How to Begin in Sprint Automation: A Tactical Guide

The Ultimate Guide to Cross Platform Testing: Best Practices & Essential Tools

Interview tips when appearing for QA roles

QA Interview Tips When Appearing for QA Roles

&#8220;What QE leaders ask, when buying Test automation tools/platform&#8221;



First of all, what do we mean by QE?



They are Quality Engineers and they exist in every field like retail, manufacturing, software, SaaS, infrastructure etc.



I’m specifically going to talk with respect to Software testing Quality Engineers



Having worked as a Tester myself for first 8 years of my career at MNCs and Banks,&nbsp;I have a perspective from a client-vendor aspect or being the client myself 🙂&nbsp;



On top of it, having worked as a Solutions architect for 3 years now, for testing tools and platform and helped more than 300 + clients globally,&nbsp;



In this blog, I have shared points according to what I learnt about the needs of a testing team and their manager in any set-up or company, and what they expect when they want to buy a test automation tool or platform.



Here are the top items from trivial to big ones, but all are absolutely important while making a decision:



1. Do I need a tool/ platform?



I’m a tester first and any good tester would know the basic skill of asking questions like &#8211; Why do I need a tool in the first place? This would mean figuring out the limitations of your existing set-up too. For example &#8211;<a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/cross-browser-testing-on-the-cloud-advantages-and-disadvantages/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> How do I make different devices available to my teams spread globally?</a>



This could be a classic, typical question to need a test automation tool or platform. Thus, depending on a team’s requirements, this list of questions can be created.



2. Will my team be happy using the tool?



When choosing a tool, you should also know or understand the technical prowess and limitations of your team.



So, during a “proof of concept” phase while testing or trying out the tool,&nbsp;you can check with your team on different aspects:&nbsp;



<ol><li>Ease of use of the tool</li><li>Availability / Up-time of the platform</li><li>Integrating the tool with any of your existing tech stack or frameworks.</li></ol>



Why is this important?&nbsp;



Because ultimately, it’s the team who will be using the tool.&nbsp;



So, it&#8217;s important they know how to use the tool and be comfortable using it.



3. Is the tool/ platform solving my problem?



As it is, testing is a demanding job with last-minute changes and builds popping up.



None of the testers and their leaders wants to add to their trouble, if the tool itself is flaky, unstable, and cannot be depended on for results, then what’s the point of it?



The tool should be robust and solving either the need of the test project



Or a requirement or help the test team deliver better results.



For instance: I remember once a client in one of my companies was very particular about the record and playback feature in our product.



He wasn’t asking it for the heck of it; rather he wanted to help his testers transition into automation.



So, like the above example, the tool needs to help the team using it.



4. Future goal for the team and the tool 



The <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-speed-up-your-software-release-cycles-with-testsigma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">software development cycle</a> was forever highly agile and in this fast-paced era of ever-changing technological aspects, you would definitely want to think about the future goals of the team and project, and, what role will the Test automation tool/ platform be playing in it?



You may also want to think about this one with respect to the Return on investment (ROI) aspect; after all, you will be paying for the subscription model of the tool/platform.



A classic example of this question can be:



Will the tool help me in leveraging its features while creating a test pipeline a QA environment or w.r.t <a href="https://testsigma.com/continuous-integration" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Continuous integration</a> or Continuous delivery?



💡 Pro tip&nbsp;



Always take the trial of a tool, before you make the decision of buying it.



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="display: block;
 margin: auto;"><a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Try Testsigma, a tool that brings test automation to everyone.</a></button>



I can go about adding an exhaustive list of pointers to make this list endless and unnecessary.



But, we as testers, always try to understand and emphasise on the Root Cause. And that is what I have tried to with this blog, without beating around the bush.&nbsp;



I hope you find value in it.&nbsp;



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Buying a Test Automation Platform? What do QE leaders ask?

Many times, we spend our whole day planning out the activities but there is no real outcome. We think, plan, and decide to do multiple things in a day but unfortunately, we are not able to execute them. Reason? We will discuss the reasons and more in this blog.



As a Software Tester, we should be implementing the below tips/activities so that you can be a more efficient &amp; more productive, good tester :



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#1_Understand_the_Requirements">1 1. Understand the Requirements </a></li><li><a href="#2_Testcase_designing">2 2. Testcase designing</a></li><li><a href="#3_Test_Data_Designing">3 3. Test Data Designing </a></li><li><a href="#4_Identify_Smoke_Test">4 4. Identify Smoke Test</a></li><li><a href="#5_Defect_Logging_Tracking">5 5. Defect Logging &amp; Tracking</a></li><li><a href="#6_Clear_Communication">6 6. Clear Communication </a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">7 Conclusion</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="1-understand-the-requirements">1. Understand the Requirements </h2>



The first &amp; foremost point is to understand the requirements to save your time as a tester. Once you understand the requirements, the purpose of the requirement, and the objective of the requirement &#8211; it will be easier for you to design your high-level scenarios. Then, based on your high-level scenarios, you can identify test cases that can be further used during your test execution.&nbsp;



You can consider the same while working in an Agile software development model as well. In Agile software development methodology, you will get user stories from clients. So, to save your time as a tester, you can analyze those user stories, by brainstorming sessions, collaborating within teams, etc. Once you understand the need for a particular user story, it will then become easy for you to test it.&nbsp;



It’s a good practice to implement in your day-to-day life while working on a software testing project.&nbsp;



<h2 id="2-testcase-designing">2. Testcase designing</h2>



Often, it has been observed that we tend to lose our focus on <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-case-design-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testcase designing</a>. We, as a tester want to test the requirement as early as possible and complete the testing. This should not be the scenario nor should be the aim of a software tester. 



Sometimes, testers write detailed test cases whereas some testers design test cases on a very high level. You can choose and design as per the test process being implemented in your current organization where you are currently working.&nbsp;



Testcases should be designed in such a way that it reflects end-user behaviour. If we design our test cases (keeping the user requirement in mind) then it will give you a good outcome in terms of <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/test-coverage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test coverage</a> as well as client satisfaction. 



<h2 id="3-test-data-designing">3. Test Data Designing </h2>



I am sure you will agree with me about the fact that test data is equally important as the other factors which I have described above.&nbsp;



Preparing good test data is very important for a software tester. When you create test data, you must include valid and invalid test data to test <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/positive-and-negative-testing-scenarios/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">positive and negative scenarios</a> of your application.



While test case designing, if you think you know what type of test data you will require, you can create that and keep it aside for your reference. Having said that, during test execution also, you can prepare your test data and use it as you progress.&nbsp;



<h2 id="4-identify-smoke-test">4. Identify Smoke Test</h2>



If you want to be an efficient tester, try to identify the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/smoke-testing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">smoke tests</a> out of a test suite that you or somebody else in the team might have created to test a particular functionality. This practice will help you as and when you receive any new build. Whenever you receive any new build, you can consider the set of smoke tests to be executed and ensure that the build is stable for testing and that testing can be carried forward.



For example, You have a total of 100 test cases. You can segregate the main functionalities in the app and identify the smoke tests. You can create a separate folder and keep smoke tests aside to use it as and when you require.&nbsp;



This set of smoke tests can be modified depending upon the addition of new functionalities or changes when they occur as you progress in the project.&nbsp;



<h2 id="5-defect-logging-tracking">5. Defect Logging &amp; Tracking</h2>



While you are testing a feature in AUT (Application under Test), during test execution, it is obvious that you will come across some functionality that might not work as per the user requirements. So, in that case, you would be raising a defect and failing your test case.



As a software tester, you must supply all the required information about a defect and assign it to the respective person/developer who can investigate it and fix it. Steps to reproduce, environmental changes, screenshots, expected result vs actual result, etc. should be provided while creating a new defect. Here, is a related article: <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-write-a-good-bug-report-some-tips/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">how to write a good bug report</a>.



