What companies should look for when hiring test professionals

We can all agree that hiring is no small feat. As a hiring manager, I have always viewed it as a one-time activity rather than a routine task, given the significant time and effort involved. From drafting the business proposal and securing approvals to preparing job specs, interviewing and finally onboarding, it’s a long journey with many moving parts. Each step demands attention to detail, coordination and patience - making the process as challenging as it is rewarding.

I have seen cases where new hires join but later struggle to adapt to the organisation’s ways of working, don’t enjoy the work environment and leave after only a few months. This means going back to square one and restarting the entire hiring cycle - something no team wants!

I still remember one instance early in my career where a lengthy recruitment cycle ended with a new hire leaving within weeks because the role expectations weren’t clearly aligned. That experience taught me the importance of transparent conversations about a candidate’s aspirations and long-term plans upfront. This ensures the role is as much the right fit for them as they are for the role. Over time, I have realized that a short conversation about what success looks like to them often reveals whether their ambitions align with what the role can realistically offer.

As Peter Schutz once said, “Hire character. Train skill.” That simple idea has guided my hiring approach because while skills can always be taught, attitude and adaptability cannot.

I don’t finalise hiring until I am confident the candidate brings not only the right technical skills, but also strong domain knowledge, cultural alignment, reliability and a proactive “doing” attitude. These are the things that make someone thrive, not just survive in a new role. Observing communication and collaboration styles and assessing problem-solving approaches provide valuable insights. Practical steps such as involving team members, presenting real-life scenarios and probing how candidates handle challenges further help evaluate their suitability.

Asking the right questions also unlocks meaningful insights. Some of my top ones that consistently help me identify the right person:

1. What motivates you to stay engaged and perform your best in a role even when things don’t go as planned?
2. What achievements are you most proud of and what challenges taught you the most along the way?
3. Describe how you ensure alignment when working with cross-functional teams or external partners when there is a disagreement.

Let’s explore these key traits in detail:

Positive Attitude

The most important quality I look for in a candidate is mindset and attitude. Technical skills and tools can be taught, but the ability to adapt, collaborate and approach work with a positive “can-do” mindset is invaluable. I seek individuals who are open to learning, willing to step outside their comfort zone and eager to grow.

In recent times, I hired a tester with limited automation experience, but an incredibly positive mindset. Within a few months, they not only upskilled, but also helped others learn. They proved that the right attitude can often surpass years of technical experience.

In today’s fast-changing tech landscape, adaptability is as crucial as technical expertise. A tester with the right attitude not only excels in their role, but also continuously upskills, challenges themselves and contributes to the growth of the team and organisation.

Collaboration catalyst

Some professionals prefer working in silos while others naturally build networks across teams. For me as a manager, the quality that truly stands out is how well a person can collaborate, share knowledge and build strong working relationships inside and outside their immediate team.

In testing, communication is often underestimated. Too many still view testers as people who “just find bugs” - creating a perceived divide of Dev vs Tester. This outdated mindset can breed friction. Instead, testers should focus on supporting developers, product owners and stakeholders by bringing a “quality-first” mindset and helping the team deliver better outcomes.

Strong communicators expand their remit, build trust and learn from others. They don’t just point out problems - they help create solutions. This collaborative approach transforms testing from a “checkpoint” into a catalyst for team success.

I have seen testers with average technical skills become invaluable because their effective communication with stakeholders helps bridge gaps, resolve issues faster and strengthen team collaboration.

Leader Attitude, Not Follower

Regardless of the role you are hiring for, testers should not see themselves as passive participants in the delivery process, but as advocates for quality. What makes a tester truly stand out is their inquisitive nature, the willingness to dig deeper, ask the tough questions and never accept things at face value.

Instead of simply doing what the delivery team asks, a great tester will challenge assumptions, question approaches and suggest better ways of working. This doesn’t mean being confrontational. It means constructively voicing opinions, driving best practices and ensuring the end product serves its purpose effectively.

A tester with a leader’s mindset doesn’t just think about “what needs to be tested.” They constantly ask the bigger questions: Why are we building this feature? Who is it for? Where could it fail? Which risks matter most? How can we ensure long-term quality?

