How do I build a Test team?

Recently a friend entered a new start-up company and was fortunate to be the head of the test. In the happy occasion also ushered in a question: is as a new test director, how should work to reflect their own value as soon as possible, and reflect the value of the test department?
The topic is a bit big, such as how to make department planning, process specification, how to develop KPI, how to improve the quality of personnel, how to build team culture and cohesion, how to improve the executive power ... So I think it's necessary to build this topic around the test department and put some of my ideas into a series.
The topic of sharing today is the first step in this series: How to build a Test team?
A few years ago, as the first tester to start a startup, I was responsible for setting up a Test team, and the number of test teams has grown from one to five as the company's business grows. During that time, I had a huge harvest, so my first advice to this friend was to take a chance, because it was a really rare opportunity. This opportunity allows a person to get a closer look at high-level ideas and concerns (more benefits can be seen in my other article, "How to be a Test manager"), in the high-level side to do two years of work, may be more than a Test manager to do the missing work of the harvest is greater. The first Test Supervisor/manager, will encounter a variety of difficulties, such as the work is not valued, such as blame was led to scold a poured (see my other article, "How can testers avoid blame?") "), but the words come back, feel the work is tired, also shows you go uphill. At the same time, I also feel that a person in the work of the fastest progress, is to be led criticism. For my own part, in my team, if I criticize a person, at least it shows that I think he is valuable, but also willing to take him forward, if not criticized, he is dangerous.
Let's talk about how to build a team.
appropriate stage to recruit the right person
In general, when the start-up company set up a Test team, certainly can not recruit a lot of people, whether it is the cost or business status is not allowed. If it is me, I will according to the needs of the business, first recruit a few manual testers, preferably the kind can be directly on the job, first to meet the needs of the company, to do the performance is the basis for follow-up work. In addition recruit when must recruit with oneself in united front, if feel not suitable, early elimination.
Then, with the development of the business needs, consider the recruitment of performance, automation, security personnel. Of course, start-up companies generally do not recruit full-time performance, automation and even security professionals, generally speaking, recruit 1-2 have this tool experience can be used.
If necessary, I will also consider to recruit an intern, training him to do some QA work, to help me do some process optimization, bug prevention, quality improvement work. He's going to be part-time. The department configures the Administrator's work, undertakes the maintenance of the test environment, the maintenance of the bug management tools, etc.
When my team developed to 10 people, I would consider 1-2 test development, help the test team write some test tools, and build, promote and optimize the automated testing framework. In small cities test development bad recruit, I suggest can directly recruit a development. But after the recruit to the training so that he has other non-procedural design knowledge. This can be better with other testers to complement each other.
In short, as a responsible person, you need to plan for the tasks that the Test team is tasked with, and the skills needed to complete them, and build the team according to the plan. I also deeply understand that hiring decision-making is the most important decision of the test leader, hiring unsuitable for the job, is the worst decision the manager can make, may have to endure the consequences of this mistake for a long time, so try to recruit good employees. About the interview suggestions can look at my other articles, "interview highlights."
In recruiting, my advice is to recruit some capable, after all, we really do not have a lot of places. Perhaps some test managers or managers worry that if the person is too good, their position may be compromised. In this case, my advice is to recruit some people who are better than you, but the overall ability is not as good as your people.

Take on the key work
In the beginning, as the Supervisor/manager must bear some specific test work, this can not be avoided, but also to bear the main module or technical content of the test work-according to my situation, 80% of the time every day to devote to the specific test work.

Multi-team to do some important and challenging projects, the ability to lead the team to do the project is also the core competency of the Test Manager. Through a number of specific work to guide their subordinates, to develop their thinking and skills. After all, come out and work with you, one for a living, and two for development (don't talk to me about Maslow's needs). Development has two aspects, one is the promotion of the position, one is the promotion of skills. The test department is generally not big, the position promotion is not so easy, also is not so interesting. More people are more interested in the promotion of skills, the mention of young colleagues.

Some less important items can be arranged for new people to do. The consistent principle that I bring people is to get them to touch the nails more. Because I do not want the people will only silly work, if one day my men go out after being treated as a fool to work, then I think I also quite failed.

Take care of the people who push the other teams.
I've come across a situation where a colleague is not going to be in the development group and then applying for a transfer to the test Department. This is a time to be cautious. It is true that some people do not do well in other groups, but they make great achievements in the test, but such people are really not many. If the sentence may not be appropriate, most people think the test work is not technical content, if continue to accept "loser", will only let the test department can not get rid of such an impression. So, in the absence of certainty or refused by other groups to refuse to be good, even if this is a free "gift" (this will not rob the existing staff of the rice bowl, and will not occupy the new hire quota), but the number of people, the next time you want to apply for new recruits there is a difficulty (you just got people, why?) ）。
In addition, other people will feel that the test has increased, so the capacity and workload should also be proportional increase. If there is a new job and the new tester cannot afford it, it will only increase the workload of the other members of the group. Over time, affect team morale and cohesion, not worth the candle.

Don't just look at your resume when hiring.
For me, compared to my personal qualifications and work experience, I value whether this person really has the ability to complete the work I explained, but this one through the traditional 1-2 hours of interview difficult to get accurate results, so I suggest that the test peers if there is time to organize their own blog (can see my other article " Blog is the resume).

Test team members to have different backgrounds
Hired testers, the background as far as possible not stereotyped. Ideally, Test team members will have their own strengths and differ greatly from each other. For example, a company hired a person who has never done a test, but has other work experience, this buddy is said to not write the use case, but the thinking divergence is very good, give him a system, found that the bug is not worse than experienced testers. So it would be a success if the Test team had the required capabilities.

Hire people who love their jobs
Look for enthusiastic people and be cautious about hiring people who have had a holiday with past managers, especially those who are dissatisfied with past work. He who says he is not is a man.

Hire a man of integrity
Customer trust is the most important asset of the Test team. The personality of the tester affects the trust of the client.

ask candidates to show the skills you expect during an interview
For example, ask candidates to write a test case based on an open source system, or to find bugs (using a public program not written by the company, one to protect against leaks, and to avoid the interviewer getting a free consultation), give an example, like knowing if the interviewer really has a summary habit, You can look at what he has summed up (if you need to provide a sample of the job, you have to remind him to provide non-confidential documents); If the interviewer is motivated, ask him what books he has read.
The example may not be appropriate, but it is of universal significance.

no superstition, written test .
I've heard of some companies that ask candidates to do some logic or brain teasers. I'm not against it, but I don't think it can be as illustrative as some people think. Being able to do these questions does not mean that you can do a good job of testing, it may only mean that he is more familiar with the test, in other words, people with low scores may just not have the experience to answer these questions, but they may be smart enough to be good testers.

Once you get the attention, you'll be hired quickly.
Otherwise, a good candidate will likely receive other offer at this time, or have accepted it. If you want someone else to come over, you'll probably have to pay more.

Welcome to read my article, I like to share the following several aspects of the experience, welcome to give me a message, I can choose according to your message priority to share what experience.
What if the company does not recognize the test department?
How can the test manager embody his value as soon as possible?
How to quickly reflect the value of the testing department?
How to assess, how to develop KPIs?
The creation and management of a Team system and culture?
How do I manage my test projects?
How to improve the execution force?

Please pay attention to my personal public number, I will often share some of the dry.

How do I build a Test team?