One important step which usually testers forget is to track the progress of their defects. Once you raise a new defect, it&#8217;s your responsibility to track that defect for you to re-test it and close the defect. 



Here know the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/defect-tracking-tools/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Best Defect Tracking Tools </a>



<h2 id="6-clear-communication">6. Clear Communication </h2>



Whether you are a <a href="https://financesonline.com/top-20-it-development-software/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">fresher in software testing</a> or an experienced professional, you must be able to clearly express your thoughts to others. Communication is key when you are dealing with your client, manager, team, Business Analyst, Product Owner, etc. It’s good to be technically strong but at the same time, it will add as a bonus for you if you communicate in a clear &amp; concise way.



💡 Pro tip&nbsp;



<a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Automate</a> Repetitive tasks using a Test Automation Tool.



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="margin: auto"><a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Try Testsigma, a free and open-source tool for all your web and mobile test automation needs.</a></button> 



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



Many of you may be already using the above tips whereas for others, it will be new. So, I would recommend you start implementing the above as soon as possible and you will observe changes in yourself as a software tester.&nbsp;



It will help you in being more efficient &amp; more productive with your work as well as you will add value to your organization &amp; the project you are working on. Let me quickly reiterate the points here for your benefit:



<ol><li>Understand the requirements&nbsp;</li><li>Testcase designing</li><li>Test Data Designing</li><li>Identify Smoke Tests</li><li>Defect logging &amp; tracking</li><li>Clear Communication&nbsp;</li></ol>



Thank you!



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How to be an efficient and productive software tester?

How to be a Productive Tester? | 6 Essential QA Tester Skills

Building positive working relationships with team members is critical for testers&#8217; success. There is, however, a catch. Testing requires scepticism, questioning, and critique.&nbsp;Because of the nature of the role, some people may even perceive testing as a destructive activity. 



Testers have to disagree, debate, and sometimes even fight with their teammates to roll out a high-quality product. For the most part, a tester&#8217;s job is to find faults in others&#8217; work. Despite their best efforts to be diplomatic and tactful, testers may find themselves in a conflict. As a result, testers may have strained relationships with their teammates.&nbsp;



This article will discuss a helpful reasoning tool called Hanlon&#8217;s razor from the perspective of a tester. You will learn how to apply it in your day-to-day life to navigate through stressful situations and improve your workplace relationship.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#WHAT_IS_HANLONS_RAZOR">1 WHAT IS HANLON’S RAZOR?</a></li><li><a href="#PUTTING_HANLONS_RAZOR_TO_ACTION">2 PUTTING HANLON’S RAZOR TO ACTION</a></li><li><a href="#HANLONS_RAZOR_ENHANCES_TRUST_AND_IMPROVES_WORKING_RELATIONSHIP">3 HANLON’S RAZOR ENHANCES TRUST AND IMPROVES WORKING RELATIONSHIP</a></li><li><a href="#LIMITATIONS_OF_HANLON8217S_RAZOR">4 LIMITATIONS OF HANLON&#8217;S RAZOR</a></li><li><a href="#CONCLUSIONnbsp">5 CONCLUSION&nbsp;</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="what-is-hanlon-s-razor">WHAT IS HANLON’S RAZOR?</h2>



<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/61vyv0NzvvnXMiDEBOun3L-l01a-TEvKQzCkqfMU8fUcC4VL-KNVnNwDp5Fe4Y2c0zvZcVjPlfG7I7CxiualyWBtJf2m821nrhJin9OPSUZtAN96kJjH8sFV_IEyLJIRf3XxNhTfA9WjjkJlqw" style="width: 600px;">



A philosophy razor is a heuristic or a rule of thumb that allows you to eliminate or shave off unlikely explanations for a problem. Hanlon’s razor says, “Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



Don’t assume the person responsible is malicious if something wrong happens because they might just be stupid! Different people have stated this principle throughout history in various forms. However, Hanlon&#8217;s razor is attributed to&nbsp; Robert J. Hanlon, who shared it in a book containing a compilation of jokes in 1980.



In a broader sense, Hanlon&#8217;s razor says that you should not assume that people acted out of a desire to cause harm if there is a reasonable alternative explanation. The alternative experience can be Stupidity, Ignorance, Carelessness, Incompetence, Lack of Information, etc.



<h2 id="putting-hanlon-s-razor-to-action">PUTTING HANLON’S RAZOR TO ACTION</h2>



Many relationships deteriorate as a result of wrong assumptions. When things do not turn out the way we want, we tend to assume the worst. In our heads, we make up stories that reflect our beliefs. Our natural tendency is to assume that others are ill-intentioned. Hanlon&#8217;s razor is a powerful mental model that can be applied to any situation where our first instinct is a negative assumption. Consider the following scenario.



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Situation:&nbsp; Assume that you join a new organization as a Test lead. You discover that the team produces poor bug reports, their test cases are poorly designed, there is no automation in place, and their <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/the-different-software-testing-types-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">testing techniques</a> are ineffective.&nbsp;</li></ul>



Flawed thinking: The team is unskilled and produces only mediocre work. Did I make a mistake by joining this team/organization? Was I tricked into joining a terrible team?



Hanlon&#8217;s razor:&nbsp;&nbsp;



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>The team may not have the necessary guidance as they did not have a leader to coach them</li><li>They might have cut corners to fulfill the demands and needs of the business. Let me have one-on-ones with my new teammates to learn more about them.&nbsp;</li><li>The team may not be getting enough time to automate tests, however, I can accelerate the <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Test Automation</a> with powerful low code tools like <a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testsigma</a>.&nbsp;</li></ul> 



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="display: block;
 margin: auto;"><a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Get started with free, open-source, low code test automation tool Testsigma</a></button>



You can employ Hanlon&#8217;s razor in various situations where you suspect bad intentions by a person towards you. Here are five hypothetical situations where you, as a tester, might fall victim to your bias and how Hanlon’s Razor can help you reason better.



<img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/ez5Z7-mNQdWfizJ0IjJ0iK6xLZs-0YbzJNE7q62W12RaYpvEIZ-cnUD5K9Ccnp4CHO5eLWgUSF5kDbq_Vrcj-gvBhMNdA45jLlpF-nCz_x28jtMFWDwiHpXZD14Jr5VatkbQ9wgknsf5srbVwA" style="width: 600px;">



 <ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Situation 1: “Mark(my manager) has not invited me to the sprint planning meeting.”</li></ul>



<ol><li>Flawed thinking: “Mark does not like me. Mark feels that I am incompetent and I cannot contribute to sprint planning”.</li><li>Hanlon’s Razor: “I have no specific reason to think Mark is unhappy with my work. He may have forgotten to add me&#8230;let me talk to him”.&nbsp;</li></ol>



 <ul><li>Situation 2: “Peter(the product manager) did not consider my idea/suggestion for the new feature.”</li></ul>



<ol><li>Flawed thinking: “Peter is trying to get back at me because I contradicted his idea last time.”</li><li>Hanlon’s Razor: “He may have a better idea or genuinely believed that my idea won&#8217;t work.”&nbsp;</li></ol>



 <ul><li>Situation 3: “ Dave(the developer) has rejected most of my bugs.”</li></ul>



<ol><li>Flawed thinking: “He is seeking revenge because of what I said in the last meeting. He wants to damage my credibility.”&nbsp;</li><li>Hanlon’s Razor: “There could be several reasons for rejecting the bugs. For instance, the requirements may have changed lately without my notice. Let me look at the comments to find out more”. <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-write-a-good-bug-report-some-tips/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Also, here is a useful article that has some tips for writing good bug reports.</a></li></ol>



 <ul><li>Situation 4: “ It has been two days since Dave has not replied to my message.”</li></ul>



<ol><li>Flawed thinking: “Dave is being rude and disrespectful; he is trying to insult me.”</li><li>Hanlon’s Razor: “Dave may be busy with the <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-reduce-the-risk-of-missing-bugs-before-deploying-on-production/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">production issue</a> detected yesterday and forgot to reply. ”</li></ol>



