Selecting Mischief Makers: Vital Interviewing Skills

Much of testing is tedious-the focus on details, the repetitive execution of the same code, the detailed paperwork, the seemingly endless technical discussions, and the complex data analysis. All good testers have the skills and aptitude necessary to deal with these activities. However, great testers have one other characteristic-they are mischievous. As a hiring manager, detecting mischievous testers is a challenge you should pursue to build the best testing staff. How do you uncover a candidate's mischievous traits during the selection process? Résumés do not help, and phone interviews or email conversations are too easily misunderstood. The best chance you have for detecting mischief is during the interview. Andy explores the ways he identifies the clever people who make great testers and shares techniques that you can easily add to your interview process to find the best people for your team.

• The need for well-directed mischief in testers
• How to distinguish clever people for testing
• Techniques for detecting the people you need and avoiding troublemakers