Crowdsourced testing is an emerging trend in the field of software testing. It is an approach which involves different people with different backgrounds across the globe in testing process. The testers are connected through a crowdsourcing platform and tests are conducted by multiple individuals at different locations. It adds multiple dimensions to manual testing process by providing a diverse and temporary workforce, thus aiding the organizations with limited testing bandwidth in achieving quick results.
For quick references you may want to read our blogs which talk about Crowdsourced Testing, overcoming the challenges posed by crowdsourcing and how it is different from manual and automated testing.
This particular article talks about best practices to be followed in crowdsourced testing and avoiding basic mistakes in order to have best results.
Take a look at the following table for quick understanding of what to do and what not to do while crowdsourcing testing jobs. These points are further discussed in detail in entailing paragraphs.
| Do’s | Don’ts |
| Detailed Recruitment Policy | Select random testers |
| Clear testing Guidelines | Undermine the findings |
| Open communication | Delayed response |
| Internal audits | Alienate internal team |
| Interesting and challenging tasks |
What to do while crowdsourcing the testing
- Detailed Crowd Recruitment Policy
Crowdsourced testing is all about hiring the right set of people to do the job. Scouting for right talent and having a good pool of testers requires having good recruitment policy in place. There has to be a wide spectrum of people and right fit can be identified based on mix and match of the requirements like demographics and technical setup. One factor to consider is response rate of the tester based on previous interactions. Sometimes, a tester may not respond well in time, thus delaying the whole process. Such testers should not be considered for time critical projects.
- Set clear objectives and guidelines
It is important to lay out the scope of testing with proper guidelines in place. The scope may encompass new features or changes in existing features. Clear definition of scope ensures that time and efforts are channelized correctly. The guidelines will help the testers to know the specific areas to focus thus making the testing efforts productive.
- Set testing standards and define specifications
Setting up standards for testing aligned with organization level quality standards is needed to ensure that defect reporting and rectification fits seamlessly in overall quality management process. It also helps the testers in understanding the expectations of the end client (in this case the organization crowdsourcing the work).Clear set of technical specifications help in defining the test environment to be used for conducting the tests. Read for more : Crowdsourced Testing
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