 <ul><li>Situation 5: “ Tyler(the tester from another team) refused to assist me on a task.</li></ul>



<ol><li>Flawed thinking: “Tyler is selfish; he only cares about his tasks.”</li><li>Hanlon’s Razor: “Tyler already has a lot on his plate to help me out. He is currently working on an important project”.</li></ol>



Remembering Hanlon&#8217;s Razor helps keep certain emotions like anger and stress in check when someone does something that annoys you.&nbsp;



<h2 id="hanlon-s-razor-enhances-trust-and-improves-working-relationship">HANLON’S RAZOR ENHANCES TRUST AND IMPROVES WORKING RELATIONSHIP</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/dnDz6Pn7rk7-NU5NhZQcu3T5ltgIRvkVB4osvs685lJApE5dwcVJqW3gyuUjLEUAMqtDEB3vhsQ9wjtFYtkp4NvhP8whhOGrVB9o_vaO1HD1JmMJmphqchu_vlyQNNwR6cTMahRbdtIe1_w5gg" alt="" width="400" height="400"/></figure></div>



Trust is the foundation of every successful team. Lack of trust directly impacts the productivity of the team.&nbsp; Incorrect assumptions about others and their intentions will only make others lose trust in you. Assuming ill intentions can keep us from forming stronger bonds. 



Trust is the notion that others do not intend to harm you. Hanlon’s Razor helps foster trust by keeping your biases at bay that may damage a tester&#8217;s relationships with their teammates. Furthermore, it saves you from unnecessary mental distress. When you fail to apply Hanlon&#8217;s razor, you may waste your time and energy by focusing on the wrong things.&nbsp;



Testers often work in high-pressure situations like late-night releases, fire-fighting in case of production issues, tight schedules, unclear and changing requirements, etc. Overthinking can develop as a result of stress and anxiety. 



Overthinking harms relationships and spreads a negative vibe in the <a href="https://www.pandadoc.com/features/collaborate/workspaces/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">workspace</a>.  Hanlon&#8217;s razor enables a tester to prevent overthinking. Assuming the best intentions in others can help you cultivate a great attitude and strengthen workplace relationships. Additionally, it ensures that you run into lesser confusion and conflicts.



<h2 id="limitations-of-hanlon-s-razor">LIMITATIONS OF HANLON&#8217;S RAZOR</h2>



<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/PdAaN1yL4fw7tRCGIYqca30E8GpmTHsgRMvbhC-Zs6Ax_sDful7F5IoC1cVe-sx6hFH2i-D5mU0-2esNsMzKNOHXLvU-PkjFmf5NY2rpXftjKMUG8MMGl97wYbJOBC75DpYAO9TiEEJzRNBMyg" style="width: 400px;">



Hanlon’s razor is a valuable reasoning tool for testers to improve their work relationships. It’s not a universal rule. Just like any other heuristic, Hanlon’s razor is fallible. Hanlon&#8217;s razor is a guiding principle for quick decision-making, but it may not always guarantee the correct conclusion.



<ul><li>Be aware of genuine hatefulness. Hanlon&#8217;s razor does not imply that actions are never motivated by wrong intentions. Some people are malicious, and their actions are meant to harm others.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Use your common sense to identify if someone is plotting against you.&nbsp; If it&#8217;s evident that someone is trying to harm you on purpose, take steps to safeguard yourself.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Use Hanlon’s razor with caution. When applying Hanlon&#8217;s Razor, do not ignore evidence, facts, and data.&nbsp; Ask yourself &#8211;&nbsp;</li></ul>



<ul><li>Does this person have a track record of being evil to you or anyone else?</li><li>Does this person have a solid reason to dislike you?&nbsp;</li><li>Does the person realize how inconsiderate their actions are?</li><li>Can this person’s behaviour be explained by incompetence, ignorance, forgetfulness, or another reason?&nbsp;</li></ul>



Despite the limitations, Hanlon&#8217;s Razor can be a useful starting point in most situations, for a tester, as it eases cognitive overload. Because not assuming the worst helps you to think clearly and rationally.



<h2 id="conclusion">CONCLUSION&nbsp;</h2>



The people and process decide whether a project succeeds or fails. &nbsp;As Gerald Weinberg rightly said, &#8220;Whatever the problem is, it&#8217;s always a people problem.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



Testers and developers can work more productively if they don&#8217;t assume the worst about each other &#8211; Hanlon&#8217;s Razor guides our everyday actions by avoiding unreasonable assumptions and looking at things more positively. 



As a result, it helps us build more robust and better relationships at work by being less judgemental.&nbsp; Developing an environment of trust makes everything work seamlessly. Hanlon&#8217;s Razor is a handy mental model that encourages you to look at negative experiences positively.&nbsp;



Add Hanlon&#8217;s razor as a part of your thinking toolkit and use it to navigate stressful situations. Apply Hanlon&#8217;s razor the next time you suspect someone has bad intentions. Empathize with your colleagues and give them the benefit of the doubt.



Also, Read this Interesting Article about Testers &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/a-testers-gambit/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testers Gambit</a>

Why Testers Should Embrace Hanlon’s Razor

In this fast-paced market, it’s very hard to find the right talent. Even the expectations from the employers are pretty high in some cases. But here, various components play a role. Hiring managers should have a clear view of the open roles. The job description should clearly explain the mandatory/preferable skills.&nbsp;



Recently I had an experience, and one of the candidates during the interview said to me that I am a good interviewer. She also added that she had bitter experiences before. I was pondering over the same statement for a few days, and I realized that few of us are not doing justice to the role of “Interviewer”. Being an interviewer is hard, I agree. Keep in mind that this is an acquired skill. 



Based on my personal experience over the years, I thought of sharing a few tips for our community. I always believe the interview should be an interesting conversation between the candidate and the interview panel. We should try to understand more about the candidate, their skillset (what sort of tool and technologies they worked on), strengths, communication and listening skills, etc.&nbsp;



The expectations for the QA role have grown to a greater level. Few organizations genuinely look for the right candidates with the right level of expectation. But the other few organizations expect the Testers to do an all-rounder job in the project. It’s fine unless we get the remuneration equivalent to it, LoL.&nbsp;



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Before_the_interview">1 Before the interview:</a><ul><li><a href="#1_Read_through_the_resume_before_meeting_the_candidate">1.1 1. Read through the resume before meeting the candidate</a></li><li><a href="#2_Prepare_the_questionsactivities_tailored">1.2 2. Prepare the questions/activities (tailored)</a></li><li><a href="#3_Be_there_on_time">1.3 3. Be there on time</a></li><li><a href="#4_Make_yourself_available_no_distractions">1.4 4. Make yourself available (no distractions)</a></li><li><a href="#5_If_its_a_virtual_interview_make_sure_that_Camera_is_on">1.5 5. If it’s a virtual interview make sure that “Camera” is on</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#During_the_Interview">2 During the Interview:</a><ul><li><a href="#1_Meet_and_Greet">2.1 1. Meet and Greet:</a></li><li><a href="#2_Ask_them_to_introduce">2.2 2. Ask them to introduce</a></li><li><a href="#3_Categorize_the_questions">2.3 3. Categorize the questions</a></li><li><a href="#4_Perception_of_asking_questions">2.4 4. Perception of asking questions:</a></li><li><a href="#5_Focus_on_Automation_and_other_special_skill_sets">2.5 5. Focus on Automation and other special skill sets:</a></li><li><a href="#6_Cover_the_skills_stated_in_the_resume_but_not_required_for_the_current_role">2.6 6. Cover the skills stated in the resume but not required for the current role:</a></li><li><a href="#7_Ensuring_the_Confidential_information_is_not_leaked">2.7 7. Ensuring the Confidential information is not leaked:</a></li><li><a href="#8_Be_empathetic">2.8 8. Be empathetic:</a></li><li><a href="#9_Proper_closure">2.9 9. Proper closure:</a></li></ul></li><li><a href="#Next_steps">3 Next steps?</a></li><li><a href="#Bonus_tips">4 Bonus tips:</a></li><li><a href="#Final_words">5 Final words:</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="before-the-interview">Before the interview:</h2>



Similar to candidates, the interviewer should be well prepared for every interview.



