How to hire a QA Engineer: The Ultimate Guide

The need for Software Testers is undisputed today, as customers expect an app/software to be perfect when launched. Any bugs or errors could translate into a substantial cost to the company's reputation and finances.

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To ensure perfect releases, the demand for specialized quality assurance is increasing every day, but at the same time, hiring an experienced and expert software tester is getting more challenging. This role requires a professional to be a complete technical expert so that there remains no scope for any errors in the software.

If you are thinking of hiring a manual or automation Software Tester, it is essential first to understand their role and responsibilities and the skills to look for in them while you hire. This detailed guide shares all the details you need to keep in mind while hiring a Software Tester.

Who Is A Software Tester?

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When you hire a dedicated developer you are investing in creating an application or a product. A Software Tester is a person who finds and fixes bugs in a product or program prior to its release, sometimes collaborating with developers on solutions. They are required in various fields, including Automotive, Medical Devices, and even Food And Beverage.

They are primarily concerned with improving software development processes and avoiding production defects. To put it another way, they ensure that the software development team is doing things correctly.

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Responsibilities Of A Software Tester

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A Software Tester’s job role indulges numerous duties and responsibilities. These responsibilities involve designing and executing tests, debugging programs, and taking corrective actions against defects.

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Testing engineers look for flaws in a system and ensure that the test requirements and goals are in sync. Then, they write test cases (scripts that describe an input action and an expected response).

This includes test strategy, environment requirements, test schedule, functions to be tested, resources and responsibilities, deliverables, exit criteria, and tools).

A tester must verify whether the problem is fixed after the engineering team reports that it has been resolved. Their workflow is managed through daily status reports that track the project's progress and the progress of each tester involved.

Key Responsibilities Of A Software Tester Include:

Examine the requirements, specifications, and technical design documents in order to provide timely and valuable feedback.

• Make detailed, comprehensive, and well-structured test plans and test cases.
• Plan and coordinate testing activities by estimating, prioritizing, and prioritizing them.
• Design, create and implement test scripts using open source tools.
• Identify, record, and track bugs.
• Perform intensive regression testing when bugs are fixed
• Develop and utilize testing processes for products to meet client requirements
• Identify system requirements in collaboration with internal teams (developers and product managers).
• Keep track of the debugging process's progress.
• Explore the root causes of non-conforming software and teach users how to fix it.
• Keep track of quality assurance metrics such as defect densities and the number of open defects.
• Keep up with the latest testing tools and strategies.

Skills Of A Software Tester

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Being a Software Tester is a demanding career that requires a typical set of skills. It requires one to keep software projects within usually a tight deadline. This might lead to a pressured working environment and is certainly not for those who cannot work under stressful conditions.

When hiring a software tester for your project, you can look for the following soft skills to enable better performance, and higher quality hires:

Collaborative

Departmental silos are breaking down as more companies adopt an Agile testing approach. Software Testers are now expected to collaborate with developers, programmers, and C-level executives, where they were previously kept separate from other processes.

Therefore, it is necessary for the tester to understand how to communicate important issues to others and to listen well. To ensure a successful product release, the best testers collaborate closely with those outside their area of expertise.

These are just a few of the characteristics of a quality-driven Software Tester. Of course, the primary goal of any company is to create and deliver high-quality products, and a tester plays a vital role in this.

To achieve the desired result, you will need someone with the necessary skill set to take the product to the finish line and promise an excellent product as the end output.

Critical Thinker

A company's product must satisfy the needs of its customers. A skilled Software Tester understands how to think from the customer's perspective throughout the software development cycle.

A good tester, for instance, should be able to create numerous "What if" scenarios and ensure that the software reacts appropriately to each. As a result, even if the customer runs into one of these scenarios, the software will continue to function normally.

Excellent Communication

Effective communication is essential for testers as they are required to communicate with clients, other Software Testers, and developers throughout the development and QA process. In this sense, clearly expressing ideas and concepts is critical.

However, listening is as essential a part of communication as speaking. Therefore, when hiring a Software Tester, you must ensure that your candidates can interact well and listen actively as well.

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Quick Learner

As project changes are almost always a part of the job, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to problems that arise. There is always room for self-improvement. New tools and techniques require testers to adapt quickly. The project is not on their timetable; it is on the company's timeline. And thus, they must get started to move the product forward.

Flexible

Software Testers must be familiar with various testing techniques such as automation vs. manual testing and have knowledge of standard tools. Manual testing skills, for example, will not suffice if the job requires automation testing. In such a scenario, the tester should be able to perform automated testing too.

However, don't hire solely based on previous experience. You must look for evidence that the job candidate is constantly learning new skills. For example, someone who has mastered five older tools would be able to master the next five, including some tools that have not even been invented yet.

Attentive And Focused

Web application development takes place in an invisible (virtual) world for the most part. The code is an intangible representation of the application. As a result, Software Testers must be able to detect minor flaws and imperfections in the code and systems and the details that contribute to a high-quality application.

It's critical that the tester you hire can thoroughly inspect and double-check defect-prone areas of the system and anticipate any pipeline flaws.

Apart from the soft skills already mentioned, hard skills are also crucial when hiring a Software Tester.

To become a suitable Software Tester for a particular project, one should have substantial knowledge of the domain and experience in creating and developing software. The hard skills differ depending on the type of project under development.
Nevertheless, these hard skills that you should absolutely look for:

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Understanding Of The Product:

The most crucial aspect is product knowledge. Software testers are in charge of ensuring that their end-users have a positive experience and that their expectations are met.

