How to find the tester
Hi, Habr! While our developers are working on creating hardcore articles, excellent QA-engineer Ksyusha Sevridova sevridova_ksenia wrote an article about how to prepare a technical expert and conduct first interviews, evaluate candidates and make hiring decisions.
Next comes the text on behalf of Ksyusha.
In this article, I will talk about how Devim conducts an interview for a QA-engineer position, and also share some general thoughts about this process as a whole. For a better understanding I will try to give enough examples. It will be about finding a manual tester.
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This article does not pretend to any scientific accuracy and ultimate truth. I share my experience in conducting interviews and studying a number of sources on this topic. Well, let's go!
The first advice is to put yourself in the place of the candidate. Remember how you interviewed what you liked and did not in your life, and try to take this into account when conducting your own. Empathy has not been canceled!
The second important tip is to clearly define who the department needs at the moment. Evaluate projects, think about what knowledge and skills are required and approximate necessary work experience. Do not lower the bar after two or three interviews! Yes, there may be fear that no one will be found, but it is not. You should work with these people, they should help, not hinder and distract. Also, it is not necessary to take an overqualified applicant: he will have nothing to motivate him with and he has nothing to learn, as a result he will become bored, he will leave. Look for the employee who is right for you and precisely for those projects for which he is needed.
Anyone who comes to your interview should leave with a good impression of the company. And even if he is not taken, he should say something like: “Yes, I was there, I liked it,” and not “Sharashkin's office, I will not go there for anything.” Remember that all these people will go out the door and will discuss, exchange impressions about the organization with friends.
How can you improve the impression? Before the interview, report on the plan, the duration and make sure that the person has enough time - this will show your attention to the candidate. In my experience, the interview should fit into the hour, then fatigue comes to me and the applicant. Perhaps if you are testing a nuclear reactor or something very critical, it will take more time, but then this article is not for you =) When you talk about the position, be sure to mention the advantages that exist in the organization, for example, two widescreen monitors, comfortable chairs, free lunches , a free schedule, the ability to work remotely, pay for sports or courses, etc. ... Pros are a rather subjective thing: you can talk about them from your point of view (why I'm here), and you can assume that you like the candidate (for example, him resume is written, he swims, and you have a charge of sports). Also, show the office where the tester will work: this is quite important for a person, but not everyone will decide to ask for a job at the interview.
After you talked about yourself, it's time to learn more about the candidate. This is a pretty free part when a person talks about his experience, and you are trying to find something useful for yourself in this information. Everyone is asking for something of their own, below I have listed the topics for which I try to communicate with the candidate before moving on to the more technical part of the interview.
An integral part of the interview. Recently, I spoke with a candidate with a 6-month work experience, who during this time has not created a single defect and does not know how to design them. At the same time, the more experience a person has, the worse he remembers the theory, since it usually does not use it.
If you do not want to invent tasks yourself, then google lists of standard questions. There is a choice, take the ones you like the most. But personally, I am not a supporter of a conversation about theory in a vacuum: it is better to discuss concrete examples.
For example, there is an input field with the requirements for it, you need to write the boundary values, and also select the equivalence classes, give an example of positive / negative checks.
Or offer an interface of some simple form, for example, a basket of an online store, and give the task to name all the positive / negative / cases that he would check. The main thing is to understand how the applicant thinks and whether he can relate theory to practice so that sending empty forms is not added to positive cases. You can come up with any number of tasks: create a traceability matrix, test case, defect, write a SQL query, tasks from the subject area (for example, if only physics or mathematics are required). You can also ask how testing of the same functionality will differ in 5 and in 50 minutes. Or give an example of low priority bugs with high severity.
The test task is necessary. It will show whether a person is really as good as he tells about himself, and whether he is suitable for you. For example, the applicant comes with experience. In the past 2 years, he tested web applications and cannot switch, for example, to testing desktop applications. As a result, it can not find a single defect in it. It happens so. This does not mean that the interviewee is lying about his qualifications or he is a bad tester. He just does not fit specifically for your tasks.
The ideal test case version is the current project with specially added bugs. At the same time, the bugs should be different: designed to check attentiveness (such as ochepyakok), skills, functional and non-functional testing. If it is not possible to give something like that, then any application with errors, such as the notorious self-made calculator (or the hands of loyal programmers), is suitable.
IQ, emotional intelligence, questions on logic, tasks in the style of "How to move Mount Fuji" and how to test an omelet - theoretically all this can be used if you yourself can argue the purpose of these questions, as well as how and to what extent this may affect the decision about hiring a candidate.
I do not use any of the above, as I believe that it is possible to observe how the interlocutor thinks during the conversation on the tasks about which I wrote above, and on what defects he found in the test task. You can understand both the logic and the depth of “digging” an employee in a limited period of time.
You cannot be late, make the interlocutor wait for a long time, constantly postpone the meeting, be rude, self-realize at the expense of the interlocutor. Anyone who understands their subject area can find a weak point of the interlocutor. No need to focus on it. In some ways, you are more competent, but you do not need to demonstrate superiority or frighten your interlocutor with your achievements and knowledge. There is such a thing as a stressful interview. But in my opinion, a stress interview is another form of self-assertion: you don’t need a position as a tester, even if a typical day at your company passes like on a volcano.
