Testing Tumbleweed: the search for software testers

Is there anybody out there?!

*tumbleweed*

This is how it feels looking for software testers. Client demand for this skill is significantly increasing. Unfortunately this isn’t a case of them simply being in hiding. The reality is there are so few available.

The increasing importance of software testing in the UK’s tech industry is becoming hard to ignore. 2014 will be a big year for software testing. Demand in this country is predicted to grow by 9.5% year on year till 2018.

However this wasn’t always the case.

The end of 1990s- 2000 saw a huge shift towards off shoring business functions to cheaper cost centres in India and Eastern Europe. Software Testing was one of these. These countries became home to highly experienced and skilled software testers. The Tier 2 Visa allowed a gateway for these skilled workers to temporarily come to the UK and fulfil any demand that there was at the time.

During the recession companies simply didn’t replace testers that did move on. There were fewer development projects, businesses were downsizing and so there was little need for dedicated, separate testing teams.

Fast forward to 2014 where the demand for testing has risen dramatically. UK Tech companies are growing again, and at a rapid pace. Having experienced high growth rates in the final quarter of 2013, the sector is performing better than it has in decades.

As businesses continue to grow the software testing function becomes more and more essential but companies looking for their ideal software testers are now finding they are nowhere to be found. There is the notion that software testing is a prelude to software development roles, that many computer science graduates start their career as testers and work their way up to developer roles. For that reason developers can carry out testers roles but many move higher up the ranks in pursuit of challenges. Graduates aren’t an option as clients are demanding 3 to 4 years commercial experience. As we know this simply doesn’t exist, very little companies were in a position to be hiring anybody 3 to 4 years ago, never mind graduates. The result is this burdening gap that we are facing for software testers.

Last years changes to the Tier 2 immigration laws for skilled foreign workers means there are stricter controls now in place, making it harder for companies to source this skill from out with the UK. Previously UK businesses were able to source migrant workers when needed from Australia, Canada, India, Pakistan etc. Non EU students were encouraged to attend UK universities to study an additional degree, masters and PhD’s, their study and post study work visas allowing them to find employment upon graduating.

These routes, amongst others, have been closed off, cutting the UK off from talent from outside the EU. This, in addition to the lack of experienced UK graduates, begs the question – where do we find these testers from?!

With the vast underinvestment in this skill, there is a severe shortage of software testers in this country; many of those that do exist simply do not come from the right background for smaller software design companies as their experience is geared towards the financial industry. Very little have the skilled technical or commercial experience the tech industry requires to facilitate the growth the industry has the potential to achieve.

So how do we change the game?

Talent can be sourced by tapping into the next cheapest market with skilled, experienced workers such as Romania and other EU countries. There is of course the problem of competition. Germany and other stronger economies will also be tapping into the same market, meaning the war for talent will simply to continue to rage on.

This is where recruiting agencies extensive experience and knowledge is extremely important. With the capacity to search further and wider throughout Europe, they have greater ability to locate this crucial talent for clients. This being said, nothing is more important than nurturing the talent already in the country. What we really need to do is to invest further in training and recruiting the talent coming forth from our universities. This means companies must be more open to hiring graduates and training them up in the field. Although there is increasing evidence of this, with business now more confident in their growth to hire graduates, more must be done to bridge the gaps.

In the meantime however, The Software Testing World Cup is an official global competition which allows testers to show off their skills and compete with other testing professionals. Winning teams from each continent are invited to the finals where up to 8 teams, watched by an international crowd of testers, will fight for the global crown of software testing. This is an exciting event, allowing testers from all over the world to get involved.

Events like these and others should be widely encourage in the industry in order to raise the profile of software testing, showcasing it for the exciting and challenging role that it is! Maybe then we can begin to bridge the gap in the UK market.

Are you software tester? We would love to hear your thoughts! Drop us an email at hello@enigmapeople.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter!

5 Observations of Technology Recruitment

Photo: Haldane Martin

What is right today will be wrong tomorrow
Everything changes so fast in technology, and therefore in technology recruitment. The constant changes in social media and digital trends make keeping up with it all incredibly exciting.

More young people need to be learning digital skills
The gap in IT skills is a serious issue, and I fear that it will only grow as a problem if schools and universities don’t change the way they teach young people. Knowing how to work a spreadsheet won’t cut it anymore; there need to be more options for young people to be learning skills like coding. When it comes to reaching university, the courses need to adapt to make sure that graduates are ready to step right into a digital business environment.

Social media is a key tool for connecting with the industry
I’ve found that social media is instrumental when it comes to speaking with people in the industry. Getting involved in discussions, reading the articles that people are sharing and introducing yourself to key players in the industry via Twitter and Linkedin is incredibly valuable. 15 minute pockets of social media interaction throughout your work day can have a huge boost on the number of people who you’re reaching, and in turn meeting and working with.