A Software Tester would know how to test a product if they understood how it was designed and what parameters were used. Even though they can only analyze the design after the black-box test plan is completed, knowing its design can influence the testing strategy and refine the test plan.

Even if they are proficient in manual testing, Software testers must learn automation and scripting.

Well-Versed In Software Development:

This is required to code automated tests, and if the candidate knows how to code, they will be aware of potential code threats and what should be tested.  

Basic Knowledge Of Database And SQL:

The data that software collects in the background is stored in databases such as MySQL or Oracle, which must be accessed in order to validate the data. To check the data, the candidate must understand the SQL series and be able to perform, e.g., SQL query optimization.

Basic Information About Linux Commands:

Most applications, such as databases and web services, require knowledge of Linux commands. And thus, the candidate must understand the Linux machinery.

Test Administration And Defect Tracking:

A Software Tester must be familiar with test management and defect tracking tools such as Jira or QC. Knowledge of performance testing tools can also be advantageous.

A Testing Engineer must have the following additional skills for automation testing:

• For coding scripts, knowledge of programming languages is required.
• Experts in the use of modern testing software.
• Well-informed in Agile and DevOps methodologies, e.g., gaining certification in agile project management which employ automated testing to ensure a high-quality product.
  

Now that you might know what skills you need to look for when hiring a tester, let’s take a few minutes to acquaint yourself with everything else you might need to know to hire the best quality Software Tester.

Things You Need To Keep In Mind While Hiring A Software Tester

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Organizations often make a few common mistakes when hiring a tester. However, to make sure you are hiring the right people, you should avoid the following mistakes at all costs.

More Focus On The Resume

If you are too focused on their education or jobs requiring technical expertise, you may miss out on other significant aspects of their life experience.

Of course, you want the best candidate, but that does not always have to be the one with a 4.0 GPA from a prominent university or years of technical experience.

It could be someone who worked full-time while studying full-time, or someone with bad references but experience instead of one with outstanding references but no prior experience.

You will have to find a software tester who is eager to learn and adapt to your company, has a strong work ethic, and has a positive attitude. Those are the individuals you want on your team.

So, while the resume may be an excellent place to start, do some additional research on the candidates. First, examine them as a person to see if they would be a good fit for your firm.

Not Considering Company Costs

Examine the costs thoroughly before hiring your Software Tester. Bringing a Software Tester in-house is a costly endeavor. On the low end, the average salary for a software test engineer is around $91,313 per year in the United States with a $3,000 cash bonus per year.

As a result, the cost of hiring a single Software Testers can be prohibitive for small businesses or start-ups, leaving them unable to compete in terms of quality with their larger competitors.

You want a good candidate, but the ones with the most knowledge and experience are usually the most expensive. Therefore, before hiring, your company should consider the cost of software testers internally.

Interchanging Company Developers And Software Testers

One of the most common blunders is interchangeably utilizing the roles of in-house developers and Software Testers. It is not a good idea for numerous reasons.

One reason is that developers cannot think out-of-the-box and might get stuck in how they think. As a result, finding a developer who can switch from coding and product development to quality assurance is difficult.

Another blunder is that developers are more focused on the number of tests performed than the quality of those tests.

The most common issue of converting developers to Software Testers is that they have very technical minds that are focused on the mathematical and logical aspects of things.

When it comes to testing, they can be highly narrow-minded. The ability to be creative is lost due to this narrowing, and the perception of the software product and its quality is hampered.

When it comes to software testing, not being creative is a thing of the past. Your company requires individuals who can think creatively and push the boundaries of what is considered high-quality software.

No Diversification

Automation necessitates more than just a logical mind; it also necessitates imagination. If you keep hiring people who have the same thought process, this will never happen. You'll need a team with a plethora of different backgrounds and personalities and unique perspectives to test each scenario.

Users for the applications being tested will come from a variety of backgrounds. As a result, your team should be diverse and aware of these differences in demographics.

When hiring a Software Tester, branch out from your usual pool of prospects and hire someone who has the ability to challenge your assumptions.

The Best Way To Hire Software Tester

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Hiring a tester depends on three factors: the Company Budget, the requirements of the testing, and how complex the project is. These factors are considered when companies permanently or contractually hire or outsource the service to a remote individual.

Full-time employment is suitable when your company is comfortable allocating hefty budgets for the Tester’s salary. This long-term employment is only required if you wish to have an in-house team for all your projects. However, it might cost you a lot.

Outsourcing Software Testers is the key if you do not want to spend bucket loads on an individual and yet get all the necessary qualities. Wishup is one such platform where you can find your perfect Virtual Software Tester at affordable prices.

You would not have to worry about the employee perks or paying for even the non-work hours. You can quickly onboard your tester within 24 hours without worrying about outsourcing not being as effective.

Get a team member who is dedicated, technically expert, and experienced in multiple projects just like yours. The biggest benefit of hiring a Software Tester from wishup is that it eliminates the need for additional employee contracts or insurance liabilities.

Wrapping Up

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The demand for Software Testers has increased multifold over the past few years. More companies now realize the importance of quality software testing at an early stage to avoid bug-related delays later.  

Now that you are fmailair with the process of hiring a Software Tester and know what all to consider before hiring one, it will quite easy for you to hire one for your team.

To know more about our software testers and hire one, you can mail us [email protected] or visit our website Wishup.co to set up a free consultation.