When moving to a new position in your organization, you might not always feel confident—and that’s fine. If you have ever wondered how to change your mindset from “I need to learn from someone more experienced than I” to “I need to train and lead a team,” Ioan Todoran shares what he learned during his time as a first-time test team lead. Ioan shares lessons about recruitment (where and how to look for people), interviewing (forget the boring, interrogatory-style interviews; move toward a more conversational approach), training (how to prepare the new testers for work on a commercial project), and navigating through the daily management duties while keeping the automation work going on your project (stop micromanaging; help, but don't suffocate; learn to offer quick solutions.) Learn how to establish better connections and communication channels with upper management while strengthening the relationships with your clients through an honest and direct approach.

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T5#
Session!
6/25/2015! !
11:30!AM!
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“The#Adventures#of#a#First4Time#Test#Lead:#An#
Unexpected#Journey”##
Presented#by:#
Ioan#Todoran#
Expedia#Affiliate#Network#
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Brought#to#you#by:#
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340!Corporate!Way,!Suite!300,!Orange!Park,!FL!32073!
888D268D8770!E!904D278D0524!E!sqeinfo@sqe.com!E!www.sqe.com!
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Ioan Todoran is currently working in London for Expedia Affiliate Network, an Expedia.com
brand. He started out as a game tester, working on a large number of Nintendo DS, PC and
Wii projects. Afterwards, he moved towards testing applications from the betting and financial
industry. Was also involved in a start-up, but one of his biggest challenges was to build, train
and lead a testing team for a software outsourcing company. Ioan strives to improve his
technical skills, whilst getting know the business side of things on the projects he works on.
He's interested in the ever-chanding role of testing within the software development life cycle,
in learning new things and then getting to challenge them.
Ioan Todoran
Expedia Affiliate Network

3. 7/1/15%
1%
Ioan%Todoran%
The%Adventures%of%a%First3Time%Test%Lead:%%
An%unexpected%journey%
NOT:%
• Ian%
• Ewan%
• Loan%
%
Hi,%I'm%Ioan%(Yo5an)!%

4. 7/1/15%
2%
Yawn%
%
If%that%fails…%try%
• game%tesCng%
• beEng%plaGorms%
• financial%applicaCons%
• start5up%
%
About%Me%
I've%worked%on:% Currently%@%

5. 7/1/15%
3%
Ioan%Todoran%
The%Adventures%of%a%First3Time%Test%Lead:%%
An%unexpected%journey%
%
small%outsourcing%company%trying%to%grow%
%
sole%tester%%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Context%

6. 7/1/15%
4%
recruitment% interview%
new%staff%
train%and%
support%
them%
lead%the%
tesCng%
pracCce%%
The%opportunity%
Test%Team%Lead%
experience% skills% age?!% career%path%
The%excuses%

7. 7/1/15%
5%
When%moving%to%a%new%posiCon%in%your%organizaCon,%
you%might%not%always%feel%confident...%
%
%
%
%
%
%
…but%that's%fine!%
%
%
%
%
%
%
Beware%of%the%job%Atle%trap!%
%
%
%
%
%
%

8. 7/1/15%
6%
OK,%new%posiCon%and%job%Ctle.%What%now?%
Recruitment%
Training%
%
Interviewing%
%
Leading%
%
What%next?%
Recruitment

9. 7/1/15%
7%
Get%involved...
Recruitment
…but%don’t%work%
alone!
Recruitment

10. 7/1/15%
8%
What’s%your%company’s%
reputaAon%/%image%on%the%
market?
Recruitment
PosAng%job%adds%on%LinkedIn%is%
not%a%recruitment%strategy%
Recruitment

11. 7/1/15%
9%
Recruit%straight%from%
university
Recruitment
Sponsor%university%events
Recruitment

12. 7/1/15%
10%
Take%part%in%job%fairs
Recruitment
Go%to%meetups%
Recruitment

13. 7/1/15%
11%
Recruit%internally
Recruitment
Don’t%forget%about%your%
personal%network
Recruitment

14. 7/1/15%
12%
Agile%approach%towards%
recruitment?%Fail%fast,%learn,%
iterate
Recruitment
Some%people%will%leave%
no%maRer%what%you%do
Recruitment

15. 7/1/15%
13%
Interviewing
Be%fast,%but%not%negligent
Interviewing

16. 7/1/15%
14%
Too%many%interview%rounds?%
DecluRer!
Interviewing
HR%–%Tech%–%Manager*
Interviewing

17. 7/1/15%
15%
Don’t%be%afraid%to%experiment%
with%the%interview%process
Interviewing
Find%the%approach%that%works%
for%your%company!
Interviewing

