Recruiting & Retaining the Right Test Personnel

Transcription

1 Recruiting & Retaining the Right Test Personnel Ruud Teunissen International Conference On Software Testing, Analysis & Review November Stockholm, Sweden P r e s e n t a t i o n W7 Wednesday 21st November, 2001

2 Wednesday 21 November 2001 W7 Recruiting & Retaining the Right Test Personnel Ruud Teunissen Since 1989 Ruud Teunissen is employed in the testing world. He has been involved in a large number of ICT projects and has performed several functions within the testing organisation: tester, test specialist, test advisor, test manager, etc. Based on his experience, Ruud participated in the development of the structured testing methodology TMap and is co-author of several books on structured testing. The last years Ruud is involved in implementing structured testing within organisations on the Belgian and Dutch market. Ruud is frequently speaking at conferences, universities, seminars, workshops etc. (for instance: QWE99, QWE 2000, ICS Test 2000, ICS Test 2001, EuroSTAR 2000, SAI, NOVI, Kluwer Education, IIR).

3 Recruiting & Retaining the right personnel Ruud Teunissen Software Control IQUIP Informatica BV

4 Testing: a profession? Anyone can test! Testing is boring There is no future in testing

5 Testing: a profession?? Roles & Responsibilities test preparation & execution test coaching test team leader test consultancy test advice test process improvement test management test control

6 Testing: a profession!! Can everyone test? Testing is creative There is no future in testing = There is no Software Development in the future

7 Career cube Find the balance between the available knowledge & skills the ambition of your personnel the business needs A tool to make career opportunities tangible coach and train your personnel individually

8 Offer your personnel Growth responsibility, independence, Differentiation tasks, roles, by playing to their strengths Knowledge & skills test techniques, social skills, Experience

9 Growth Responsibility execution, co-ordination, planning,... Involvement defect reporting, analysis, strategy, D C B A

10 Differentiation Start at the basis: test preparation & test execution Next steps: individual preferences and skills test co-ordination, test project leader, test methods, test techniques, coaching, test infrastructure, test automation,

11 Differentiation general test management test project leading methodical test advice technical test advice test team leading methodical test specialist technical test specialist test execution

12 Test execution The (Senior) Test Engineer is involved in: primary test tasks control tasks Primary test tasks Test preparation and test execution, the most labour intensive part of the testing process - the real thing... Control tasks testware configuration control defect administration

13 Test team leading Responsible for the operational planning and progress monitoring within a small test team ( less than 3 people) 20-40% co-ordination 60-80% test preparation and execution

14 Methodical test advice Supports the test process in the broadest sense: test strategy test methods and techniques: which and how test process improvement Support all those involved in testing advice training coaching

15 Knowledge and skills Training test methods and techniques test tools project leading advice infrastructure Experience in time Social skills finding errors enable others to add quality (self) critical Coaching and support training on the job seniors vs juniors

16 Coaching and support HRM Personal coaching Career planning & -coaching (inclusive education) Periodic evaluation and feedback Promotion, raises,... Test Support Coaching, training on the job,... Follow-up

17 Knowledge and skills (Test)training Social skills Experience Coaching and support knowledge and skills

18 Treat each tester as an individual

19 Different styles The Pragmatist The Pioneer The Analyst The Facilitator Thank you Lloyd! Lloyd Roden - Grove Consultants - lloyd@grove.co.uk -

20 Test career cube growth knowledge and skills differentiation

21 Testers: a strange phenomenon Being criticized by everyone They make more errors then they find! Every execution of a test is on the critical path! Tests are prepared but not completed Enable others to add quality, instead of rejecting their work Always report in a positive way: yes, if... defects instead of errors recommendations advice Advice is ignored

22 Recruiting&Retaining the right personnel Testing is a profession - treat it as one Career opportunities - individual choices and coaching Appreciate individual skills and preferences - differentiate Keep your testers motivated - offer them a career Appreciate your testers - pay them the right salary