<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/vBQ6-MNEcvQxxGd5r04N3MkAZxBkivYxMjaNh6WcwLBGoqitxESR5ERTyaoF7x39Cg8rXm_1QR0QfPSxM5V7GQ5vFHRsCTLJcCxKFpBhPIvqvylbVYUbptt5iQCxuJk_NzLvcssR" alt="Interviewer's Complete Guide" style="width: 600px">



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<h3 id="1-read-through-the-resume-before-meeting-the-candidate">1. Read through the resume before meeting the candidate</h3>



Scan the resume properly and make a note of the required and optional skills. It’s again the responsibility of the candidate to add genuine details to the resume. Try to understand the project/domain knowledge of the candidate. Think about the ways their previous experience is going to bring value to the current role you are looking for. If there are questions regarding their <a href="https://lensa.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">career journey</a> make sure to clarify them during the interview. Please don’t assume.&nbsp;







<h3 id="2-prepare-the-questions-activities-tailored">2. Prepare the questions/activities (tailored)</h3>



Nowadays Testers are very versatile. So try to understand their experience with different flavors of Testing. Based on their knowledge of tools/technology, try to pose your questions.&nbsp;







<h3 id="3-be-there-on-time">3. Be there on time</h3>



It’s always good to start the interviews a bit early to avoid some technical or unexpected difficulties. Even if you join early, and if the candidate is also joining then initiate a casual conversation to make them comfortable. Bad things happen, it’s unavoidable, sometimes we cannot make it on time. In that case, apologize for being late, and try to engage in the current conversation.&nbsp;



<h3 id="4-make-yourself-available-no-distractions">4. Make yourself available (no distractions)</h3>



As an interviewer, you should be all ears. Sometimes, this helps you to build further questions to understand the technical knowledge of the candidate. So, turn on the DND mode wherever necessary.



<h3 id="5-if-it-s-a-virtual-interview-make-sure-that-camera-is-on">5. If it’s a virtual interview make sure that “Camera” is on</h3>



In this digital era, with the help of every available technology, the world has gotten smaller. So for virtual interviews &#8211; along with the candidates, interviewers should also have their cameras on. Without this, the candidate would feel like they are talking to pictures.&nbsp;



<h2 id="during-the-interview">During the Interview:</h2>



Remember that you are the face of your organization. The person who applied for this role will treat you as a representative of your organization.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/BSJE3UQKsqRE6DJMxA7m06TNdSEmYEJrjTuuPS9O3z6Un4MmuXAO7p1ch84hIk5HLLSB7ROGjJIhWBimXlHaY3fYd9dTGv0b88nj4LWcyK6l1vfwexF-XamYZ-7U1BurHuumGAJq" alt="Interviewer's Complete Guide" width="600" height="400" /></figure></div>



<h3 id="1-meet-and-greet">1. Meet and Greet:</h3>



Once you kick off the interview officially, first greet them. Introduce yourself, a bit about your team, the current projects you are working on and you can add about the Testing experts available in your team/organization. Also, explain the process of the interview. 



For instance, the introduction part, the Technical theory questions, a few exercises/Hands-on, Q&amp;A (if the candidate has any questions), and wrap-off. By explaining this, the candidate will have better clarity and be prepared. If there’s another interviewer as well, ask them to give a brief introduction. Please don’t have too many people as watchers during the interview.&nbsp;



If you sense that the candidate is a bit edgy, make sure to have a casual conversation to calm them down. Go easy on them.



<h3 id="2-ask-them-to-introduce">2. Ask them to introduce</h3>



Once your introduction and process explanations are over, ask the candidate to give a brief introduction about their current role and project. Mostly their resume states everything, so this part should be kept short and crisp. My tip here would be to ask them to rate their top three skill sets. This helps us to proceed further with the technical evaluation.&nbsp;



<h3 id="3-categorize-the-questions">3. Categorize the questions</h3>



Instead of simply shooting the questions one by one, try to categorize them. For instance &#8211; Section 1: Testing Fundamentals, Section 2: Testing Artifacts, Section 3: Automation Skills, Section 4: Tools/Technologies, Section 5: Problem-solving skills, Section 6: Programming Language knowledge, and so on. Tweak these categories based on your organization&#8217;s needs. This helps to capture the detailed feedback as well.



<h3 id="4-perception-of-asking-questions">4. Perception of asking questions:</h3>



If you have a clear objective on the expectation for this role, try to understand if the candidate is having experience with the same tool/technology. Say, for instance, if you are looking for a candidate with AWS experience, check if they have similar cloud platform experience. 



They might have worked with Azure, if the cloud basics are strong they could scale up in AWS in weeks. Now, your questions should be more focused on the cloud basics, cloud-based testing skills, etc.&nbsp;



My pro tip: Don’t expect the candidate to have hands-on every time with your tool requirement. Software Testers can learn and adapt any tool faster than anyone.&nbsp;



If you are hiring for Test lead or similar leadership roles, try to analyze the leadership skills through behavioral and situation-based questions.&nbsp;



<h3 id="5-focus-on-automation-and-other-special-skill-sets">5. Focus on Automation and other special skill sets:</h3>



If you are expecting Selenium expertise, and the candidate doesn’t have that don’t judge too quickly. Get to understand more about their <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/different-types-of-tools-to-help-testers-day-to-day-life-easier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">knowledge of tools</a> or which they are using for Automation. Who knows, we might switch from Selenium to another tool later. 



Or we might prefer any low code/no-code automation tool. In this situation, try to understand the Automation knowledge of the candidate. They should be aware of that when we should do Test Automation, and when not. Check if they are good with Automation concepts, jargon, etc.&nbsp;



<h3 id="6-cover-the-skills-stated-in-the-resume-but-not-required-for-the-current-role">6. Cover the skills stated in the resume but not required for the current role:</h3>



For instance, if the candidate mentioned that Performance Testing is also one of the strong skill sets, but you are not performing any performance tests right now in your project. In this case, try to validate their knowledge. 



Get to know the tools they used. In the future, your applications might require performance testing. This is why we need to come prepared for the interview. If you are not experienced in performance testing, you can ask other interviewers to check that specific skill. That’s an advantage of having multiple interviewers.&nbsp;



<h3 id="7-ensuring-the-confidential-information-is-not-leaked">7. Ensuring the Confidential information is not leaked:</h3>



Sharing information related to clients could be harmful, so better try to avoid such details. Also, any organization-related information shouldn’t be shared while conversing with the candidate.&nbsp;



<h3 id="8-be-empathetic">8. Be empathetic:</h3>



Kindness doesn’t cost a thing. We are not sure what the candidate is going through. So try to be patient.&nbsp;



<h3 id="9-proper-closure">9. Proper closure:</h3>



Once done with all the questions, check if the candidate is having any questions for you. Set the expectations for the next steps and time frames. Don’t forget to thank the candidate for their time.&nbsp;







<h2 id="next-steps">Next steps?</h2>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/xUXBVPuKXVph_GmoBP1HNReTfdBgQIx3A0k1N-g-cAVsdMJXurYQi0x_rlJoGM7BUe4hllGFsqUFGtpvlCHRl0Lclq3nusbZhh0FxhJp8Uq-wlRxqHrh_asRVFqKgEweQc6CW_ER" alt="Interviewer's Complete Guide" width="600" height="400" /></figure></div>



Once the interview is done, it’s time to provide feedback. Think about various factors before deciding on them. If there are multiple interviewers along with you in the interview panel, try reaching them and discuss the candidate&#8217;s performance. Few instances, if the interviewers are located across different time zones or teams, then every interviewer can send individual feedback about the candidate.



