a hiring manager’s guide to interviewing qa professionals
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A Hiring Manager’s Guideto Interviewing QA Professionals
Michelle Rocke, Vice President, Recruiting
Current Consulting, LLC
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
A Hiring Manager’s Guide:Overview
The Tester’s World
The Hiring Manager’s Role
The Interview Process
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
The Tester’s World
Challenges Testers Face Surviving the Top Ten Challenges of Software Testing
By Randy Rice and William E.Perry
Evaluating QA ProfessionalsExperience: Quality and Quantity
Soft skills: The Marks of a Naturally Good Tester
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Challenges Testers Face:Managing professional relationships
Sometimes adversarial?Development group
Getting management to understand testing
Having to say no – professionally…..
High process or no process?
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Challenges Testers Face:Testing Resources
Poor or no requirements
Lack of time & tools Scope creep Rapid changes Insist on more testing, not allowing release Allow release, defects discovered post-release
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
The Marks of a Naturally Good Tester
Balances testing results & business drivers
Diplomacy - Communicates well with developers, managers and users
Introvert/Extrovert - works with details and people well
Analytical (indicative backgrounds)
Likes to break things (Creative destruction)
Thinks outside the box, Natural curiosity, a desire for quality
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Know your Culture A Good Tester for You has…
Communication skills (culture – written/verbal) Comfort with your company’s level of process Flexibility – demonstrations from past experience Ability to deal with inevitable frustration – how? Motivation for QA/Testing work
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
The Hiring Manager’s Role
Defining the Job Requirement Reviewing Resumes The Interviewing Process
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Defining the Job Requirement What are you really looking for?
Your Top Performers – what makes them valuable?
What skills does your current team lack? What do you need this person to accomplish? How do you want them to accomplish it?
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Resume Review
Top performers are not necessarily great resume writers
Objectivity – be aware of your personal biases
Quantity of experience versus Quality
Be aware of other companies – reputations, types of environment, etc.
Interviewing The Crux of the Matter
The Candidate’s Perspective The Interview Process Making the Decision
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Courting the Candidate
Remember, candidates are also evaluating and making judgments
“Branding” – candidates are your customers – what they say about you/your team/your company matters.
Candidates Decision Criteria
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
The Candidate’s Perspective
The “Rusty” Candidate’s interview
Remember: Nervous people are not at their best Set helpful expectations
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Communicate with the Candidate
Before the Interview, Provide Information: Timing of interview
• Tell them about any applications, etc., that have to be filled out
• How much time the interview(s) will take
Who they will be meeting and their roles
Appropriate dress for the interview (corporate culture)
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Limit Interviews
Limit the number and length of Interviews Scheduling is difficult – interviewing process drags out Candidate forced to make excuses
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Multiple Interviewers
Panel InterviewsUnnecessarily intimidatingWhat are you trying to accomplish?
Can accomplish “meet the team” in a different way
Serial InterviewsBe Clear: Who will make the hiring decision?
Clarify each person’s role in evaluating the candidate
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Interview Questions
Plan your questions and decide who covers what.Type them up Avoid duplicationAsk questions that directly relate to the skills the person needs to perform the job effectivelyUse the same interview with each candidate
What’s legal, what’s appropriate?
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Technical Interviews
Same questions/scenarios used for each candidate
Who is conducting them? What is their motivation? “Stump” the candidate? How should a candidate answer if they don’t know?
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Making the Hiring Decision
Objectivity – Can it be achieved?Be aware and acknowledge your biases – set them aside
Tools to help – Evaluation forms
Do References Make Decisions in a Timely Manner
Set expectations for how decision will be made
Get a Verbal Acceptance
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Top 10 Lessons Learned from a Seasoned Recruiter!
10. Google It!
6. The best predictor of future performance is past performance
7. We all like to hire people like ourselves
8. The best person for the job may be a terrible interviewer
9. The 3/3 rule: more than 3 contracts of 3 months or less
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
1. A good hire is always about the fit.
Top 10 Lessons Learned from a Seasoned Recruiter!
5. Seek Contrary Information
4. Employee Referrals Rock!
3. Can the candidate listen and follow directions?
2. What did your receptionist/assistant say?
www.Current-Consulting.comA Hiring Manager’s Guide
Q&A
Michelle Rocke
VP of Recruiting
Current Consulting
Michelle.Rocke@Current-Consulting.com
303-921-0954
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