At the end of the interview you need to thank the candidate for the time spent and report the time taken to make a decision. Be sure to call and report on the results, even if the person did not fit you. Do not over tighten. If you have already decided that the person does not fit, call as soon as possible. If not sure - refuse. If you think that a person will not join the team because of temperament, any views, or your work rhythm does not suit him - refuse. Yes, it is unpleasant, especially if the specialist is not bad, but if he even shows an excessive aggressiveness at the interview (or, on the contrary, is too amorphous), then in the work these qualities will be revealed even more. If you like the candidate, hurry: there are a lot of good employees waiting for you!
This article could be 3 times more if I had made all the edits from HR and the marketing department. So, I hope she ended up not too long, and you got a profit from her reading. Perhaps, I answered someone's questions, "well, why do they always ask all this, it's stupid / stupid questions." It would be interesting to learn examples from your life that you have met with bad and good at interviews. Write in the comments or in the telegraph @ kseniasevridova.
Next comes the text on behalf of Ksyusha.
In this article, I will talk about how Devim conducts an interview for a QA-engineer position, and also share some general thoughts about this process as a whole. For a better understanding I will try to give enough examples. It will be about finding a manual tester.
')
This article does not pretend to any scientific accuracy and ultimate truth. I share my experience in conducting interviews and studying a number of sources on this topic. Well, let's go!
Interview Preparation
The first advice is to put yourself in the place of the candidate. Remember how you interviewed what you liked and did not in your life, and try to take this into account when conducting your own. Empathy has not been canceled!
The second important tip is to clearly define who the department needs at the moment. Evaluate projects, think about what knowledge and skills are required and approximate necessary work experience. Do not lower the bar after two or three interviews! Yes, there may be fear that no one will be found, but it is not. You should work with these people, they should help, not hinder and distract. Also, it is not necessary to take an overqualified applicant: he will have nothing to motivate him with and he has nothing to learn, as a result he will become bored, he will leave. Look for the employee who is right for you and precisely for those projects for which he is needed.
So now you can start preparing for the interview.
- Make a story about the company, projects, team, goals and prospects. Most likely it will tell HR, but it is better to understand this part yourself too, in case of the absence of HR'a.
- Carefully read the summary. Match it with your requirements, think about which questions you would like to receive answers from this candidate. For example, he has experience in another field, or he wants to move to a position without a management team. Why now he wants exactly this?
- Make a detailed interview plan. Who, in what order about what tells, when and what questions to ask, a place for the applicant's questions.
For myself, I developed such a plan for the interview:- Acquaintance, story about the company
- Candidate's story about yourself
- Theory questions
- Test
- Time for the applicant's questions
I advise you to start with the story about the company: during this time the applicant will get used to the situation, cope with anxiety and will be ready to present himself more fully and without unnecessary nervousness. - Ideally, you need to write down everything that you will say on this plan. And then speak it in front of HR or other colleagues. Ask them to give feedback: is it clear what you are saying, is it not boring to listen to you, maybe you are waving your hands too much when talking. All this may be useful. If it seems to you that now the process looks a bit clumsy, do not worry. After a couple of interviews, you will have your own style, and you will understand how it is more convenient and efficient for you to get the necessary information from the candidate.
- Take a pen and notebook with you. It is important to write down what you liked and did not like, your impressions, thoughts, facts (the number of defects found, for example, or the last book read), the expectations of the candidate. If you ask the same thing every time, you can write down the number of answers that satisfy you (for example, in points). All this is then useful when deciding on hiring.
About company
Anyone who comes to your interview should leave with a good impression of the company. And even if he is not taken, he should say something like: “Yes, I was there, I liked it,” and not “Sharashkin's office, I will not go there for anything.” Remember that all these people will go out the door and will discuss, exchange impressions about the organization with friends.
How can you improve the impression? Before the interview, report on the plan, the duration and make sure that the person has enough time - this will show your attention to the candidate. In my experience, the interview should fit into the hour, then fatigue comes to me and the applicant. Perhaps if you are testing a nuclear reactor or something very critical, it will take more time, but then this article is not for you =) When you talk about the position, be sure to mention the advantages that exist in the organization, for example, two widescreen monitors, comfortable chairs, free lunches , a free schedule, the ability to work remotely, pay for sports or courses, etc. ... Pros are a rather subjective thing: you can talk about them from your point of view (why I'm here), and you can assume that you like the candidate (for example, him resume is written, he swims, and you have a charge of sports). Also, show the office where the tester will work: this is quite important for a person, but not everyone will decide to ask for a job at the interview.
About candidate
After you talked about yourself, it's time to learn more about the candidate. This is a pretty free part when a person talks about his experience, and you are trying to find something useful for yourself in this information. Everyone is asking for something of their own, below I have listed the topics for which I try to communicate with the candidate before moving on to the more technical part of the interview.