It’s tough!
I have to say, sometimes I’m glad I’m just the marketer. To see the work that the consultants put in to each vacancy only for something to fall through at the last minute is painful. But…

It’s worth it
When everything goes to plan and the candidate wants to work with the client as much as they want them on their team, you can see how much it means to them. Helping that candidate take a leap into a new and exciting opportunity and knowing how much the client will benefit from them is indescribable.

A Farewell Post

 

by Christina Riley, Marketing Executive

It is with a heavy heart that I announce my departure from Enigma People Solutions. One year ago, almost to the day, Ben Hanley and David Mains gave a young photography graduate her first step into a career in Marketing, and it has been an incredible year. It’s now time to take my next step, but not before a sincere thank you to Enigma People for giving me this tremendous opportunity.

I have learned so much in my time here – from core marketing skills to event organisation and involvement in awards ceremonies. I have had the opportunity to attend conferences and talks by inspiring people in the industry and of course, I have learned about the industry itself. The immense talent within Scotland’s digital industry is something I had no previous knowledge of and now I see it everywhere, changing the way we live and work for the better.

New people with new ideas

I have had the opportunity to speak with and interview fascinating people such as Managing Director of Velocity Digital, Mike McGrail, who spoke to us about the use of social media in recruitment. I also had the opportunity to speak to Nick Ramsay from Junction-18 and learned about e-Learning and how it can help education both in schools and in the workplace.

This subject of education and training something that I have spoken about before as a step towards ending the shortage of IT skills, bridging the gap between education and work. I was first introduced to this topic last autumn at Social Media Week during a talk by James Jefferson, Creative Director at Equator. James recently returned to this subject in an article for the Guardian, focusing on the use of social media as a means to bridging the divide.

Technology still needs more women

Something I have become passionate about in my time here is the topic of women in the technology industry. Back in November I wrote ‘Technology needs more women; drop the old stereotypes’ as my first post addressing what I had encountered of the issue to that point. I still agree with what I said then – that names such as ‘Little Miss Geek’, as good as the intentions of the organisation may be, are counterproductive in levelling the playing field for men and women. The issue needs to be addressed at an early age – stop projecting traditional stereotypes onto young girls (cleaning, care taking and being pretty – the important stuff) and at the same time, stop it with the stereotype that IT is full of dull, overweight, allergic-to-daylight men. This is helping nobody.

In conjunction with my article I interviewed Ally Watson, Developer at Screenmedia, who recently pointed me in the direction of a fantastic article on the subject of women in technology. ‘Women In Tech’ by Lea Verou covers anything else that I would say on the subject. Lea points out that while most Women In Technology initiatives mean well, they actually end up doing more harm than good. Female-only events segregate women and cultivate the idea that women are intimidated by mixed gender events and require a female-only environment to feel safe.

“Furthermore, if women are segregated in their own little “girl geek” bubbles, how does this help diversity in mixed gender conferences? To eventually eliminate sexism, it’s immensely important that we actually interact, compete and socialize with our male colleagues. It’s important to show that regardless of gender, we’re all geeks and we have much more in common than what separates us. To show that women in tech can be very technical, and that not every woman at a tech conference is a marketer, a booth babe or someone’s girlfriend. How exactly do female exclusive events help in that? Yeah, I don’t see it either.” – Lea Verou

Sexism doesn’t just exist in IT, it’s (still) everywhere, and it’s a subject that I won’t be leaving behind.

And so the road goes on

I have learned an awful lot about marketing, technology and recruitment this year. Something that has been consistent across all three is that what you think you know today will very likely be wrong tomorrow.

Everything changes so fast in technology, and therefore in technology recruitment. The constant changes in social media and digital trends make keeping up with it all incredibly exciting. This in turn has made my leap into marketing a thrilling and unpredictable one, which has only made me love it more each day.

I’m incredibly grateful for this past year and to everyone who I’ve met and spoken with throughout this journey. I look forward to continuing an exciting and rewarding career in marketing and wish Enigma People Solutions all the best for the future.

The Enigma Weekly Roundup | 2/8/13

All the best technology, recruitment and business stories from the past 7 days.

