IT Workforce Development

The recent CrowdStrike update causing widespread outages is deeply troubling. With over 25 years of experience leading critical systems releases, I understand the challenges, but outages of this magnitude demand answers. Even the most talented programmers encounter defects, some frustratingly elusive. This is why robust quality assurance (QA) processes are an absolute necessity, especially for software entrusted with safeguarding our systems. Throughout my career, I've championed a multi-layered QA approach that acts as a safety net, scrutinizing software from every angle. This includes: ➡️ Code Reviews: Regular peer reviews by fellow developers identify potential issues early. ➡️ Testing Pyramid: A range of tests, from focused unit tests to comprehensive system and integration tests mimicking real-world use, are employed. ➡️ Stress and Capacity Testing: Pushing software beyond its normal limits helps expose vulnerabilities that might otherwise remain hidden. ➡️ Soak Testing: Simulating extended periods of real-world use uncovers bugs that only manifest under prolonged load. By implementing these techniques, QA teams significantly increase the likelihood of catching critical defects before they impact users. CrowdStrike owes its customers transparency. A thorough investigation and a clear explanation of how such a disruptive bug bypassed safeguards are crucial. Understanding this will help prevent similar incidents in the future. This outage serves as a stark reminder for both software providers and buyers. Providers must prioritize rigorous QA processes. But buyers also have a role to play. I urge all software buyers to carefully audit their vendors' QA practices. Don't settle for anything less than a robust and multi-layered approach. Our security depends on it. Our economy and indeed our life today, depends on software. We cannot allow this type of outage to disrupt us in the future! By prioritizing rigorous testing and demanding transparency, we can work together to ensure the software we rely on remains a source of security, not disruption. _______________ ➡️ About Me: I'm Talila Millman a fractional CTO and a management advisor, keynote speaker, and executive coach. I empower CEOs and C-suites to create a growth strategy, increase profitability, optimize product portfolios, and create an operating system for product and engineering excellence. 📘 Get My Book: "The TRIUMPH Framework: 7 Steps to Leading Organizational Transformation" launched as the Top New Release on Organizational Change 🎤 Invite me to Speak at your Event about Leadership, Change Leadership, Innovation, and AI Strategy https://lnkd.in/e6E4Nvev

🚀 QA vs QC vs QE vs Tester: Do they really mean the same thing? In the world of software development, we often hear these terms as if they were interchangeable... but they are not. Each role adds value from a different perspective within quality. Here is a brief and practical 👇 explanation 🔵 QA – Quality Assurance ➡️ Prevents defects ➡️ Define processes, standards and best practices ➡️ Focuses on how software is built ➡️ More strategic and preventive work Think of QA as, "Let's get it right from the start." 🟣 QC – Quality Control ➡️ Detect defects ➡️ Review the finished product or in specific phases ➡️ Focuses on what is delivered ➡️ More reactive work, evaluating the final result QC is: "Let's validate that what was done meets expectations." 🟢 QE – Quality Engineering ➡️ Unites quality + engineering ➡️ Automation, CI/CD, Quality Metrics, Tools ➡️ Ensures quality through technology and engineering ➡️ Key role in DevOps/Agile teams QE is, "Let's make quality flow into the pipeline." 🟡 Tester – Test Analyst/Engineer ➡️ Run manual or automated tests ➡️ Understand requirements, design test cases, report bugs ➡️ Ensures software works as expected ➡️ Direct focus on product behavior Tester is: "Let's prove that everything works... and find what we don't." 💬 Final Thoughts Quality is not the responsibility of a single person, but these roles help make it a natural part of the development cycle. Understanding the differences allows us to collaborate better and build more reliable software.

People ask me regularly: "Is your job impacted by AI?" My answer is always the same. As long as there are people in organisations, we need People Strategy. But the more interesting question is this: Are companies integrating AI the right way? What I see most often is AI being treated as a productivity fix. A cost-cutting lever. A way to do more with fewer people. And we have already seen where that leads. Companies that let people go to "leverage AI" only to quietly rehire six months later because the work still needed doing, still by humans. That is not a strategy. That is a reaction. The real question AI forces us to ask is a capability question. And capability planning is not an HR exercise. It starts at the top, with the CEO, and it follows a sequence most companies skip entirely. It starts with where the company is going. What does the business look like in 12 months? What does it deliver, how does it operate, what does success look like? You cannot plan your people or your technology without answering this first. From there you define your capability needs. In order to operate at that level and deliver those results, what does the organisation need to be able to do? This is where the conversation with heads of department becomes essential. They know where the gaps are. Then comes the sourcing strategy. For each capability gap, what is the best way to resource it? Internal or external. Full-time or part-time. Project-based or long-term. Human, tech, or AI. This is the step where AI belongs in the conversation. Not as the default answer, but as one option among several, evaluated against the actual need. Only after all of that do you get to manpower planning (how many people do you actually need to hire). And alongside it, a tech and AI plan for everything else. My advise: get a talent review built in: who is at risk of leaving, who would put the business at risk if they did, and what is the contingency plan for those. People Strategy and AI Strategy are not separate conversations. They are the same conversation, and they need to happen together, in sequence, starting with the business. That is what strategic workforce planning looks like. Everything else is just reacting to the cost line. #PeopleStrategy #AI #OrganisationDesign #FounderTips #FromZeroTo1000