18. 7/1/15%
16%
Dialogue,%not%interrogatory
Interviewing
Ease%the%tension%at%the%
beggining%of%interviews*
Interviewing
*Remaining%Relevant%–%Rob%Lambert

19. 7/1/15%
17%
Interview%quesAons?
Interviewing
Scenario3based
Interviewing

20. 7/1/15%
18%
The%boRle%quesAon
Interviewing
The%theory%is%great,%but%the%
pracAce%is%killing%us%
Interviewing

21. 7/1/15%
19%
Pair%tesAng
Interviewing
SoY%vs%tech%skills
Interviewing

22. 7/1/15%
20%
RecruiAng%MORE%of%YOU
Interviewing
Manager%feedback:%
“I’m%not%convinced!”
Interviewing

23. 7/1/15%
21%
Finding%someone%good
Interviewing
Training

24. 7/1/15%
22%
PDP’s?%Maybe.%Maybe%not.
Training
Training%plans
Training

25. 7/1/15%
23%
To%cerAficate%or%not%to%
cerAficate?
Training
1:1%sessions
Training

26. 7/1/15%
24%
The%learning%process
Training
The%training%“academy”
Training

27. 7/1/15%
25%
Feed%the%hungry%minds!
Training
Training%should%not%be%only%
technical!
Training

28. 7/1/15%
26%
CommunicaAon
Training
Leading

29. 7/1/15%
27%
“I%have%no%idea%what%I’m%doing!”
Leading
“Don’t%think,%just%do.%
Don’t%think,%just%be.”
Leading

30. 7/1/15%
28%
%
Bureaucracy?%DecluRer!%
%
Leading
Danger%#1:%micro3management.%%
Don’t%do%it!%
Leading

31. 7/1/15%
29%
Mr.%Know3it3all
Leading
Get%over%yourself!
Leading

32. 7/1/15%
30%
Help,%don’t%suffocate
Leading
Consolidate%the%team:%
test%clinic!
Leading

33. 7/1/15%
31%
If%you’re%waiAng%for%a%team%building%
event%to%bond%your%team...
Leading
...you’re%doing%it%wrong!
Leading

34. 7/1/15%
32%
Be%ready%to%defend%your%
team!
Leading
Don’t%forget%about%yourself!
Leading

35. 7/1/15%
33%
Keep%your%own%work%on%track
Leading
Find%a%sidekick%/%distribute%
workload
Leading

36. 7/1/15%
34%
Find%a%mentor!
Leading
Build%slack%in
Leading

37. 7/1/15%
35%
Learn%to%offer%soluAons%
instead%of%just%saying%NO!%
Leading
Listen%to%your%team!
Leading

38. 7/1/15%
36%
What%if%you’ve%made%a%bad%
choice?
Leading
#1:%Admit%you%have%a%problem
Leading

39. 7/1/15%
37%
#2:%Take%acAon!
Leading
Managers%are%not%
superhumans!
Leading

40. 7/1/15%
38%
Be%honest%with%your%customers
Leading
Last%client%visit%–%make%it%
memorable!
Leading

41. 7/1/15%
39%
Be%prepared%to%take%a%step%back%
if%it%doesn’t%work%out!
Leading
It’s%important%to%be%able%to%look%
back%and%say:%„that%Ame%was%well%
invested,%I%couldn’t%have%done%
beRer%anywhere%else.”%

42. 7/1/15%
40%
#1:%The%Dictator
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!
“Because%I%say%so!”
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!

43. 7/1/15%
41%
“That’s%how%we%do%things%
here!”
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!
“No!”
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!

44. 7/1/15%
42%
#2:%The%Permanent%Delegator
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!
%“Can%you%take%over%this%task%from%
me?%And%the%other%one.%And%that.%
Yes,%that%too!”
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!

45. 7/1/15%
43%
#3:%The%“Jack%Black”
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!
Team:%“Are%we%going%to%learn%something%
today%or%just%sit%here?”
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!
Team%Lead:%“Just%have%recess!”

46. 7/1/15%
44%
#4:%The%ghost
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!
%You’ve%heard%about%him,%saw%
small%signs%of%his%presence,%but%
he’s%never%around.
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!

47. 7/1/15%
45%
#5:%The%BFF
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!
Trying%to%be%best%friends%with%
each%and%every%team%member.%
Which%usually%leads%to%failure.
Top 5 Team Lead types you don’t
want to be!

48. 7/1/15%
46%
Very%rewarding%experience
Looking back...
Had%to%offer%more%than%I%thought
Would%do%it%again,%but%differently
Decided%to%move%to%a%more%technical%posiAon
Thank You!
Contact: ictodoran@gmail.com

49. 7/1/15%
47%
Questions?