How to Build a Software Testing Team?

Like SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle), Testing also requires some significant aspects to develop and sustain for continuous process improvement. Team Building is one such factor.
However, while building a right team one should focus on the following key elements:

Roles and Responsibilities

In any team every member should understand what they have to do exactly. Before starting of a project, the typical tasks must be explained, discussed and communicated well with each and every team member as they will be performing it on a daily basis for their respective roles. Whether it is a software tester or a test lead, proper results will be rendered without any delays by setting up the expectations and explaining what exactly is expected out of them.

Some points need to be clarified to the team:

* What is the Scope of the Project?
* What are their Roles and Responsibilities expected from everyone
* Key points to focus like Timelines, Deliverables etc.
* Strategy and Plan Explained

And above all, to keep the team members motivated to perform excellently in their current roles by keeping in mind their career, aspirations, growth, learning etc.

Knowledge Sharing:

To test the application under test, understanding the domain and functions of the application systematically is very important for the Testers. In order to make the testers understand the logics and core functions which will be used to apply during testing, knowledge transfer sessions are very necessary.

Tester should be involved in discussion right from the initial discussions of the project with all the other stakeholders i.e., Business people, Developers, Architects, Database Experts etc.  Involving testers in the early stages of software development will provide good understanding and knowledge about the application i.e., going to be developed and tested.

Domain Knowledge

One thing testers have to know is that understanding the application’s domain is very important and will be very helpful in order to verify the functionality with a different perspective by wearing the hat of the end customers. However, to gain knowledge and experience in a particular domain one consumes time and after working for a while it becomes easier for testers.

Certifications Required?

Big asset for any project is having very talented testers. The major focus should be to train and get the team certified in the respective areas, and even one can select the external certifications and get the team trained. To perform testing with confidence certifications will
definitely help in leveraging the intellectual knowledge gain, moral support and maturity.

Career Hierarchy

To shape up testers’ career ladder and making them eligible from the current level to another level of role one has to fulfill the needs by recognizing the resources when it is necessary. By conducting team meetings one can effectively utilize it to emphasize their roles and responsibilities in the next level and also by educating them with various skills which is necessary to perform in the next roles which is an added advantage and also helps in continuous process improvement.

Team Dynamics and Group Outing

There has to be a certain level of team dynamics which has to be established and followed by the team for effective team work, meeting common goals, finishing the targets and achieving common goals and also objectives on time. To accomplish this everyone has to work together as a “Team” by leaving all the differences and distinctions behind and completing the planned tasks on time and this has to be their only “Target”.

Team outings will help for good understanding with each other, for a good recharge and also to burn out of the stress. So that team members will get motivated and show lot of interest while working in a project.