14 Software Testing Approaches Every QA Should Know! As a QA Tester, my role is not just about finding bugs — it’s about ensuring quality, reliability, performance, and user satisfaction. The infographic below summarizes 14 different software testing approaches that we use in real-world projects. Let me break them down with simple real-time examples 👇 🔹 Unit Testing – Testing small, isolated pieces of code. 💡 Example: Checking if a “discount calculation function” returns the correct value. 🔹 Integration Testing – Ensuring modules interact properly. 💡 Example: After integrating the login API with the frontend, test if login tokens are passed correctly. 🔹 Functional Testing – Verifying software works as per requirements. 💡 Example: Testing if the “Add to Cart” button correctly adds items in an e-commerce app. 🔹 Regression Testing – Making sure new changes don’t break old features. 💡 Example: After updating the payment gateway, test checkout flow to ensure previous payment methods still work. 🔹 Performance Testing – Measuring speed, scalability, and responsiveness. 💡 Example: Checking if a food delivery app can handle 10,000 users ordering at once. 🔹 Security Testing – Identifying vulnerabilities. 💡 Example: Ensuring user passwords are encrypted and SQL injection attacks are blocked. 🔹 Usability Testing – Checking user-friendliness. 💡 Example: Testing if elderly users can easily navigate a healthcare app. 🔹 Smoke Testing – Quick check to validate basic functionality. 💡 Example: Right after deployment, ensuring “Login → Dashboard → Logout” works fine. 🔹 Sanity Testing – Focused verification of recent fixes/features. 💡 Example: If a bug was fixed for incorrect price calculation, check only that specific feature. 🔹 Acceptance Testing – Making sure software meets business/user expectations. 💡 Example: Client verifying a banking app to ensure fund transfer flow works end-to-end. 🔹 Exploratory Testing – Ad-hoc testing without predefined test cases. 💡 Example: Randomly trying invalid inputs in a sign-up form to see how the system reacts. 🔹 Alpha Testing – Internal team testing before public release. 💡 Example: QA team using a new ride-hailing app internally before launching it. 🔹 Beta Testing – External user testing in a real environment. 💡 Example: Early users testing WhatsApp beta version before global rollout. 🔹 Compatibility Testing – Ensuring the app works across browsers/devices. 💡 Example: Verifying an online store works on Chrome, Safari, Android, and iOS. Each of these testing methods is crucial depending on where we are in the SDLC (Software Development Life Cycle). 👉 Which of these do you use the most in your projects? #SoftwareTesting #QATesting #QualityAssurance #TestAutomation #ManualTesting #PerformanceTesting #SecurityTesting #SDLC #Tech #SoftwareQuality #AgileTesting #QATips #TestingLife

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗤𝗟 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭: 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝗤𝗟 → Understand what SQL is and its importance in managing databases. → Learn about databases, tables, and relationships. 📖 Free Resource: https://lnkd.in/dXha3bSw 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟮: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗖𝗧 → Master SELECT statements to retrieve data. → Use filtering with WHERE, sorting with ORDER BY, and grouping with GROUP BY. 📖 Practice: https://sqlzoo.net/ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟯: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 → Learn to insert data using INSERT. → Modify records with UPDATE and delete them with DELETE. 📖 Interactive Course: https://lnkd.in/d3pr2CC5 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟰: 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 → Understand INNER JOIN, LEFT JOIN, RIGHT JOIN, and FULL JOIN. 📖 Tutorial: https://lnkd.in/gsmAJeQE 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟱: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 → Dive into subqueries, common table expressions (CTEs), and window functions. → Optimize queries for better performance. 📖 Guide: https://learnsql.com/ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟲: 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 → Understand normalization principles (1NF, 2NF, 3NF). → Learn about primary keys, foreign keys, and indexing. 📖 Resource: https://database.guide/ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟳: 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 → Optimize query performance with indexes. → Learn about execution plans and database constraints. 📖 Performance Tuning: https://lnkd.in/dCu5UvaA 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟴: 𝗦𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗔𝗖𝗜𝗗 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 → Learn about ACID properties (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability). → Implement transactions using BEGIN, COMMIT, and ROLLBACK. 📖 Video Tutorial: https://lnkd.in/gch2FvgA 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟵: 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 → Understand SQL for big data platforms like Apache Hive and Spark SQL. → Learn about scalability and distributed databases. 📖 Advanced SQL: https://lnkd.in/dUsqAfMZ 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝟭𝟬: 𝗦𝗤𝗟 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘀 → Build real-world projects: → Create a sales dashboard. → Analyze customer churn. 📖 Practice Projects: https://www.dataquest.io/ 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀 → Build a portfolio of SQL projects. → Get certifications like Microsoft SQL Server or Google BigQuery. 📖 Certification: https://lnkd.in/gfS9Y6wn --- 📕 400+ 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀: https://lnkd.in/gv9yvfdd 📘 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 : https://lnkd.in/gPrWQ8is 📙 𝗣𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻 𝗟𝗶𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆: https://lnkd.in/gHSDtsmA 📗 45+ 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀: https://lnkd.in/ghBXQfPc --- Join What's app channel for jobs updates: https://lnkd.in/gu8_ERtK 📸: @bytebytego

