Characteristics of high performing testers: a case study

Authors:
Joonas Iivonen;Mika V. Mäntylä;Juha Itkonen
Affiliations:
Aalto University, Aalto, Finland;Aalto University, Aalto, Finland;Aalto University, Aalto, Finland
Venue:
Proceedings of the 2010 ACM-IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement
Year:
2010

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Abstract

Objective: We studied what are the characteristics of high performing software testers in the industry. Method: We conducted an exploratory case study, collecting data through recorded interviews of one development manager and three testers in each of the three companies, analysis of the defect database, and informal communication within our research partnership with the companies. Results: We found that experience, reflection, motivation and personal characteristics were the top level themes. Experience related to the domain, e.g. processes of the customer, and on the other hand, specialized technical skills, e.g. performance testing, were seen more important than skills of test case design and test planning.