Remote work isn’t a recent development in the tech industry. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped work norms, certain tech firms had embraced this hybrid work model, offering employees greater flexibility. Remote work is not unfamiliar to many large organizations, as they frequently engage offshore or outsourced team members like QA testers.

For new hires, working remotely has become a vital consideration. A Dice report revealed that 70% of respondents considered it very important to have the option of working from home at least 3 days a week in their next role. This preference is unsurprising, given that many individuals associate remote work with numerous advantages such as enhanced productivity, increased flexibility, and improved work-life balance.

However, remote work presents unique challenges, especially when it comes to training new team members. Since remote employees come and go too frequently, tech businesses prioritize a feasible and well-rounded training program specially designed to onboard them and optimize their productivity.

The Benefits of Having An Effective Training Protocols

In an era where companies increasingly recruit software quality testers talents from various global locations or engage offshore outsourcing teams, the value of having solid onboarding and training procedures cannot be overlooked. Remote team members encounter different sets of challenges that might discourage their training experience and subsequently affect their job performance due to the lack of face-to-face interactions with managers and peers. To mitigate the incidents, establishing transparent communication channels is a must. These channels serve as guides for new hires, helping them navigate company policies and work protocols seamlessly.

The Advantages of Having an Effective Training Program for Remote Software Testers

Enhanced Flexibility

Remote training offers unparalleled flexibility for both employees and managers. It eliminates geographical constraints associated with in-person training. Even without a manager, employees can proceed with their onboarding journey moving forward with a stable internet connection.

Customized Learning Experience

Allowed tailored planning and real-time adjustments for each individual. New employees can actively manage their time and focus on areas that seem to need improvement, a level of customization that is impossible to do in group-based training, where synchronous learning environments occur.

The Challenges of Remote Software Tester Training

Communication

Effective communication between trainers and trainees is a crucial element in remote training. Limited face-to-face interaction may hinder clear communication, making managers maintain open channels to address important queries and ensure trainees feel supported. Remote employees also opt to experience feelings of isolation, which is unmotivated, affecting their engagement and overall working experience.

Technical Hurdles

Remote training heavily relies on technology, which can be interrupted by unexpected technical issues. These issues, such as connectivity disruptions, setup procedures, and software glitches, can often negatively impact the onboarding process.

Progress Assessment

Accurately evaluating employee learning and progress can be difficult in remote training. Insufficient supervision makes it hard for trainers to provide real-time feedback, monitor progress, and promptly address questions or concerns.

5 Tips for Successful Remote Training of Software Testers

Develop a Comprehensive Training Plan:

• The training program should start with an orientation session to introduce new testers to the company’s culture, values, and goals.
• Create informative learning materials that cover internal testing processes, including test case creation, defect tracking, test execution, and reporting.
• Emphasize the product’s key features, functionality, and intended user experience in your training materials.
• Establish a clear schedule and checklist to break down the training into manageable segments. This helps ensure a systematic and organized approach, allowing both managers and new employees to monitor progress and feel a sense of accomplishment as they complete each task.

Define Clear Goals

To effectively track progress and offer meaningful feedback, set clear, achievable, and measurable goals for the onboarding process. These goals act as a roadmap for testers and managers, providing direction and clarity and helping testers stay focused and motivated throughout the training period.

Choosing a Training Delivery Format

When it comes to remote training, you have two primary delivery formats to choose from: synchronous and asynchronous learning. What are these options? Here is how they go:

Synchronous Learning:

Synchronous learning involves real-time interaction between trainers and trainees, often conducted through video conferences or webinars. This format offers the advantage of immediate feedback and the ability to ask questions in real-time, making it particularly valuable for clarifying complex software testing concepts.

Asynchronous Learning:

Allowing trainees to access training material, such as videos and recordings, at any given time without requiring simultaneous participation from others offers great flexibility. Trainees can complete the training on schedule and revisit unclear sections as needed.

Effective remote training programs often combine both synchronous and asynchronous learning approaches. This approach provides learners with the advantages of both formats, offering versatility while maintaining engagement and interactivity.

Communication and Support for New Software Testers

The 2023 State of Testing report found that communication skills are the most important area for software testers, which is not a surprise. This is especially true in remote work environments, where direct communication is somewhat of a luxury. Trainers play a fundamental role in helping new employees understand and adapt to the company’s communication channels without feeling lost, such as email protocols, instant messaging apps, and video calls.

Once new employees are familiar with the company’s communication channels, trainers should provide ongoing support and feedback “physically” and emotionally. This should be a two-way process, with trainers offering guidance and constructive criticism while actively seeking input from the testers.

A regular video chat schedule establishes a personal connection between trainers and new employees. It also helps track each tester’s progress and understand their point of view.

When assigning tasks or explaining concepts, provide clear and detailed instructions. Avoid using technical terms or overly complex language that newbies may not be familiar with.

Be responsive to questions and feedback. Trainers should try to answer questions promptly and provide helpful feedback on time to avoid trainees feeling left out or demotivated.

Encourage open and honest communication so new testers feel comfortable asking questions and sharing their ideas. Once they feel heard, they will be open to feedback from the trainers and willing to adjust the training process as needed.

Host mock meetings, role-playing exercises, and other interactive activities to provide new testers plenty of opportunities to practice communication in the real world.

The Importance of Measuring Training Effectiveness

It determines whether or not the training program meets its objectives and prepares employees for actual projects. It also helps identify and address any challenges during the training process. Where employees may be struggling or where the training program itself may need improvement, companies can proactively make adjustments to improve future iterations of the program.

Employee performance improvement

Employees who receive effective training are better equipped to perform their jobs, eventually boosting their output and overall productivity.

Employee job satisfaction

Employees who feel they are receiving adequate training are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and employers. This can lead to reduced turnover increased employee engagement, and dedication.

Here are a few tricks on how to measure your training effectiveness:

• Before & after training assessments:
  Have your employees’ knowledge or skills tested before and after training to measure the impact of the training.
• Feedback surveys:
  Collect employee feedback on their training experience and share their thoughts on the training program.
• Performance reviews:
  Evaluating employees’ job performance after they have completed training to see if the training has had a positive impact.

Summing up

Onboarding and training new software testers are often the hardest parts of recruiting remote team members. At this stage, employees can either feel happy or doubt their employment decision. Although companies prefer to have their employees present in their workforce, having talents across the globe does not guarantee such hope. Therefore, the goal is to have a practical onboarding program that works seamlessly every single time for each individual.

Your initial program might not be flawless the first time, but adjusting and tailoring it to your specific needs will improve it over time. Need consulting on your onboarding program? Ask the expert on the SHIFT ASIA support team. Contact our team here to set up yours today!