• Please take a second to nominate Enigma People Solutions for Best Small Agency Website at the NORAs!
• Are Video Interviews The Future Of Hiring?
• [DISCUSS] Smooth sailing or choppy seas ahead?
• Scottish games companies make a mark on the Develop Top 100
• Are there too many managers?
• Edinburgh audio chip maker Wolfson cuts losses
• Scottish job vacancies up by a quarter
• Hiring Managers Reveal: The Most Ridiculous Resumes
• Conference fund brings £70m boost for Scotland
• Take a look at the brand new Enigma People Solutions brochures on the Bug Graphics website!
• Dell deal hangs in the balance
• Google-Inspired Resume Puts New Spin on Job Searches

Looking for a new opportunity? Take a look at our latest vacancies!
Latest Vacancies from Enigma People Solutions

Check back next Friday for more news, and don’t forget to check out our weekly blog posts every Monday!
Latest Post: [DISCUSS] Smooth sailing or choppy seas ahead?

Follow us on Twitter @enigmapeople for news and chat in 140 character chunks!

[DISCUSS] Smooth sailing or choppy seas ahead?

Photo by Tom Bech

As a company and as individuals, we are always interested in keeping up with how other people are feeling about the economy, and how it’s affecting the industry that they’re in.

This article about the recent economy growth of 0.6% in the second quarter begins with saying that ‘Chancellor George Osborne can breathe a sigh of relief’ at these latest figures, as they “mean things could be looking up for British businesses, but there are still bumps ahead.”

In our recent post on contracting in Scotland, we reported a steady increase in IT contract work. But what about in permanent roles, and what’s happening in other industries? We have noticed definite uplift and activity, but are aware that many businesses are still afraid to take risks as nobody is quite sure how long this activity will last.

Ben Hanley, Director of Enigma People Solutions, says:

One of the key challenges we observe as a business, and we know that many of our clients share this, is the tricky business of forecasting the future. If we could do that accurately then our lives would be much easier! We would not have been caught out by the financial crisis that so few predicted in 2008, and we would know whether or not to have confidence for the future. Our clients would be able to tell us how many people they need to hire and when, meaning we could all plan the processes of our businesses so much more appropriately. A lot of business is about being able to react and manage change but also there is an important skill to predicting or at least planning for the future. I attended a recent APSCO (Association for Professional Sourcing Consultants) seminar where they outlined their vision for the future.

Here are some key points that we all need to be aware of when planning for the future growth of our professional technology businesses

A)    There is a lack of candidates so even if you plan to grow, doing so may be difficult
B)    The need to be more proactive in candidate attraction means that there are more and more candidate attraction channels than ever
C)    There is a significant need for Individuality and Innovation in recruitment as the “war for talent” increases

We would love to hear your thoughts on the topic.

Do you feel that things have been looking up for your business, and are you still wary of bumps in the road ahead? What do you predict for the future of Scotland’s economy?

Get involved in the discussion by commenting below or connecting with us on Twitter @enigmapeople.

The Enigma Weekly Roundup | 26/7/13

All the best technology, recruitment and business stories from the past 7 days.

• The UK has 40% more digital firms than the government estimate
• We launched our brand new Vacancy Page to make your job search easier!
• 5 Innovative Ways For Job Seekers To Stand Out
• An Era Of Niche Recruitment
• Digital company ‘hotspot’ in Aberdeen
• Meetup: AngularJS in Edinburgh
• Rise of 16% in Scottish inward investment projects
• Good news for economy as GDP grows 0.6% in second quarter
• Apple profits fall despite booming iPhone sales
• Get your entries in now for the Herald Scottish Digital Business Awards
• 3 Types Of Interview Questions You Should Never Ask
• Why The Best Qualified People Don’t Always Get The Job
• Why A Recruiter Is Necessary In Your Job Search

Looking for a new opportunity? Take a look at our latest vacancies!
Latest Vacancies from Enigma People Solutions

Check back next Friday for more news, and don’t forget to check out our weekly blog posts every Monday!
Latest Post: An Era Of Niche Recruitment

Follow us on Twitter @enigmapeople for news and chitchat in 140 character chunks!

An Era of Niche Recruitment

by TheMarque on Flickr

In recent times it has been apparent that generalist recruiters are being slowly phased out in favour of niche specialists. It makes sense – if you’re going to rely on someone to do your recruitment for you, it should be people who know your market and your company inside out.

The technology skills gap that has emerged in the UK is only heightening the importance of niche recruitment consultancies.

In a recent article, the BBC reported that major technology companies are struggling to recruit young people in the UK. With the technology industry growing so rapidly and the skills gap being a growing problem, it’s essential to work with people who know the market and can stay level headed in times of change. Niche recruiters can do exactly this – stay calm in times of extreme changes when employers are worrying that they’ll never find the people they need. They candidates are out there, and niche recruiters know how to find them.

It was reported today that the UK has 40% more digital firms than the government originally estimated. This simply goes to show how fast the industry is expanding and begins to explain why a skills gap is emerging – people simply don’t realise how much of a necessity these digital skills are.