- Story about the previous place of work. Responsibilities, tools, last project, development methodology on the last project. What test artifacts were created in the organization and which candidate. What did you like, what did not like Relate this story with your expectations and the company's proposal. If you need to write test cases, it can. If you often rummage around and need to sit until 12 at night and on weekends - is it ready. If you need to test the web - is there a similar experience or motivation that will help the applicant quickly get started.
- The desire and willingness of the candidate to do what is required in this position. And what he wants in the future. You can find out this without asking a question: “Who do you see yourself in 5 years” =) If a person has only web testing experience, and he goes to a job of a mobile worker, ask why. If you have the necessary experience, then what else would a person want to develop. Without experience, it is a little more difficult - it is unlikely that June knows exactly what he really wants. Here you can try to talk about the diploma / practice / study, if it is a graduate.
- How the applicant develops. This is an important indicator of both the interest in the profession as a whole (not just came to poke buttons), and the general education. You can not improve your skills and work better without studying anything, whether it be articles, books, videos or conferences. But if you directly ask the question "how are you developing", then you can get quite uncertain answers, since the question is not at all specific. For example, a person regularly reads articles and goes to conferences and seminars a couple of times a year, but does not consider this development, but simply “keeping afloat”. Or vice versa, he considers his work on a real project the best development.
Theoretical issues
An integral part of the interview. Recently, I spoke with a candidate with a 6-month work experience, who during this time has not created a single defect and does not know how to design them. At the same time, the more experience a person has, the worse he remembers the theory, since it usually does not use it.
If you do not want to invent tasks yourself, then google lists of standard questions. There is a choice, take the ones you like the most. But personally, I am not a supporter of a conversation about theory in a vacuum: it is better to discuss concrete examples.
For example, there is an input field with the requirements for it, you need to write the boundary values, and also select the equivalence classes, give an example of positive / negative checks.
Or offer an interface of some simple form, for example, a basket of an online store, and give the task to name all the positive / negative / cases that he would check. The main thing is to understand how the applicant thinks and whether he can relate theory to practice so that sending empty forms is not added to positive cases. You can come up with any number of tasks: create a traceability matrix, test case, defect, write a SQL query, tasks from the subject area (for example, if only physics or mathematics are required). You can also ask how testing of the same functionality will differ in 5 and in 50 minutes. Or give an example of low priority bugs with high severity.
Test
The test task is necessary. It will show whether a person is really as good as he tells about himself, and whether he is suitable for you. For example, the applicant comes with experience. In the past 2 years, he tested web applications and cannot switch, for example, to testing desktop applications. As a result, it can not find a single defect in it. It happens so. This does not mean that the interviewee is lying about his qualifications or he is a bad tester. He just does not fit specifically for your tasks.
The ideal test case version is the current project with specially added bugs. At the same time, the bugs should be different: designed to check attentiveness (such as ochepyakok), skills, functional and non-functional testing. If it is not possible to give something like that, then any application with errors, such as the notorious self-made calculator (or the hands of loyal programmers), is suitable.
Other matters
IQ, emotional intelligence, questions on logic, tasks in the style of "How to move Mount Fuji" and how to test an omelet - theoretically all this can be used if you yourself can argue the purpose of these questions, as well as how and to what extent this may affect the decision about hiring a candidate.
I do not use any of the above, as I believe that it is possible to observe how the interlocutor thinks during the conversation on the tasks about which I wrote above, and on what defects he found in the test task. You can understand both the logic and the depth of “digging” an employee in a limited period of time.
What not to do
You cannot be late, make the interlocutor wait for a long time, constantly postpone the meeting, be rude, self-realize at the expense of the interlocutor. Anyone who understands their subject area can find a weak point of the interlocutor. No need to focus on it. In some ways, you are more competent, but you do not need to demonstrate superiority or frighten your interlocutor with your achievements and knowledge. There is such a thing as a stressful interview. But in my opinion, a stress interview is another form of self-assertion: you don’t need a position as a tester, even if a typical day at your company passes like on a volcano.
End of interview
At the end of the interview you need to thank the candidate for the time spent and report the time taken to make a decision. Be sure to call and report on the results, even if the person did not fit you. Do not over tighten. If you have already decided that the person does not fit, call as soon as possible. If not sure - refuse. If you think that a person will not join the team because of temperament, any views, or your work rhythm does not suit him - refuse. Yes, it is unpleasant, especially if the specialist is not bad, but if he even shows an excessive aggressiveness at the interview (or, on the contrary, is too amorphous), then in the work these qualities will be revealed even more. If you like the candidate, hurry: there are a lot of good employees waiting for you!
Instead of conclusion
This article could be 3 times more if I had made all the edits from HR and the marketing department. So, I hope she ended up not too long, and you got a profit from her reading. Perhaps, I answered someone's questions, "well, why do they always ask all this, it's stupid / stupid questions." It would be interesting to learn examples from your life that you have met with bad and good at interviews. Write in the comments or in the telegraph @ kseniasevridova.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/329298/
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