Now, based on the answers, assess the degree to which each candidate possesses and/or demonstrates meeting the expectations, and categorize them accordingly.



<ul><li>Exceeds the requirement</li><li>Meets the requirement</li><li>Does not meet the requirement</li></ul>



<h2 id="bonus-tips">Bonus tips:</h2>



1. For any Software Tester, Testing basics are mandatory. Try to refresh their memory and ask questions related to it2. Tweak the questions based on their years of experience in Software Testing3. Ask them to explain the interesting bug they found4. Focus on the Analytical skills: Ask them how they would test a lift, airplane, water bottle, etc.5. Check if the candidate is willing or already contributed to any open source communities



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="margin: auto"><a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Contribute to Testsigma GitHub repo</a></button> 



6. Try to ask more scenario-based questions, instead of theories. Because this helps to make a wise decision7. Develop a form that fits all QA role requirements and follow it across teams for sharing feedback8. While testing the coding skills, try to provide some real problem statements, instead of asking them to make a Fibonacci series9. For tool based interviews, ask them to install the tool before the interview and try giving simple exercises10. Don’t forget to note down the additional skills of the candidates in the feedback form11. Always look out for versatile testers12. Check the aspirations of the candidate (If they want to learn Automation, or they are looking for more management or lead-related roles, etc.)13. Check if they have completed any certifications. Or if they have anything in the pipeline. This will also help us to understand how they are planning to shape their career



Learn More: Top 15 <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/qa-conferences/">QA conferences</a>



<h2 id="final-words">Final words:</h2>



Even if the right candidate lands up with the wrong interviewer there is a chance of mishap. So it’s the interviewer&#8217;s responsibility to find out the best in the candidate. Later, you can decide if they fit into your current openings.&nbsp;



Remember that the Software Testers can learn any tool/technology based on their previous experience. Look out for a person who is eagle-eyed and curious like a child. So you need to find out if this candidate is smart enough to scale and grow along with you 🙂



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="margin: auto"><a href="https://testsigma.com/signup" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Checkout Testsigma, a no-code test automation tool </a></button> 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/OqnunDxdocouMSMsA5lDYoSTXvu7UAd_rJsTG0qHIPV9YgoZBsIIHjtHcSd0iw9B-mkXg5K5DZbwBvtpNDO7CStGtrJsIDLE76prLfs78A0vFldCid3tH11r0w1Sdmf4Jn4UEUUJ" alt="Interviewer's Complete Guide" width="600" height="400" /><figcaption>PC: slidesgo</figcaption></figure></div>

An Interviewer’s Complete Guide to hire the best QA Engineers

For so many years, the companies have relied on a group of people for quality assurance &#8211; Testers, QA Engineers, etc., to be vigilant and help software development teams to deliver high-quality applications. We spent our days testing, reporting defects, debating business requirements, and wondering if it was a feature instead of a bug.&nbsp;



Perhaps the world is changing; we understand this new era requires different approaches, breaking the silos and collaborating more. Still, Are we prepared to see a world without <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/quality-engineering-discussions-5-questions-with-george-ukkuru/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quality Assurance Engineers</a>? Unfortunately, some companies do think so and are merging the QA roles with the development roles.&nbsp;



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gNZbX7kOuM3oWAVkic2dYPC_VmymdF94AlJ4Fcmv1zWUgPTSg6utVukTHfBJfmpDw0csUTqkGho1roVc_qQDGRyx_Fz_1o9gc57_90zPrVq-dvu053LSV1vtYEDOpYu_zV6sFfO" alt="QA Engineers Not Needed" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



<a href="https://www.quora.com/Why-do-some-companies-not-have-software-QA-positions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Under the same way of thinking</a>, many companies are switching from &#8220;trying to test everything&#8221; to &#8220;test as fast as you can, and deliver quickly.&#8221; Currently, we have seen several companies minimizing the importance of QA and increasing the adoption of DevOps. Perhaps, it is time to rethink if we want to focus on speed instead of Quality as a core value. Even in Agile, Testing activities can be a big challenge because proper Testing can take time.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#Everybody_wants_to_build_something">1 Everybody wants to build something.</a></li><li><a href="#We_all_Have_QA_responsibilities">2 We all Have QA responsibilities.</a></li><li><a href="#The_Importance_of_Quality_and_the_Rise_of_QA_Heroes">3 The Importance of Quality and the Rise of QA Heroes</a></li><li><a href="#Bonus_8211_QA_Roles_are_still_relevant">4 Bonus &#8211; QA Roles are still relevant</a></li><li><a href="#Final_Thoughts">5 Final Thoughts</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="everybody-wants-to-build-something">Everybody wants to build something.</h2>



Everybody wants to build something; it feels incredible creating a piece of software or a fantastic application. Still, when we make something for ourselves, we expect some Quality work, even perfection. As Vonnegut Jr mentioned in his quote, another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build, and nobody wants to do maintenance. The same applies to software development and the high cost of Quality and Maintenance.



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">&#8220;My name is Ozymandias, king of kings; Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!&#8221; Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.&#8221; <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46565/ozymandias" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Extract of </a><a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/46565/ozymandias">Percy Shelley&#8217;s &#8220;Ozymandias&#8221;</a></blockquote> 



In my experience, I&#8217;ve seen several startups trying to deliver their Minimal Value Product (MVP) faster. Still, it becomes a nightmare when they try to implement a Quality process later, or even worse, postponing some critical features because some complex bugs are found. So my suggestion for those starting a new project or a new application is that you must consider quality earlier; perhaps later, it could be costly.



<h2 id="we-all-have-qa-responsibilities">We all Have QA responsibilities.</h2>



Indeed, we all have QA responsibilities, and sometimes it is worth repeating it out loud.



There are moments in our software development life cycle when we are perfectly aware of what we are building and have some idea of what we need to validate, exactly when and where we need it the most. Still, there is a sort of uncertainty if we are validating correctly. It should maintain a balance between what we are building and what we are validating. Everything must be working perfectly.



But then there are circumstances when we are almost totally blind about our actual capabilities and strengths related to quality. Our quality mindset is literally on vacation. Although the teams understand why quality assurance is needed, still, some guidance is required; we feel that everything is off track. It is relatively easy to lose track in this new world where everyone is responsible for Quality, and none is responsible for that.



Don&#8217;t get me wrong; every person within the Agile teams has to consider Quality at every stage in our projects. However, a group of people cannot just own it (As the role of Tester/QA Engineer doesn&#8217;t exist anymore in some companies.), nowadays, in this new era of the world without QA Engineers, who should be the ones helping us to embrace Quality as a core value and encouraging us to follow best QA practices?



<h2 id="the-importance-of-quality-and-the-rise-of-qa-heroes">The Importance of Quality and the Rise of QA Heroes</h2>



The good news is that most organizations understand why quality assurance is still needed. They fill the gap using the developers and DevOps staff playing an even more active role in QA operations. I have seen those teams working more closely. However, instead of just communicating and cooperating with quality assurance engineers, they will need to get more hands-on with software testing and quality optimization.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/jxw6kt0GS0yxt90poDcXIokG_Hi4du9sYtSp59s0XMPMZHDbvlt-HoSi5HncucmPhCGjmxd14p-RZ49e8C26wWuTnclTxdl09kyNZ25B3uBM35Ic56kMvajQN4gh-JYFRqx8MDuS" alt="Importance of Quality" width="400" height="400" /><figcaption>Enrique A Decoss</figcaption></figure></div>



Let&#8217;s be frank; it could be challenging for developers and DevOps engineers to own QA if it means more work and time. That&#8217;s why it&#8217;s critical to empower them with tools, training, and coaching to make QA activities efficient.That&#8217;s why we need QA (Quality Assurance) Heroes, those who can help the scrum teams to develop strategies and practices and embrace a Quality mindset, even for those who have no prior experience in QA.




