It’s no secret, in the world of software there is a big need for good Test Automation Engineers. How do we find people? How do you turn a test engineer into a good test engineer? These are only a few questions many people among us struggle with.

Today, software testing is still a job done by real people made from flesh and blood, not by a certain tool. These tools for testing exist, but they cannot function without people to operate them. So, for many companies, us among them, it is important to find the right people to work with the right tools. In this blog post, I will happily answer some important questions you might have in the search for the right software engineers.

1. What makes a GOOD software engineer?

In the world of software testing, there exist different kinds of test engineers. Therefore, it's the customer's need that determines which engineer is put on the case. Because of this, the customer must ask himself a few important questions; which profiles are already in the team? Do they already know how testing works, or do we need to learn them the mindset?

A good tester has many skills. Of course, technical skills are needed to understand the systems and to automate them. However, a good tester is also a team-player. He needs to be able to communicate about how something works, what the problem is… without the talk being too technical to understand. Apart from that, he also needs to know how to talk to the developers. Hence, why the technical skills are necessary. A good tester also needs social skills. It is not always fun being told you made a mistake. A tester must bring this message to the developer in the right way, without getting personal. The job of a test engineer is demanding.

2. What does a good Test Automation Partner do?

If you want to start working with a company specialized in Test Automation, it is important that they listen to what you want and what your problems are. With b.ignited we will always look at the needs first so that we can check if we have the right people available for the job. Do we have the right knowledge, do they have the mindset that is needed to finish this project with a bang? In the case that we do not have the right person for the job, we will look for a way to get them. We can do this by changing how we work. By organizing training courses and programs, we can make the new normal ourselves. The most important thing here? A general growth mindset of the team.

3. Thinking about people’s motivation

What motivates people? It is important to really think this through. Only then can you attract the right profiles for your team. Here are a few things that can really motivate people.

• Money or some kind of bonus system: this is not new, but still important for people in their search for a job.

• Fairness: treat people like you want to be treated yourself. Honesty and fairness are the best way to go.

• Autonomous: give enough freedom, the balance between work and private life is important, but technical freedom is also crucial. Give them the opportunity to work with multiple tools and to learn new ones.

• Mastery: define what people like to do and let them get into this. It is an added value, not only to them, but also for your company.

• Recognition and appreciation: Give recognition where recognition belongs.

You can find all of the above within b.ignited. We know that everyone knows about different things. Nobody here is the smartest. Everyone has his own input. We are allowed to make mistakes. At b.ignited we know that you learn the most from making mistakes. You can also present your own project to work on. Because of this, we always keep innovating and learning about the latest techniques in testing.

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