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.

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

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

What Do Testers Do?

Here are a few possible reasons

Education systems

Testing stereotypes

Lack of training Not certifications

Why the different definitions?

What PlateSpin Does

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

Our interview process revolves around 4 key areasAttitude (Read - PASSION!!!)SmartsCommunicationSkills

Test Engineer VS Quality Assurance In-depth Technical and troubleshooting skills Systems level knowledge Passion!!!

What We Are Looking For

Universities Mainly WaterlooExpanding to Queens, U of T, McMaster

Career fairsRIM parkPlateSpin

LinkedIn.com

Job boards

Recruiters

Where We Look for The Next Generation

Interview Process

Our Interview process evolution Unstructured conversation

Structured/Canned questions

Free-form and structured

Interview Process

Sample QuestionsAsk them to test something (anything!)Black box testing machines from Workroom productions.

Puzzle QuestionsMany debates can be had on thisBook: How Would You move Mount Fuji Surprisingly all the testers at PlateSpin love puzzles

The CandidateWhat questions do they ask?

Figure out what your team culture isWhat 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 feedbackTell them when they are doing a good jobTell them when they are doing a bad job

When They Arrive

Do they provided value to your organization?Reward them!

Pay attention to their learning styleBreakthroughsTrial and errorAccidental learning through experiments and

persistence

Keeping the Team Going

Co-ops25 co-ops over 4 years4 returned for more than 1 term3 returned for full-time.

New grads 8 employees straight out of school

Full Time6 testers10 developers

Our Success

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

Other Techniques and Resources

Make your hiring process fit your contextWhy 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!

Conclusion