Key points to consider:



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Educating about Quality. Developers already know how to code; it&#8217;s what they do, so learning an automated testing framework and writing tests is not a massive issue. Still, in order to improve quality insurance, we need to train the team to increase their product knowledge and make them better testers. In addition, we should be focusing on the add value part of testing and customer perspective scenarios; we must offer ad-hoc advice related to Quality and make recommendations to create better Test Scripts. QA Heroes can be helpful in all of the areas above.</li></ul>



For example, here are some&nbsp; tools that team members should know about to improve their knowledge:



1. Free and <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/why-how-to-contribute-to-open-source-projects/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Open Source Test Automation Tools: The open source tools are a unique opportunity to contribute</a> to the testing community. Contribution can be in terms of improving the quality of the code, or adding new enhancements and features that could help improve the test automation efficiency for you and teams worldwide.



The top 3 open source tools that deserve a try are:



i. Testsigma: A no-code <a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">test automation</a> tool that lets anyone automate for web, mobile and APIs from the same placel. The github repository is here: <a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma</a>



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="margin: auto"><a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Start with Testsigma Opensource</a></button>



ii. Selenium: This tool is&nbsp; to automate web browser specific workflows. This is no-code for beginners and is compatible with &#8211; JavaScript (Node. js), Python, Ruby, Java, Kotlin (programming language), and C#. The github repository is here: <a href="https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://github.com/SeleniumHQ/selenium</a> iii. Appium: This tool is to automate mobile specific workflows. This is built upon Selenium and is compatible with &#8211; Java, Python, Ruby, C#, JavaScript, and PHP or any language that supports Selenium. The github repository is here: <a href="https://github.com/appium/appium" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://github.com/appium/appium</a>



2. Premium Test Automation Tools: These tools are mentioned here: <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/best-automation-testing-tools-for-web-and-mobile/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://testsigma.com/blog/best-automation-testing-tools-for-web-and-mobile/</a>



3. Tools for other day-to-day activities for Testers: Mentioned here: <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/best-automation-testing-tools-for-web-and-mobile/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://testsigma.com/blog/best-automation-testing-tools-for-web-and-mobile/</a>



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Continuous feedback. In order to meet the quality assurance needs, the whole team should be aware of testing activities and understand high-quality standards. QA Heroes can help the team to define testing activities, and organize testing sessions. It&#8217;s essential to establish a continuous feedback loop directly between scrum teams so that each group can discuss Quality issues with the other group.</li> <li>Everyone is responsible for Quality. Every developer and DevOps engineer should share ownership over software quality from a cultural perspective. In the absence of QA engineers, there is no one whose primary job is software testing; as a result, it falls to the whole team to own Quality Assurance completely. Each team has its context and is expected to do experiments and adapt the Quality process to deliver high-quality applications.</li> <li>Reinforcing Quality. If we don&#8217;t verify and adapt in case of a glitch, the risk of quality problems will go up. QA Heroes can help the team get into the swing of things. Since their role is to guide and provide advice related to Quality, the whole team should not rely on the QA Heroes to test their work.</li></ul>



Last but not least, the teams should be&nbsp; encouraged&nbsp; to focus on prevention rather than detection.



<h2 id="bonus-qa-roles-are-still-relevant">Bonus &#8211; QA Roles are still relevant</h2>



As we noticed, Quality Assurance is still critical in delivering the best experiences possible to today&#8217;s demanding customers. Consumers worldwide expect their digital products to improve over time, and with each new update, their expectations rise. If they are unhappy, the cost of switching software is zero.&nbsp;



Moreover, there is no room for critical errors; companies are still requesting QA Engineers to automate testing, identify real-world scenarios, and implement different testing approaches. So the QA roles must ensure they can keep high-quality even as development moves faster.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/zy4OYDL12arQbiCsKGKNJbuP_4f2B-ZM9aPmbp0FH5bAQJrGLLxf-EVh510DwtZOsjTAzKufYiibaB5Cj99gl91YDeAqLik22FWyWD5eqjZfsPgi6_9QnvsA0e3DPqtDdM9WaClI" alt="QA Roles are still relevant" width="600" height="600" /><figcaption><a href="https://www.recruiter.com/careers/software-quality-assurance-engineers-and-testers/outlook/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Outlook for Quality Assurance Engineers</a></figcaption></figure></div>



The overall job outlook for QA Engineers has been positive since 2019. Vacancies for this career have increased by 4.97 percent in the US, with an average growth of 4.97 percent per year. As a result, demand for Software Quality Assurance Engineers and Testers is expected to increase, with 308,390 new jobs filled by 2029. It represents an annual increase of 2.32 percent over the next few years.



<h2 id="final-thoughts">Final Thoughts</h2>



Quality is not trying to slow down innovation in scrum teams. However, it must be seen as a critical part of software development to deliver more innovative applications. In the real world, many organizations don&#8217;t have QA teams at all or are large enough to handle all QA obligations on their own. So that&#8217;s another reason why making QA the responsibility of everyone involved in the Agile projects is critical.



Agile may be killing traditional QA roles. But that doesn&#8217;t mean all QA roles are disappearing. It could be possible for certain companies to move forward without a dedicated QA team. I genuinely believe that approach can be demanding for developers and DevOps Engineers. Giving agile teams additional resources that quickly scale, each testing approach keeps developers moving faster and adjusting to customers&#8217; high demands.



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">As QA heroes, we must always positively impact our testing landscape.&#8221; &#8211; Enrique A Decoss</blockquote> 



Happy Bug Hunting!

Why The World Doesn't Need QA Engineers (But still requires quality assurance)

Why are QA Engineers Not Needed (But Still Requires QA)

Hello everyone 👋



Hope you are doing great.&nbsp;



As a Tester, you might have received a lot of feedback from different people. Have you ever thought some simple tips can help to sharpen your testing skills? Yes, changing your mindset can bring a lot of changes to your daily routine work, thought process, and career.&nbsp;



Have you ever felt that being open to the current bad situation caused less stress and impact on you? Are you reacting to every mishap around you? Do you punish yourself when things go wrong or are not as expected? Do you hear about other people&#8217;s beliefs/perceptions?&nbsp;



For today’s blog, we will be covering a few tips to have an open mindset as Testers. Being an open-minded person is different from being lethargic. There are some qualities that will help you stay open-minded and bring spring and sun shine.



<div id="toc_container" class="no_bullets">Table Of Contents<ul class="toc_list"><li><a href="#What_is_open-mindedness">1 What is open-mindedness?</a></li><li><a href="#What_are_the_traits_of_open-minded_people_and_how_Testers_could_adapt_to_this">2 What are the traits of open-minded people and how Testers could adapt to this?</a></li><li><a href="#How_is_it_beneficial_for_Testersnbsp">3 How is it beneficial for Testers?&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="#Conclusion">4 Conclusion</a></li></ul></div>
<h2 id="what-is-open-mindedness">What is open-mindedness?</h2> 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/aWlnEaH7zCWyspUoVl23hpWa51Xu95S9UCimFndXbt1UUnWMKUEfan1aSs9P_NY3Uyu9r_iy4GRnTKptmbBctZ4NLUYQqZ5jRZWMYsZIYvHEIQjBGJ1gSAde3utjF96B-Jo1kCva" alt="What is open-mindedness?" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



The definition of open-minded is &#8220;receptive to arguments or ideas&#8221;. Different people define&nbsp; “open-mindedness” differently.&nbsp;



Open-mindedness is generally considered an important personal attribute for effective participation in management teams and other groups. It is usually encouraged in group settings, within different cultures, and in new environments.