Mastering QA Terminologies: A Must for Every Tester Quality Assurance (QA) isn’t just about finding bugs, it’s about ensuring product excellence, enhancing user experience, and driving business value. To thrive in the world of software testing, understanding QA terminologies is crucial. 🧠 Key QA Terminologies Explained ✅ 1. Test Case A set of conditions or steps used to determine whether a feature or function of an application is working as expected. Example: Test Case: Verify the login functionality with valid credentials. Steps: 1. Open the login page 2. Enter valid email and password 3. Click "Login" 4. Expected Result: User is redirected to the dashboard. 🧪 2. Test Plan A detailed document that outlines the strategy, resources, schedule, scope, and activities for testing. Example: In an e-commerce app, the test plan might define testing for product search, cart, checkout, and payment modules. 🐞 3. Bug / Defect A flaw in the software that causes incorrect or unexpected results. Example: Clicking "Add to Cart" adds two items instead of one, this is a bug. 🔁 4. Regression Testing Testing existing functionality after changes to ensure new code hasn't broken anything. Example: After updating the search filter, testers rerun old test cases for product listing and sorting, this is regression testing. 🔄 5. Re-testing Ver-testing a specific defect after it has been fixed. Example: If a login issue was fixed, the tester verifies that the fix works by re-testing the login scenario. 🧩 6. Smoke Testing Basic testing to ensure the major functions of an application are working. Example: Opening the app, logging in, and navigating to the dashboard without error, quick sanity check to proceed with further testing. ⚙️ 7. Test Environment The setup of software, hardware, and network used for executing test cases. Example: An Android mobile with version 13, with stable internet, and a test build of the app, this is your test environment. 🚀 8. Release Note A document shared before/after deployment that lists the new features, fixes, and known issues. 🎯 9. Severity vs Priority Severity: How serious the bug is. Priority: How soon the bug should be fixed. 🕵️ 10. Exploratory Testing Simultaneous learning, test design, and execution without predefined test cases. 📌 Why Understanding QA Terminologies Matters • Improves communication with developers, managers, and clients. • Helps in accurate reporting and documentation. • Increases testing effectiveness. • Builds credibility as a QA professional. 🗣️ Final Thoughts Terminologies are the language of testing. Mastering them empowers you to contribute meaningfully to quality discussions and ensures your work is understood, respected, and valued. #SoftwareTesting #QA #QATerminologies #QualityAssurance #ManualTesting #AutomationTesting #TestCases #BugTracking #TestingTips #SudhanshuYadavQualityExpert #TestingLife #QACommunity #TestLikeAPro

Software testing is a crucial aspect of the development process, ensuring that the final product is reliable, efficient, and meets the desired specifications. In this post, we will explore the different types of software testing and their importance. 1. Functional Testing: The Foundation a. Unit Testing: - Isolating individual code units to ensure they work as expected. - Analogous to testing each brick before building a wall. b. Integration Testing: - Verifying how different modules work together. - Similar to testing how the bricks fit into the wall. c. System Testing: - Putting it all together, ensuring the entire system functions as designed. - Comparable to testing the whole building for stability and functionality. d. Acceptance Testing: - The final hurdle where users or stakeholders confirm the software meets their needs. - Think of it as the grand opening ceremony for your building. 2. Non-Functional Testing: Beyond the Basics a. Performance Testing: - Assessing speed, responsiveness, and scalability under different loads. - Imagine testing how many people your building can safely accommodate. b. Security Testing: - Identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities to protect against cyberattacks. - Similar to installing security systems and testing their effectiveness. c. Usability Testing: - Evaluating how easy and intuitive the software is to use. - Comparable to testing how user-friendly your building is for navigation and accessibility. 3. Other Testing Avenues: The Specialized Crew a. Regression Testing: - Ensuring new changes haven't broken existing functionality. - Imagine checking your building for cracks after renovations. b. Smoke Testing: - A quick sanity check to ensure basic functionality before further testing. - Think of turning on the lights and checking for basic systems functionality before a deeper inspection. c. Exploratory Testing: - Unstructured, creative testing to uncover unexpected issues. - Similar to a detective searching for hidden clues in your building. By understanding and implementing these various testing techniques, software development teams can ensure that their products are robust, reliable, and meet the expectations of their users. Each type of testing plays a vital role in the overall quality assurance process, from the foundational functional testing to the specialized non-functional testing and beyond. 𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐦-𝐉𝐚𝐯𝐚 & 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭-𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐒𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝟑𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔! 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬:https://lnkd.in/gvbgraRa Follow Sripathi Teja for more helpful content. #QA #QC #SDLC #STLC #Manual #testing #automation #agile #API #TestingCommunity

