How to source and shortlist {role_name}

Where can you find qualified {role_name}?

  • Professional network : Leverage your professional network and reach out to former colleagues, industry peers, and tech community members to ask for referrals.
  • Educational Institutions:
    • Universities with strong computer science and software engineering programs.
    • Specialized training centers and bootcamps offering certifications in quality assurance and software testing.
  • Company Career Pages:
    • Posting the job on your company's career page ensures it reaches candidates specifically interested in your company.
  • Role-Specific Job Boards:
  • Geography-Specific Job Boards:

What are the best practices for headhunting {role_name}?

  • Personalized Outreach:
    • Customize your messages to highlight why the candidate would be a great fit for the role and your company.
    • Mention specific QA projects or skills from their profile that align with your job requirements.
  • Leverage Referrals:
    • Encourage current employees to refer qualified candidates.
    • Offer referral bonuses to incentivize participation.
  • Engage in Industry Events:
    • Attend and participate in software testing conferences, webinars, and meetups.
    • Network with professionals and distribute information about the job opening.

How to shortlist candidates?

Once you have started to get applications from applicants, a thorough screening process and shortlisting of prospects will help you make the most of your time spent with the most qualified ones. 

Automated shortlisting tools :

Automated screening quickly filters out unqualified candidates, saving time for manual review. This allows the manual process to focus on the most promising candidates, ensuring the best ones are considered for further evaluation.

Screening questions to auto-shortlist based on predefined criteria

like qualifications, location, experience, and skills. Either use job board or use an ATS such as whitecarrot. Here are some questions for {role_name}

  • How many years of experience do you have with test automation tools (e.g., Selenium, JUnit)?
    • Auto-reject criteria: Less than 2 years of experience.
  • How many years of experience do you have with bug tracking systems (e.g., JIRA, Bugzilla)?
    • Auto-reject criteria: Less than 1 year of experience.
  • Are you located within [specified location] or willing to work remotely?
    • Auto-reject criteria: Not located within the specified region and unwilling to work remotely.

Skill based question to auto shortlist candidate

Analyze the skill test data to automatically shortlist top-performing applicants. (recommended screening test time - 15 minutes). Here are some skill test questions for {role_name}

Test Automation

  • Question 1: What is the primary function of Selenium WebDriver?
    • Options:
      • To manage database connections
      • To automate web browser interactions
      • To create software builds
      • To deploy applications
    • Correct Answer: To automate web browser interactions
  • Question 2: Which language is most commonly used with Selenium for writing test scripts?
    • Options:
      • Java
      • Python
      • C#
      • All of the above
    • Correct Answer: All of the above
  • Question 3: What is the purpose of a test suite in automation testing?
    • Options:
      • To organize and run multiple test cases together
      • To generate test data
      • To debug software applications
      • To track bugs in software
    • Correct Answer: To organize and run multiple test cases together

Bug Tracking

  • Question 1: What is the primary purpose of a bug tracking tool like JIRA?
    • Options:
      • To track and manage software defects
      • To automate test cases
      • To deploy software updates
      • To design user interfaces
    • Correct Answer: To track and manage software defects
  • Question 2: What information is typically included in a bug report?
    • Options:
      • Steps to reproduce the bug
      • Expected and actual results
      • Severity and priority
      • All of the above
    • Correct Answer: All of the above
  • Question 3: How do you prioritize bugs in a bug tracking system?
    • Options:
      • Based on severity and impact on the application
      • Based on the number of users affected
      • Based on the developer's availability
      • Both 1 and 2
    • Correct Answer: Both 1 and 2

Test Case Design

  • Question 1: What is a test case?
    • Options:
      • A document specifying inputs, execution conditions, and expected results for a test
      • A software tool used for debugging code
      • A project plan for developing software
      • A type of database schema
    • Correct Answer: A document specifying inputs, execution conditions, and expected results for a test
  • Question 2: Why is it important to have clear and detailed test cases?
    • Options:
      • To ensure repeatability and accuracy of tests
      • To save time during test execution
      • To reduce the number of bugs in production
      • Both 1 and 3
    • Correct Answer: Both 1 and 3
  • Question 3: What is the difference between a positive and a negative test case?
    • Options:
      • A positive test case tests expected conditions, while a negative test case tests unexpected conditions
      • A positive test case is always successful, while a negative test case always fails
      • A positive test case is written for unit testing, while a negative test case is for integration testing
      • A positive test case is for frontend testing, while a negative test case is for backend testing
    • Correct Answer: A positive test case tests expected conditions, while a negative test case tests unexpected conditions

Note - Auto reject candidates if scores less than 70% in this section

One way video interview

Recruitment Bullet

Use tools like hirevue, whitecarrot.io to ask candidates pre-recorded questions about their experience and skills.

Recruitment Bullet

Use sample question given in scorecard.

Collect other information 

Recruitment Bullet

Collect data from shortlisted candidates, such as salary expectations and visa status.

Manual candidate profile shortlisting:

Recruitment Bullet

Thoroughly review the CVs of the top scoring candidates from the automated process

Recruitment Bullet

Look for evidence of the required skills, experience, and achievements

Recruitment Bullet

Review the candidate’s portfolio or GitHub repositories to see examples of their work.

Schedule recruiter calls with the candidate

Recruitment Bullet

Use a tool like calendly or whitecarrot to allow candidates to self-schedule calls based on your availability

Recruitment Bullet

Confirm the call details (date, time, dial-in info) with the candidate via email

What questions to ask in the recruiter phone screen?

Recruitment Bullet

 Use scorecard for rating candidates for recruiter

Recruitment Bullet

Sample scorecard : 

Criteria Rating (1-5) Comments
Experience with QA Tools
Knowledge of Test Automation
Problem-Solving Skills
Communication Skills
Cultural Fit
Work Sample Test
Recruitment Bullet

Check for consistency in responses from the candidates.

Recruitment Bullet

Record such scorecards in an ATS like whitecarrot or use google doc