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">&#8220;An open-minded person sees life without boundaries, whereas a close-minded person can only see what&#8217;s beyond their eyes.&#8221; ― Kaoru Shinmon.</blockquote> 



<h2 id="what-are-the-traits-of-open-minded-people-and-how-testers-could-adapt-to-this">What are the traits of open-minded people and how Testers could adapt to this?</h2>



Being Curious:



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“Curiosity is a willing, a proud, an eager confession of ignorance” ― S. Leonard Rubinstein</blockquote> 



Curiosity helps to stay energetic and which in turn helps you to perform efficient testing. This curiosity will motivate you to do better and better every day. You will try to understand more about the application/flow. You could also start exploring the features of the application to be tested. 



You will try to learn new things, which could land you up in learning new tools/technologies in Testing. This helps to stay on top of things. You will be curious about the latest trends in the Testing space, and you will be up-to-date. If you are keen and curious, you will listen to your team even when you have a strong knowledge/expertise around that area/topic.



If you are landing in a new role/new project, you need to be curious to know what’s happening. Only then you will ask the right questions and you can proceed on the right path. Sooner you can settle as one of the good testers on the team.&nbsp;



In a nutshell, this curious feeling in you will bring out the best “Tester” version of yourself.&nbsp;



Empathetic:



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of another.” ― Anonymous</blockquote> 



Empathy is the ability to understand others&#8217; feelings. Once we are open and put ourselves in others&#8217; shoes, we can connect easily with the people around us. We, as Testers, need to work with multiple stakeholders. Not everyone is the same. So before concluding things, try to understand the situation of the opponent and react. Don’t conclude hastily.&nbsp;



For instance, if a developer is rejecting a defect try to talk with him and gather more knowledge. Simply judging him and being stubborn that this defect is valid, is not helpful. We need to reach out to different stakeholders if still things are not working as expected.&nbsp;



If any of your team members are having a hard time, we should help them voluntarily. Sometimes even not disturbing them will also be a great help. So try to be polite with everyone.&nbsp;



Admitting the mistakes:



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“Apology is not about saying I&#8217;m sorry, but it is about the meaning you put behind the apology and admitting that you are the wrong part.” ― Unarine Ramaru</blockquote> 



Learn from your mistakes. But admitting the mistakes to others requires a lot more gut. We cannot be right all the time.&nbsp;



We as Testers should be strong-headed and able to admit our mistakes and try not to repeat them. No one is perfect, we might miss some details while logging a defect. If other stakeholders are inquiring, agree that you missed it and try to create a checklist in the future so that no one in our team is making the same mistake again. If you are stubborn in not admitting that you did that by mistake, you will never think of the best practices to avoid that in the future.&nbsp;



Even as a Leader/Manager, while we are admitting our mistakes we set an example to our team. This doesn’t mean that the leaders are always right. At the same time, we are working towards a single goal “Quality”, and anyone that is getting deviated from the track can be pulled back with the right mindset.



Humbleness:



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">&#8220;Be humble, don&#8217;t have too much pride, and think you&#8217;re too good for anything.” ― Angela Yee.</blockquote> 



Humbleness is a quality of being modest or unpretentious. When you are humble, you will have better visibility over the things around you. Most of the time, pride will make you blind. This will cause a great loss of knowledge/wisdom. But when we are humble we will be open to learning new things from different people. We will have something to learn from everyone. So being humble is helpful to us in many ways.&nbsp;



We have a lot to learn from our fellow testers and developers. Being humble helps you to learn new things. When you think that you are already mastering a tool/technology and believe that you know everything about it, this attitude blocks you from learning new things. But at the same time, when you think that, I am good at this tool/topic, let me try to learn what I am still lacking. 



I was once working for a developer who is very humble and he taught me many things. We were testing the mobile app, he used to explain how he is generating every build and what are the tools/apps he is using. That gave me a clear picture of my testing process, and for some bug, I could easily find the root cause. Here, if I would have been so stubborn thinking that I know everything, I might have lost some special learning from him.&nbsp;



This mode will help you to be receptive and you will learn more and unlearn the biasing you had.&nbsp;



Asking questions to understand other&#8217;s opinion:



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” ― Albert Einstein</blockquote> 



Blindly judging people or shutting them down is going to be a loss for you. We should learn to listen to people. Once hearing their side of the story will always be a wise choice. Being a Team Leader doesn’t mean that you know about everything. Whenever there is a discussion coming up, we should be able to ask questions and understand what others think. 



We shouldn’t start the conversion in defensive mode. Because going defensive will hide you from seeing the truth. During the team meeting, if there’s a conflict on the decision, try to think and analyze the different solutions provided by the team. Instead of trying to prove them wrong, ask questions and understand how efficient the solution is. This will help to build a good team rapport, and everyone in the team will feel that they are valued.&nbsp;



Open to new ideas:



 <blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“The mind that opens  to a new idea never returns to its original size.”  &#8211; Albert Einstein</blockquote> 



Everyone in the team works from a different set of backgrounds. When there is a problem statement, interact more with the team, talk to the business, and do constant research. Most of the time, complex problems will have simpler solutions. For a single solution, we might receive different ideas from different people. Always do a brainstorm and come up with the best solution. We should have an open mind and heart to invite all the silly, stupid and crazy options as well.



If you are open to trying new tools/approaches, you will have loads of learning. Build your knowledge base out of the learnings you receive.&nbsp;



Try <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-open-source-test-automation-tool/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">open source</a> tools, which are a unique opportunity for testers to contribute to the testing community at large. Contribution can be in terms of improving the quality of the code or adding new enhancements and features that could help improve the test automation efficiency for teams worldwide.



<button class="btn bg-primary cta-btn" style="margin: auto"><a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color:#fff">Start with Testsigma Opensource</a></button> 



<h2 id="how-is-it-beneficial-for-testers">How is it beneficial for Testers?&nbsp;</h2>



Overall how this open mindset is going to help us:



<ul class="list_style_disc"><li>Be happier</li><li>Learn the roots</li><li>Implement efficient testing processes</li><li>Build smart/best practices in the team</li><li>Worry less about the things which are not in our control</li><li>Build greater teams</li><li>Keep ourselves motivated</li><li>Ignore the self-doubt</li><li>Inspire our fellow testers</li><li>Improve productivity</li><li>Be more optimistic, thus, plan better</li></ul>



<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote">“If you don&#8217;t go through life with an open mind, you will find a lot of closed doors.” ― Mark W. Perrett</blockquote>



Being open doesn&#8217;t mean that we are weak. We are letting the new thoughts flow in. Nowadays testers are going through so much stress &#8211; what to learn, where to learn, what are the career options available, what tools to learn to grab a highly paid job etc. Most of us are facing this. 



Carrying the stress/burden will have an impact on our health and career. Starting with simple changes can make a lot of difference. It’s not that easy to stay “open-minded” in all situations. But we can train our brain and heart to stay easy.



Wishing you good luck with your “open-mindedness” process adoption!!



PC: <a href="https://www.canva.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener nofollow">Canva</a>

How To Be An Open-Minded Tester?

A common theme among most software testing organizations is their escalating interest in Test Automation. While test automation has grown in popularity, there are still many myths and biases surrounding it. Such myths can unknowingly create a self-limiting boundary and negatively impact the possibilities of test automation.



In this article, I will discuss some common test automation myths and biases that people have towards test automation.



