love puzzles • The Candidate • What questions do they ask?

  11. When They Arrive • Figure out what your team culture is • What do you value? • What do they value? • Set expectations from the beginning • What are your expectations for your team? • Teach them what you know!! • Give them feedback • Tell them when they are doing a good job • Tell them when they are doing a bad job

  12. Keeping the Team Going • Do they provided value to your organization? • Reward them! • Pay attention to their learning style • Breakthroughs • Trial and error • Accidental learning through experiments and persistence

  13. Our Success • Co-ops • 25 co-ops over 4 years • 4 returned for more than 1 term • 3 returned for full-time. • New grads • 8 employees straight out of school • Full Time • 6 testers • 10 developers

  14. Other Techniques and Resources Resources • Audition interviews (Johanna Rothman - jrothman.com) • Lyndsay Machines (workroomproductions.com) • Open book testing (Jon Bach) • Books for Knowledge workers (http://tinyurl.com/j7jqh) Books • Lessons learned in software testing. • Testing computer software • First Break All the rules • Discover your strengths

  15. Conclusion • Make your hiring process fit your context • Why use someone else’s process? • Good people tend to stick around if • you challenge them from the beginning, • put them in a position to grow and succeed, • IF and ONLY IF you express appreciation to them!

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