Quality Assurance Engineers ensure that the software is working properly and all the bugs are
fixed before it is launched to the market for use. A QA engineer is a person who is responsible
for testing and verifying the functionality of a product. They make sure that the product is
free from bugs and errors. It is important to hire QA engineers for a business because it
ensures that the company's products are reliable and trustworthy. Hiring a QA engineer can be
expensive, so it is important to do research on how to hire the right person for your company.
Businesses can hire QA engineers on contract for as long as they need, on their own terms. In
order to hire a good QA engineer, you need people who are detail-oriented and analytical
thinkers. They also need to be able to communicate effectively and be comfortable with giving
feedback.
Quality assurance testing, also known as QA testing, is a process used to ensure that software or
web applications work as they should and do not contain any bugs. This process ensures that the
quality of the software or web application meets the standards set by companies. It is a part of
the software development process that ensures that the software meets the requirements of its
stakeholders. It is an important phase of software development and it is done largely by QA
engineers. Quality Assurance has 5 primary functions including technology transfer, validation
of test criteria, documentation, assuring product quality, and designing quality enhancement
plans. The most popular Quality Assurance Certifications are ISO 9000, CMMI Level, TMM, and
more.
What does a QA Engineer do?
A QA engineer is responsible for testing the quality of a product or service. They are
responsible for the quality assurance process and making sure that the product or service is
ready for release. The job of a QA engineer is to test software and websites to make sure
that they work as expected. They have to find bugs, glitches, errors, and any other problems
with the website or software in order to get it ready for release. The responsibilities of a
QA engineer ideally comprise finding bugs, glitches, errors, and other problems with a
product or service, ensuring that products are not released until they are fully tested,
assessing risks involved, planning test procedures, curating new ideas to enhance the
quality of product, analyzing test results, maintain test documentations, coding to enable
automated test processes, manual testing, and more. The main QA roles include Test Analyst,
Test Executor, Test Designer, and Test Manager.
Why do you need to Hire QA Engineer?
When hiring a QA engineer, it is important to hire the right candidate. Employers need to
know the exact specific details of the position they want to fill and the role they want the
QA engineer to play. Be specific with the responsibilities you want them to take up. Besides
assessing the candidate’s skill set thoroughly, it is also important to assess the
candidate’s personality to determine whether they’ll fit in your company culture and align
with your core company values. Make sure to hire a team player because a QA engineer will
have to collaborate and coordinate with multiple teams to ensure that the final product is
error-free. Look at their experience, soft skills, tech skills, and subject knowledge. A
good QA engineer may even sometimes shave to accept that even though a software application
has bugs, it can function well overall.
How to Hire QA Engineer
In the past, Quality Assurance engineers were only hired by large companies with a dedicated
Quality Assurance team. Today, it is a different story. It is not unusual for startups to
have one or two QA engineers on their teams. A lot of these companies are trying to get
their MVP out as fast as possible and they need someone to make sure that they do not break
anything while they are doing it. The first step in hiring a Quality Assurance engineer is
finding the right candidates. This can be done through job boards, LinkedIn, Twitter, and
other social media channels or by asking for referrals from your current employees, or by
connecting with Supersourcing. Once you have found good candidates, you will want to
schedule interviews with them and see how well they perform on some of the tasks that you
would usually ask them to do if they got the job.
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Bug Database
The Bug Database is what
stakeholders or developers can look at to understand the state of the product. QA
engineers are the professionals responsible for maintaining bug databases so that they
know what impact any specific bug can have on the application and its usability. A QA
engineer can have to consider all the risks involved in launching a product that has
bugs.
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Test Management
Bug tracking is
another important part of test management. Quality Assurance engineers should be able to
choose and use appropriate tools to track bugs and also manage test procedures. Such
tools include Asana, BugHerd, Stryka, and the like. A few more popular test management
tools would include Jira, VersionOne, TestRail, etc. The options for such tools are
numerous. The job of the QA engineer would be to accurately determine which tools are
required for that specific project and for what purpose.
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Programming Languages
QA testing
involves test automation which means that every good Quality Assurance engineer should
know and understand which programming language is being used for which purpose in the
software development process. For example, if the QA engineer needs to automate the Ui
testing process, they should be familiar with programming languages like Python, Java,
Ruby, or C#.
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Attention to Detail
The code of the
application is what needs to be checked for errors. Even the most minor error in code
could cause a major glitch on the user side of the application. QA engineers should be
able to spot these minor mistakes in the code. They will need to double-check every line
of code to be able to identify glitches in the code.
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Communication Skills
QA engineers
will need to constantly communicate with clients, developers, and other QA engineers as
well. Hence, it is important for a QA engineer to be able to express ideas clearly.
Businesses need to make sure that the candidate is flawless at both written and verbal
communication. A good QA engineer has to be an active listener and good at
communication.
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Problem-Solving Skills
A QA engineer
will need to address and find solutions to complex technical problems and unexpected
software testing challenges. Every time they face a new issue, they have to be
proactive, prompt, and smart to come up with a unique solution to the problem or an
efficient approach to address the problem. Hence, a good QA engineer must have
problem-solving skills and the ability to identify the source of the problem.
Cost of Hiring a QA Engineer
QA ROLE
|
AVERAGE COST (PA)
|
QA Team Lead
|
$57K
|
QA Engineer
|
$66K to $100K
|
QA Tester
|
60k to $80k
|
FAQ on Hiring a QA Engineer
Is a QA engineer a developer?
A QA engineer is responsible for the accuracy of software products, while a developer is
responsible for their functionality. QA engineers are typically a member of the
development team, and they work with developers to ensure that products meet quality
standards. They might also be responsible for evaluating the software's usability and
usability testing it before release. In some cases, QA engineers may write automated
tests themselves.
What skills do QA Engineers need?
One of the most important steps in the software development life cycle is quality
assurance, which works hand in hand with development itself (SDLC). A QA tester cannot
be just anyone. A wide range of abilities and technical knowledge are needed for this
position. What abilities are necessary for these specialists to verify that your project
fulfills your standards and requirements in addition to testing experience and
knowledge? The top skills are listed below.
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Maintaining the bug database
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Understanding the system’s specifications
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Understanding some programming languages
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Understanding of test automation tools & manual testing practices
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Attention to detail
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Problem-solving skills
Which is better, QA or a developer?
QA testing is typically given less attention than development. To overcome the hurdles in
each, one needs in-depth subject knowledge and real-world experience. However, when
comparing software testing to software development, people get the wrong idea about how
important it is. The demand for testers is actually very strong because software testing
has just as many prospects as software development.
Is QA a high paying job?
The field of QA developing pays highly. Newcomers typically make around $70,000 per year,
while experts with experience can make up to $100,000. An expert in automated quality
assurance testing can earn up to $115,000 per year, and on rare occasions much more.
This is only one of the many factors that make it a popular choice for professionals.
How do I find a good QA engineer?
For those setting up a new one, quality assurance (QA) is a crucial stage in the product
development process. Therefore, when you create your QA system, think about the overall
environment by taking the following into account:
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The testing procedures at your company (these may need to be created)
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The objectives of your company
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current methods of development
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The tools and technology stack that your team uses We could offer you a thorough
explanation, but calling Supersourcing is the quickest way to learn more!
Supersourcing is only a phone call away if you require assistance in locating
qualified Qa engineers.