As niche IT and Digital recruiters, we do realise the issue that the industry is facing as well as the need to teach young people digital skills earlier in life to prevent these skills gaps happening again.

Have you recognised the IT skills gap in the UK and the need for niche recruiters? We’d love to hear from you, please comment below or tweet us @enigmapeople!

The Enigma Weekly Roundup | 19/7/13

All the best technology, recruitment and business stories from the past 7 days.

• ‘Marked rise’ in Scottish salaries, survey finds
• Frontier float values video game firm at £39.4m
• Contracting: The Excitement and the Dark Cloud Above It
• Microsoft and Blackberry cut prices in a bid to boost sales
• Candidates Say The Funniest Things
• Scottish universities win funding for robotics research
• STV invests in software firm Game Analytics
• Why You Need To Know Code (And How You Can Learn In A Month)
• Scottish unemployment rises for the first time this year
• Technology firms say the UK has a ‘digital skills gap’
• 11 Resume Myths Busted
• Engineering boost for Scottish university
• Web Development Pick ‘n’ Mix with Phil Leggeter
• Google and Microsoft profits miss forecasts
• Meet Laura, the newest member of the Enigma Team

Looking for a new opportunity? Take a look at our latest vacancies!
Latest Vacancies from Enigma People Solutions

Check back next Friday for more news, and don’t forget to check out our weekly blog posts every Monday!
Latest Post: Contracting: The Excitement and the Dark Cloud Above It

Follow us on Twitter @enigmapeople for news and chitchat in 140 character chunks!

The Enigma Weekly Roundup | 12/7/13

The week’s top technology, business and recruitment news from Scotland and beyond.

• Why I’m Hiring Graduates With Thirds This Year
• Glasgow retail start up lands first major client
• LAUNCHED: The Herald Scottish Digital Business Awards 2013
• Beyond The Resume: How To Choose The Best Candidates
• Brian Baglow’s top five marketing tips for mobile game developers
• Equator keep us up to date on all things digital in their brand new blog
• Manheim snaps up Glasgow based IT company
• On Women In Tech: A fantastic essay on women in technology by Lea Verou
• Videofy Me helps job hunters use video to get hired
• Andy Murray’s Wimbledon victory breaks Twitter records
• Glasgow Airport unveils new logo design
• Google Latitude to be retired on August 9^th
• Shoot now, zoom later with Nokia 41 megapixel cameraphone

Looking for a new opportunity? Take a look at our latest vacancies!
Latest Vacancies from Enigma People Solutions

Check back next Friday for more news, and don’t forget to check out our weekly blog posts every Monday!
Latest Post: The Herald Scottish Digital Business Awards 2013

Follow us on Twitter @enigmapeople for news and chitchat in 140 character chunks!

How To Get A Job In 15 Seconds

Photo by Matthew Pearce

This year has been pretty big for little videos. More and more of us are being pulled in by 5 to 15 second clips of cats playing, frogs eating and friends running through cricket matches… But some people are taking it one step further and using them to progress in their career. Not using cats, for the most part.

In the grand scheme of job applications, videos are still rare. This is what makes them so effective, but it also reveals what makes them a bit of a nuisance – they’re very difficult to do well.

They’re time consuming
Creating a video can be incredibly time consuming. If you’re currently working full time and have commitments at home, finding time to create a video application rather than simply sending in a CV* can be difficult.

They require effort and innovation
It’s impossible to put your entire CV into a 6 second clip and keep it interesting. You need to know exactly what to tell them, making sure that what you miss out isn’t going to cost you the role.

But they can be done
And remember – putting in that extra time and effort is exactly what will get you noticed.      
                  
Erin Michael Vondrak sent her job application to Valve three times with no response, but she didn’t give up. She went and made a video of custom animation and song, confessing that she’d “do anything short of swim with a giant squid” for a chance to work at Valve. If you’re applying for a role you’re not quite qualified for but refuse to let your CV be thrown aside, this is what you need to do. This is the kind of thing that will get you a phone call, because while you might not be right for this role, you might have just proven that you’re perfect for another.

When applying for a role at We Are Social, Graeme Anthony went a step further and made his video interactive, including YouTube annotations that encouraged his potential employer to find out more about him.

Moving to mobile, Dawn Siff will go down in history as the first person to be hired with a Vine resume. Alongside what she describes as ‘old fashioned networking’, Dawn used new technologies to impress her new employer.

So people have had success with this risky move, but it is exactly that – risky. Would you ever apply for a job using video and video alone? Let us know in the comments below or by tweeting us @enigmapeople!

* When we say “simply sending in your CV”, we don’t mean the same CV you send every other company! Tailor your CV to each role. For more tips, take a look at our Enigma Guide To Writing Your CV.