In one of my previous projects, a junior tester spotted a gap in the solution design that no one else had noticed. Flagging it early prevented significant design rework later. It reminded me that leadership isn’t about titles. It’s about taking ownership, having a holistic view of testing and speaking up in the right forum.

By being proactive, vocal and quality-driven, testers help shape not just the product, but also the culture of the team. This thought leadership turns testers into trusted advisors - people who influence decisions, improve delivery practices and raise the overall bar for quality. In short, great testers lead with curiosity, courage and conviction.

Strong Domain Knowledge

Skills can be developed through training, but what truly sets a great tester apart is strong business understanding. Tools may help you automate, but it’s domain expertise that allows you to design meaningful, value-driven test scenarios. A tester who understands the industry context can anticipate risks, think like the end user and ensure that testing isn’t just about coverage, but about impact.

Someone who has already worked in the same domain brings much more than just familiarity. They come equipped with insights into business processes, regulatory nuances, customer behaviour and even the dynamics of market disruptions. They often know who the competitors are, what differentiates the product and where potential pitfalls lie. This contextual awareness transforms testing from a mechanical exercise into a strategic contribution.

Drawing from my personal experience, I come from a strong B2B/B2C eCommerce background. While testing a new checkout feature for an eCommerce client, I noticed that certain coupon combinations weren’t being applied correctly, which wasn’t even covered in the business requirements. Understanding the potential impact on sales and customer experience, I raised it early with the developers and we fixed the issue before release. This experience reinforced for me how critical domain knowledge is in identifying gaps that aren’t explicitly documented and the value of proactive testing in safeguarding both revenue and customer satisfaction.

I particularly value the “failure stories” that experienced testers carry with them. These are not just anecdotes of things going wrong, they are game changers. Lessons learned from past mistakes often spark the best innovations - helping teams avoid repeating the same mistakes and instead apply new approaches.

Testers with strong domain knowledge can therefore bounce back ideas, challenge assumptions and recommend the most effective approaches. They bridge the gap between technology and business, ensuring that testing not only verifies functionality, but also validates relevance.

Versatile Tester

In an era of continuous technological innovation, a strong tester combines manual expertise with knowledge of modern testing tools and best practices. Manual testing remains critical for understanding user experience, workflows and edge cases while automation has become a baseline expectation across organizations. Testers who can navigate both contribute to faster, more reliable and scalable testing efforts.

The shift toward full-stack development also applies to testing. As organizations build products on increasingly complex technology stacks, every team member regardless of role or seniority is expected to maintain a technologically advanced mindset. Testers who understand automation frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, performance and security testing tools and modern quality practices can engage proactively with development teams, identify gaps early and improve overall delivery quality.

Equally important is a mindset of continuous learning. Skill gaps often lead companies to hire externally, but internal upskilling and reskilling reduce this dependency. Hiring managers should value candidates who demonstrate curiosity, adaptability and a commitment to stay updated with the latest tools, methodologies and industry standards. This not only adds immediate value, but also strengthens long-term organisational capability.

In short, a modern tester is versatile, tech-savvy and proactive about continuous learning - someone who bridges the gap between manual insight and automated efficiency while keeping pace with evolving testing practices and industry standards.                   

A key learning from leading hybrid teams has been that versatility isn’t just about knowing tools. It’s about being open to change. The best testers I have worked with are those who eagerly experiment with new approaches even when it means unlearning old habits.

In the end

Successful long-term hiring goes far beyond resumes and certifications. It’s about attitude, adaptability, communication, leadership qualities, domain expertise and a strong grasp of modern testing skills, tools and best practices.

A candidate who demonstrates these traits is more likely to integrate seamlessly with the team, contribute meaningfully and grow within the organization. Ultimately, great hiring is about identifying individuals who not only meet the technical requirements, but also align with the company’s culture, vision and values.

Over the years, I have seen that the hires that truly succeed are the ones where both the organization and the candidate treat the opportunity as a long-term partnership, not just a short-term transaction. Those are the relationships that grow, thrive and make a positive impact.

By prioritizing attitude, adaptability, domain knowledge and a modern growth-oriented skill set, organizations can build teams that thrive, innovate and deliver sustained impact over time.