Nature vs. Nurture: Building Great Test Teams

W1 Test Management 5/4/16 11:30

Nature vs. Nurture: Building Great Test Teams

Presented by:

Shaun Bradshaw

Zenergy Technologies, Inc.

Brought to you by:

350 Corporate Way, Suite 400, Orange Park, FL 32073 888-‐-‐-‐268-‐-‐-‐8770 ·∙·∙ 904-‐-‐-‐278-‐-‐-‐0524 -‐ [email protected] -‐ http://www.stareast.techwell.com/

Shaun Bradshaw Zenergy Technologies, Inc. Shaun Bradshaw is a co-‐founder and principal of North Carolina-‐based Zenergy Technologies, a software quality and test automation solutions firm with multiple industry experts under one roof. With more than nineteen years in the IT industry, Shaun is a recognized expert in QA and test process improvement, test management, and metrics. He has architected the test strategies and managed large teams of testers for numerous projects including a two-‐year, $70 million ERP implementation that went into production with no major issues. A regular on the QA and testing industry speaking circuit, Shaun has delivered keynotes at US and international testing conferences.

Nature vs Nurture: Building Great Test Teams

Shaun Bradshaw [email protected]

A Testing Partner You Can Trust

Why do we need to build test teams?

Over the past 30+ years the business view of testing has changed considerably…

Testing in the 80’s

• Mainframe applications • Limited technology choices • Architect = Designer = Developer = Tester • User community = highly technical • Limited, if any, interaction with the

business



• Client/Server applications • Broader range of technology choices • IT specialization -> testing = entry into IT

and, ultimately, development • Siloed development environment

(waterfall) • User community = business users • IT “serves” the business



• Web-based applications • Even more technology choices • Testing as a career! • Agile takes root • User community = everyone • IT and business merge



• Apps are everywhere • Unlimited technology choices • Testing is a necessity • Fewer walls between dev and test (literally

and figuratively) • User community = everyone, everywhere • IT and business are virtually

indistinguishable


Impact of Changes on Test Teams

• Expanded testing needs, leading to more testers

• Increased interactions between testers and developers

• Increased domain and technical knowledge required as automation becomes larger part of the testing role

Building Test Teams – Common Model

• Identify technical skill requirements and amount of experience needed

• Work with recruiters and staffing agencies to identify people with the requisite skills

• Sift through dozens of resumes looking for keywords and experience



• Interview prime candidates based on the resume information

• Hire individuals based on interview results

• Results • Hire experienced individuals with (hopefully) the

requisite technical skills • Limited interaction and knowledge of their soft skills

and ability to learn and communicate • Disparate skills, backgrounds, experience across

the team (this has its pros and cons)


• Why only target testers with prior testing experience?

• Consider a different approach

Building Test Teams – Recommended Model

• Establish relationships with “local” university IT, IS, CS, Math, and Business departments


• Begin the filtering process • Gather information on graduating students • Meet with classes and/or have brief, mostly non-

technical, conversations with recommended students – get a sense for their ability to communicate, learn, and understand


• Continue the filtering process (the goal is to have 15-20 candidates)

• Have current test team and/or development team run technical interviews with the best candidates • Technical abilities • Soft skills • Personality • Cultural fit


• Invite the candidates to 1-day testing workshop


• Use the workshop as an opportunity to evaluate

• Tester’s Mindset • Interest in testing as a career • Engagement during the class • Understanding/comprehension of basic testing

concepts • Gauge the candidates’ interactions with each other

• Serves as an extended interview


• Invite the 5-10 candidates to multi-day testing/automation boot camp



• Make final team selections based on • Technical aptitude • Demonstrated eagerness to learn and lead • Ability to work with the rest of the candidates/team • Ability to communicate with the rest of the

candidates/team


• Technically capable team of testers • Immediate team cohesion and knowledge

of each other’s strengths/weaknesses • Assurance of cultural fit with existing team

members

Key Benefits

• Shorter introduction period and less expensive than intern program

• Better insight into who you are hiring vs. common model

Key Benefits

• Lunch and Learns • Advanced topics • Conference presentations

• Mentoring programs • Incentives for blogging and presenting • Training development

Continued Team Growth

Questions?

Software

Nature vs. Nurture: Building Great Test Teams