Note: “!=” operator has been used throughout this article to denote inequality. If you are not familiar with this operator, please read it as “not equal to”.&nbsp;



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/JnI0za16kMOF_iG_85IXpCXTK0hcD57Pb9QGyW2uAIb6jjrTsEfvJ0wLFpajIII9iYdlWguDSIBQ82ZS4ty9jgYwCqIPyGxMvZhkNvh4Pxt7_oq9lLSqRdAaiaAptuz1A9ed5-kX" alt="Test Automation" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



Test Automation != Test Execution



<a href="https://testsigma.com/automated-testing" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Automated testing</a> is often viewed as executing tests. However, this is one of the most common misconceptions. Automation is defined by Wikipedia as a wide range of technologies that reduce human involvement in processes. It is often the execution of tests that consumes the largest portion of the overall testing phase. Automating this phase can certainly save a great deal of time.&nbsp;



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/IADSI33fDoRWTz0V_kPKrspZjO6af7wICBJeWUh8MMVeARQbMMbeglgunvLWNue4RbGFaZGOh0094NGxwyXbH696vRa6GuLVSUMwiGbSNSPVXUsWsU-CK-gA24kIdKhpnPBtKilG" alt="Test Automation - Test Execution" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



However, Test Automation goes beyond Test Execution. Test Automation covers a broad range of possibilities. At each step of the testing lifecycle, there are a number of activities where test automation can reduce human effort. Here are some examples:



<ul><li>Test Environment Setup:<ul><li>Installing libraries using scripts</li><li>Setting configuration variables, etc. </li></ul></li><li>Mocking Component Behavior<ul><li>Useful in IoT &amp; Embedded Software Testing</li><li>Can also reduce (or eliminate) actual hardware/component need </li></ul></li><li>Test Reporting<ul><li>Generating summary report/email.</li><li>Linking screenshots/logs to the reports.</li><li>Triggering emails on test execution, completion, etc. </li></ul></li><li>Rerunning failures<ul><li>It is helpful to automate the re-execution of failure/flaky tests.</li><li>It also helps to examine the consistency and probability of the failure. </li></ul></li><li>Test Data Preparation<ul><li>Creating synthetic test data</li><li>Creating dynamic &amp; random test data </li></ul></li><li>Scheduling Test Runs<ul><li>Based on schedules</li><li>Based on continuous integration rules </li></ul></li><li>Test Build Generation<ul><li>Preparation of release candidates for testing </li></ul></li><li>Updating results to ALM Tools<ul><li>Ex: JIRA, Team Foundation Server, Polarion</li><li>Using API endpoints </li></ul></li><li>Monitoring Production Logs </li><li>Comparing Files </li><li>Cleanup of Environment, etc.</li></ul>



 “Just because you’ve counted all the trees doesn’t mean you’ve seen the forest.”



Anonymous



Test Automation != Quality Assurance



Over the years, Testing has been mistaken for quality assurance. A similar outlook is shared by Test Automation, which is often regarded as a quality assurance activity. Let&#8217;s look at the definition of <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/testing-vs-quality-assurance-vs-quality-control-whats-the-difference/">quality</a> to see how test automation isn&#8217;t quality assurance.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/2p3-UiSjv8uyuag99LTxzVzPAXbmj52_koz9CExsFSybqDS1kY1ydp3ESZvVwKwUWqIqcmO9Y15AiYPImE9YVfDgCjbgjtcisKasZgwPPjvleUuKJquwNWpVuJwk_c1zSTtJ59v3" alt="Test Automation - Quality Assurance" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



 <ul><li>One of the popular definitions of Quality is that it is “value” to someone “who” matters. Depending on context and personas, “value” and “who” take on different forms. Thus, quality is a multidimensional concept.</li> <li>By performing checks through tools, Test Automation will help you find information. Having such checks will enable you to find regression issues.</li> <li>With Test Automation, you can define checks to detect:<ul><li>Functional Issues</li><li>Performance Issues</li><li>Security Issues</li><li>Accessibility Issues</li><li>UI, Responsive Issues, etc.</li> </ul>



<li>Quality will, however, mean different things to different people. Below are some typical software user personas:<ul><li>Marketing Team</li><li>Tech Writers</li><li>Testers</li><li>Programmers</li><li>Managers</li><li>Customer Service</li><li>Business Specialists</li><li>Support/Sales</li></ul> <li>
Different notions of quality will apply to your context according to the persona of your customer. Here are some of the possible quality attributes:&nbsp;<ul><li>Reliability</li><li>Speed</li><li>Usability</li><li>Scalability</li><li>Maintainability</li><li>Testability</li><li>Documentability</li><li>Trainability</li><li>Functionality</li><li>Supportability</li></ul>



 <li>While you may be able to control some of these attributes, the majority are beyond your control or scope as a test automation engineer.</li></ul>



 “Quality is not what happens when what you do matches your intentions. It is what happens when what you do matches your customers’ expectations.”



Guaspari



Test Automation != Test Scripts



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/EYncNjApheyjVT3BWwLS0jqwx4SxJ-7XYRqtKepLbZ48Pm8HiLVMXR1pk9vMhQYNQcbnHsl9Pu_7AlvY1nyITCCVt8EnUAAxziNikUQXmxR0TYdcRa7FUmy-ZFKLuRyCJK5s-aoH" alt="Test Automation - Test Scripts" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



 <ul><li>Newbies in test automation often focus heavily on the writing of test scripts.</li> <li>Even though Test Scripts are one of the visible outcomes of test automation, there is more to it than that.</li> <li>Automation engineers perform several activities that are often overlooked. They include:<ul><li>Modeling application</li><li>Test data generation</li><li>Developing framework / reusable libraries</li><li>Work towards CI-CD-CT<ul><li>CI = Continuous integration</li><li>CD = Continuous delivery/deployment</li><li>CT = Continuous testing</li></ul> </li><li>Documenting automation / Preparing readme documents.</li><li>Logging automation</li><li>Test design</li><li>Defining test execution strategy</li><li>Developing accelerator tools</li><li>Code review</li><li>Version controlling &amp; tagging</li><li>Configuring / Parameterizing</li></ul> 



“Any fool can write code that a computer can understand. Good programmers write code that humans can understand.”



Martin Fowler



Test Automation != Coding



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter is-resized"><img loading="lazy" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/k2rRMbXPLOSKWcfwUUX431oZ_WCYjV9WwsyMY53FGNOiQpnG5mHzO2-48XlFd3bbavTo2dViNXausKaa5V-EoScY9PmsZib5W-Bvr8pQJr8oKJU9ts3NZG8yUxC3VToFLUphmQLx" alt="Test Automation - Coding" width="400" height="400" /></figure></div>



What programming language do I need to learn to be successful in test automation?”. On a daily basis, I hear this question from people. Yes, programming has historically been at the heart of automation. It is no longer the only way to automate.



<ul><li>With the rise of no-code test automation tools, the obvious equation of automation = programming has changed.</li> <li>Today, You can automate test execution using coded tools as well as no-code tools.</li> <li>Automating reduces human intervention, and there are various ways and tools to achieve it without or with coding.</li> <li>If you are new to no-code tools, you can check out Testsigma which is a popular open-source no-code tool<a href="https://testsigma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> Testsigma</a>. Here is the link to the open-source version of Testsigma:<a href="https://github.com/testsigmahq/testsigma" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> testsigmahq/testsigma: Build stable and reliable end-to-end tests @ DevOps speed. (github.com)</a></li></ul> 



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 <li>Even if you are a beginner in the field of automation, no-code tools can certainly be used as a starting pathway for learning automation.</li></ul> 



“No-code is the first most accessible step of web and software development. lt allows anyone to create software, visually, without writing code”



Ben Tossell



Other Popular Myths



Well, the myths don&#8217;t end here. Test Automation is associated with countless other myths. Here are a few popular ones:



<ul><li>Test Automation = Automation Tools</li><li>Test Automation = No Manual Testing</li><li>Test Automation = Test Team Downsizing</li><li>Goal of Test Automation = 100% Automation</li></ul>



Check Out &#8211; <a href="https://testsigma.com/blog/modern-codeless-test-automation-myths-facts/">Code less automation myths</a>



 “Everything really interesting that happens in software projects, eventually comes down to people.”



James Marcus Bach



For all our visual readers, I have summarized this entire article in the form of this mind map. Check this out here:







Hopefully, this article has given you an idea of the various possibilities and opportunities you can explore if you are interested in test automation. These ideas are often overlooked amidst myths, biases, and unrealistic expectations surrounding test automation. It&#8217;s always a good idea to explore and consider possibilities that may work for your context.



Happy Exploring! Happy Myth Busting! Happy Test Automation!



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4 Most Common Myths Around Test Automation