QA Scenario: A strong QA process ensures the software works not just when things go right, but also when things go wrong. Here are key scenario types every QA should include in their test coverage: 1️⃣ Positive Scenarios (Happy Path) ✅ Verifying the application works as expected under normal, valid conditions. Example: User logs in with correct username & password. 2️⃣ Negative Scenarios 🚫 Testing with invalid inputs or actions to ensure the system handles errors gracefully. Example: Entering wrong password multiple times triggers account lock. 3️⃣ Edge & Boundary Scenarios 📏 Testing limits and extreme cases in input ranges, data size, or conditions. Example: Uploading a file exactly at the maximum allowed size. 4️⃣ Integration Scenarios 🔗 Ensuring modules and third-party services work together without issues. Example: Payment gateway correctly processes an order and updates inventory. 5️⃣ Real-World Scenarios 🌍 Simulating how actual users interact with the system in day-to-day situations. Example: User starts filling a form, loses internet, then resumes after reconnecting. 6️⃣ Non-Functional Scenarios ⚡ Testing performance, security, usability, and compatibility. Example: Application load time stays under 2 seconds for 10,000 concurrent users. 💡 Key Insight: A well-rounded QA approach doesn’t just ensure functionality — it prepares the system for the messy, unpredictable real world. “Bugs hide where no one looks — so test beyond the obvious.” #SoftwareTesting #QAScenarios #QualityAssurance #TestCoverage #BugPrevention

Recruiters! I once saved a company €2.5M per year in one week and it had nothing to do with filling roles. Here's how 👇 A few years ago, I worked with a FinTech just after COVID. Their hiring plan for the year? 135 people. I’d worked with the CTO in the past, so I asked him a simple question: How is this hiring plan being derived? Is there any process for workforce planning? His answer? “It’s a startup. I trust the domain heads with their budgets.” That's genuinely fair enough. That’s a good approach in fast-moving companies. But when you start aggregating individual requests into a broader hiring plan, you need a process. Without it, money and time can be wasted on roles that don’t directly contribute to the company’s goals. I asked the CTO if I could speak to the domain heads and ask a few questions. He agreed, so I got to work. Here’s what I asked each of them: 1️⃣ How does this role contribute to the goals you’ve promised the business this year? 2️⃣ Is there anyone in your team who could be promoted into this role within the next 12 months? After those conversations, the hiring plan went from 135 roles to 95 roles. We eliminated 40 roles that weren’t tied to immediate business objectives. And, even better, we potentiated 9 internal promotions, which boosted team morale and retention. The result? A €2.5M annual salary cost saving, all from a handful of strategic conversations about workforce planning. So what’s the moral of my wee story? Workforce planning can be a “no man’s land” between leadership, finance, and talent acquisition. But it’s an enormous opportunity for TA to step up and add value. By embedding TA into the workforce planning process, you can: 1️⃣ Make sure hiring plans are tied directly to business objectives. 2️⃣ Identify opportunities for internal promotions. 3️⃣ Save significant time and money by reducing unnecessary hires. 4️⃣ Show auditors, and potential investors that you can govern the biggest cost centre of your business. One other things to mention. Proper workforce planning is an enormous amount of work aggregating data and reporting across those stakeholder groups. done manually, it could end up a full time job. That's why TeamOhana blew my mind when I saw it in action. It gives you real time headcount and financial reporting. It felt like having superpowers and can help you save, literally millions on burn rate for almost no time cost. I put a link in the comments, check it out! Have you seen workforce planning done well (or not so well)? Let’s talk in the comments! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi 👋 I’m Luke. I empower recruiters with data. Want to get data-driven for free? Link in the bio for my free weekly newsletter. #recruitment #recruiters #talentacquisition #recruiting