Now more than ever, tech companies are moving towards remote work. Most who make the switch find that working remotely boosts productivity, improves worker morale, and lowers costs. One of the other major benefits? Reducing the spread of illnesses. But how do you make sure that you’re set up for success when implementing a remote workforce? Read on for our tips and tools for working remotely.

Remote Communication Tips

To make remote work successful, above all you need good communication. It may sound obvious, but there are specific tips and tools you can use to make sure you’re set for success.

1. Use the right conferencing tool for your organization.

Just because a conferencing tool is trendy doesn’t mean it’s the best fit for your particular needs. These are some of the most common tools for audio and/or video meetings: Continue reading →

When you spend the majority of your hours working, setting boundaries at work is vital. Equally important is respecting boundaries set by others. This can cover a lot: communication, workload, availability, and countless areas in between.

It won’t always be possible to lay down the law in every scenario that you’d like. But by knowing what your ideal boundaries are, and implementing them from the beginning, you’ll have a fighting chance at reducing work stress.

Slack

In modern QA, Slack can play a big role in communication. Boundaries are even more relevant with all expectations that come with live messaging. These can include:

• Keeping the Slack app off of your phone
• Turning notifications off at certain hours
• Not checking Slack before or after work
• Keeping Slack closed when in the middle of urgent work

Timing is also important. If you don’t set Slack boundaries early on, people will think that they can reach you at any time of day – and it can be difficult to re-set expectations at that point. Continue reading →

Whether you’re at the start of your QA career or thirty years in, it’s always a good idea to know how to negotiate salary, advocate for a promotion, and navigate difficult situations in the workplace. On top of general career best practices, there are also aspects specific to software testing careers.

Taking QA Careers From Junior to QA Lead to QA Manager

When starting a QA career, many testers have the word “Junior” in their job title. Even if it’s not part of the official title, it’s usually a given that your first QA position will be entry level or close to it. But after you’ve learned the ropes and started to enhance your QA skills, you may set your sights on becoming a QA Lead.

Tips for Becoming a QA Lead

Continue reading →

QA testers are often managed by different roles. At some companies, the Engineering Manager is in charge of QA. At very small companies, it could be a Project Manager, or even the CEO. In the ideal scenario, a company will have a dedicated QA manager. But what can you expect from a QA manager, and how can you succeed in management yourself?

How to Be a Good QA Manager

Some aspects of being a good manager are universal, whether the people reporting to you are QA testers or not. However, the field of QA has unique conditions to consider. Even without very much experience, a QA manager can excel by following the right guidelines.

Communication

As with any relationship, good communication is vital. Among other things, bad communication can result in poor process, missed bugs, and the exact type of issues that QA is supposed to prevent!

Some of the best ways to foster good communication as a QA manager: Continue reading →

When problems appear in an app or website, for some people the first move is to blame the developer(s). Sure, it’s true that the developers wrote the code. But the reality is that bugs are rarely the fault of any one person or group. There are many reasons why developers shouldn’t always be blamed for bugs. A developer’s build could have a bug for many different reasons, including:

• Vague or incomplete acceptance criteria
• A regression (when a fix or new feature causes problems with older code – learn more in our guide to regression testing)
• Issues with specific devices or browsers based on new updates (learn more about cross browser testing)
• Rushed timelines in an Agile process

Between these explanations and the reasons below, it’s a good idea to think twice before defaulting blame to developers.

Why Developers Shouldn’t Always Be Blamed for Bugs

1. It’s counter-productive.

Adding extra pressure is only going to make bugs more likely, as insecurity and nervousness interfere with focus. Of course, having some level of accountability is usually helpful (and reasonable). But there’s a difference between asking someone why certain bugs made it through vs. interrogating them with negative assumptions.  Continue reading →

We’re proud to announce that we’ve joined companies like Apple and Lyft in cosigning the Business Statement for Transgender Equality. We support trans people, in or out of the workplace, and believe in increasing diversity in tech. Read on to see the full Business for Trans Equality statement. (You can also view the official website here.)

The undersigned businesses stand with the millions of people in America who identify as transgender or gender non-binary, or who are intersex, and call for all such people to be treated with the respect and dignity everyone deserves.

We oppose any administrative and legislative efforts to erase transgender protections through reinterpretation of existing laws and regulations. We also fundamentally oppose any policy or regulation that violates the privacy rights of those who are transgender, non-binary, or intersex.

In the last two decades, dozens of federal courts have affirmed the rights and identities of transgender people.

Cognizant of growing medical and scientific consensus, courts have recognized that policies that force people into a binary gender definition determined by birth anatomy fail to reflect the complex realities of gender identity and human biology.

Diversity and inclusion are good for business, and that discrimination imposes enormous productivity costs (and exerts undue burdens). As a result, hundreds of companies, including the undersigned, have continued to expand inclusion for transgender people across corporate America. Currently more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 have clear gender identity protections. In addition, two-thirds have transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage. Hundreds also have LGBTQ+ and Allies business resource groups and internal training efforts.

Transgender, gender non-binary, and intersex people are our beloved family members and friends, and our valued team members. What harms them harms our companies.

We call for respect and transparency in policy-making, and for equality under the law for transgender, gender non-binary, and intersex people.

Continue reading →

Having a diverse workplace brings many obvious benefits. For example, it provides opportunity for more workers, and reduces discrimination. But the advantages of diversity in tech don’t end there. Leveling the playing field for people from all types of backgrounds can bring your business a host of other benefits as well.

Why Does Tech Need More Diversity?

In the world of tech, it’s well-known that workplaces tend to be mostly made up of very specific types of people. It makes sense to be discerning when it comes to skill. But it’s beneficial for companies to be open when it comes to race, gender, and other metrics. Like any other sector, technology can benefit from more women, people of color, people with disabilities, trans and queer people, and diversity in general.

Some people think that ethics are the main positive aspect of diversity at work. We believe that this alone is reason enough to strive for it. But if you’re looking for additional reasons to make these changes, know that diversity in business also strengthens your company in many other ways. It’s truly a win-win for workers and employers in tech.

Having an open-minded hiring process that aims to give everyone a fair chance is a great starting point. Unlike the stereotype that some paint diversity initiatives as, this doesn’t mean hiring people solely because of their classification. Instead, it means taking action to remove bias from the hiring process. It’s good to keep in mind that bias can be unconscious, and you may not always be aware of it. Actively taking steps to confront it is the best way to get past it. Continue reading →