During this presentation I will cover three key questions: 1. What is a good tester? 2. Why would you want to be one? 3. How can you create or become one? Firstly, I don’t believe there is an industry wide definition of “good tester” that fits every situation; but I do believe good testers exist, and that they are very special and valuable individuals! So, I’ll share what I believe constitutes a good tester in some different situations and you can identify how this relates to your world. I’ll also give my opinion on how this relates to our obsession for certification. As for wanting to be a good tester, I will ask why you wouldn’t! It’s our work that provides the most valuable management information on the planet; gives confidence to stakeholders that their system is going to bring the benefits they want; and the skills we need cover the entire project life-cycle. If only we could unlock our minds from the tethers others try to constrain us with. Finally, I will share my experiences of how to create good testers. For each of the situations I defined earlier, I’ll expand on how your organisation can identify people to target for a career move into testing. Maybe you’ll identify how to improve your own career prospects too!

1. How to Create “Good Testers”
Slide 1
Susan Windsor
Gerrard Consulting
Limited
susan@gerrardconsulting.com
Web: gerrardconsulting.com

2. Topics
• What is a “Good Tester”?
• Why would YOU want to be one?
• How can you find, or become one?
Slide 2

3. Good Tester? (Good Question!)
Slide 3

4. Generic Attributes?
• Able to identify what quality actually means in their context
for their stakeholders. Think “fit for purpose”!
• Able to define what information is important to their
stakeholders and then deliver it, on time, and in the relevant
format.
• Able to identify examples of industry good practice that are
relevant and incorporate in pragmatic way.
• Able to recognise the value in different flavours of testers. Not
everyone will be in the same discipline as you.
• Able to be productive; seek to continuously improve;
understand their value.
Slide 4

5. Functional Tester Attributes
• Relevant business
experience!
• Networked with business
analysts, and users.
• Challenge functional
requirements.
• Understand how the
system will be used.
Slide 5

6. Agile Tester Attributes
• Excellent communication .
• Role in multi-skilled team .
• Challenge all stories.
• Use the relevant
technology.
• Able to understand (and
change?) code.
Slide 6

7. Operational Acceptance
Attributes
• Lots of technical experience!
• Networked with operations and
technical support.
• Challenge (and help define)
operational acceptance criteria.
Slide 7

8. Performance Tester Attributes?
• Understand architecture and able
to identify potential bottle necks.
• Networked with architects,
operations and communications.
• Challenge (and help define)
performance requirements
• Interpret the results in plain
language.
• Able to use the relevant testing
tools.
Slide 8

9. Test Manager Attributes
• Communicate with ALL
stakeholders.
• Manage ALL skill groups.
• Manage troubled projects;
• Specialists in one or more test
disciplines.
• Understand all test disciplines
Slide 9

10. Certification
• What do you think?
• As an individual it can help your career
and provide a sense of achievement.
• As a resource provider; or resource
purchaser (who aren’t testers) it’s used
incorrectly as a meaningful measure.
Slide 10

11. Beyond Good Tester?
• Active throughout the project
life-cycle.
• Communicate with every
other discipline.
• You’re the eyes and ears of
the sponsors.
Slide 11
Super Tester!

12. Good Testers Make a Difference
• Be your own Guru!
– Network; blog; attend events; absorb everything and retain
only what is relevant to you.
– Don’t be seduced by industry Guru’s! There is no “best
practice”.
– Realise that your experience is just as relevant and valuable as
others.
– Become a mentor to other budding testers; seek out a mentor for
yourself.
• Identify your relevant stakeholders and ask them:
– What do they think makes a good tester?
– What information do they need to make decisions?
– What are their expectations of you and how will you know when
you’ve met them?
Slide 12

13. Create a Good Tester
From within your own organisation!
Slide 13
• Functional
• Agile
• Operational
• Performance
• Test Manager
• Business users
• Developers
• System Support
• Systems Analysts
• Business
Managers

14. Time to Transition?
• Purely by moving them into a new role and learning on
the job alongside experienced testers – about one
year to be as effective as an experienced contract
tester
• By providing 4 weeks intensive assessment and
training up front – about 3 months to reach same level
• Either way, after one year, they will be more productive
and effective than any contract tester can be as they
already have key productivity factors in place:
– Relevant business or technical experience
– A network of contacts within your organisation
– Experience of “how to make things happen around here!”
Slide 14

15. External Candidates?
• Direct Recruitment
– Even if you don’t plan to do
this, the thought process
and assessment assets will
support other external
resource provision
decisions.
• Contract Agencies
– Build a relationship with a
small number (one!) you can
trust.
• Service Suppliers
– Your selection process
should drive their service
level and your commercial Slide 15

16. Define Your Selection Process
Slide 16
SuperTester
Test Manager (50
plus)
Test Manager (20
plus)
Team Leader
Specialist
Non-functional
Roles
Junior Testers
Final
Interview
Personality
Test
Structured
interview
Interpersonal
Skills Test
Practical
Test
Telephone
Interview
CVAptitude
Test
Application
Screen out candidates
Recruitment Decision
Y NY Y YY YN
YY Y Y Y YN N
YYYYY Y Y N
Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N
Y
Y
Y Y
Y Y
Y Y
Y Y
Y
Y
Y
Y Y
N
N
N
N
N
Y
Y

17. Define Your Own Team
Roadmap
• Sources exist (incomplete) e.g. BCS
SFIA
• Define base skills per discipline
• Create a matrix of roles
• Manage career development towards
goals
• Establish recognition of achievement
• Establish mentoring/coaching
programme Slide 17

18. And Finally……..
Why wouldn’t you want to be a Good Tester?
• You have a very wide choice of test disciplines
you can specialise in, depending on your career
aspirations and experience.
• You get to provide the Intelligence that facilitates
effective decision making.
• Ultimately, you’re a Trusted Advisor and maybe
even an Industry Guru or SuperTester!
Slide 18