Behavioral Interview Questions for QA Engineers

Introduction

• Presenter: Sergey Kromchenko
• Experience: 9+ years in the QA field
• Focus: Behavioral interview questions common for QA and automation positions

Importance of Behavioral Questions

• Relevant for all positions (manual, automation, Dev)
• Assess collaboration and teamwork ability

Interviewee Introductions

• Ella: QA at GoGuardian
• Anton: Ex-student of Sergey, also a QA

Common Behavioral Questions

1. Difficult Team Member

• Describe a time when you worked with a difficult team member.
  • Approach: Be polite, friendly, and communicate issues through appropriate channels (manager if necessary).
  • Example from Ella: Had issues with a developer delaying work; addressed it professionally.

2. Testing Incomplete Requirements

• How to approach incomplete or unclear testing requirements?
  • Always clarify with project managers or leads before proceeding with assumptions.

3. Identifying Problems Noticed by QA

• Describe a time you identified a problem the team missed.
  • Importance of thorough testing and communication of findings.

4. Prioritizing Testing Tasks

• How to prioritize testing tasks with competing demands?
  • Maintain a priority list and focus on the most critical tasks first.

5. Difficult Decision During Testing

• Describe a difficult decision made during testing.
  • Ensure decisions align with product functionality and customer experience.

6. Conflicting Priorities from Stakeholders

• How to handle conflicting priorities from different stakeholders?
  • Communication is key; facilitate discussions between stakeholders to find common ground.

7. Difference in Opinion with Developers/Product Owners

• How to handle differences in opinion with developers or product owners?
  • Communicate disagreements professionally and work towards consensus.

8. Testing Large Features

• Approach for testing products with many features or complex functionality?
  • Test planning and organization are crucial for complex projects.

9. Explaining Issues to Non-Technical Stakeholders

• How to explain testing issues to non-technical team members?
  • Use simple language and relatable examples.

10. Comprehensive Testing

• How to ensure testing is comprehensive and covers all scenarios?
  • Utilize test matrices and systematic test case documentation.

11. Adapt Testing Approach

• Describe a time you adapted your testing approach due to changing requirements.
  • Flexibility in adapting to new timelines or requirements is crucial.

12. Security Vulnerability Identification

• Example of identifying a security vulnerability.
  • Importance of validating both UI and API for security flaws.

13. Ensuring Accessibility in Testing

• How to ensure accessibility in testing?
  • Companies may use third-party services for accessibility testing.

14. Collaborating with Remote Teams

• Example of working with remote teams or different time zones.
  • Flexibility and communication are necessary in such situations.

15. Troubleshooting Technical Issues

• How to troubleshoot complex technical issues during testing?
  • Thorough investigation and following up with team members for clarification.

16. Approaching New Technologies

• How to approach testing new tools or technologies?
  • Engage with team members and use documentation as primary resources.

17. Investigating Difficult Issues

• How to investigate reported issues that are difficult to reproduce?
  • Work closely with the reporter of the issue to gather detailed steps.

18. Aligning Testing with Product Goals

• How to ensure testing aligns with product goals?
  • Focus on requirements and stakeholder input.

19. Managing Conflicts in Testing Priorities

• How to handle testing conflicts within the team?
  • Communicate clearly about capacity and deliverables.

20. Testing Controversial Features

• Example of testing controversial features.
  • Issues should be discussed and planned during Sprint planning.

21. Ensuring Efficient Testing

• How to ensure testing is efficient without duplication of efforts?
  • Use project management tools to track progress and avoid redundancy.

22. Learning New Technologies Quickly

• Example of learning new technology for testing purposes.
  • Quick study of documentation and leveraging existing knowledge.

23. Testing Scalable Products

• How to ensure testing is scalable?
  • Performance and load testing are essential.

24. Dealing with Unexpected Issues

• Describe a time you dealt with unexpected challenges during testing.
  • Approach: Identify quickly and handle according to priority.

25. Collaborating with Developers

• Approach to collaborating with developers in the testing process.
  • Utilize tickets and maintain open communication.

Final Thoughts

• Ella: Importance of maintaining a positive attitude during interviews and collaboration.
• Anton: Ask questions during interviews to show interest.

Conclusion

• Emphasize communication, adaptability, and collaboration in QA roles.