How to prep your product testers for quality product feedback

Once upon a time, we were struggling to find product testers. When we were finally able to find them, they didn’t seem to help our business a lot. We found most of the bugs in our product by ourselves, we were able to improve on our product by ourselves without any external influence, and it seemed as if we didn’t need testers. False!!! You do need product testers. We weren’t prepping our testers and that’s why they weren’t useful to us.

Firstly, it is important to understand the role that product testers play. Product testers are individuals who are responsible for evaluating and providing feedback on a product before it is launched in the market. Their main goal is to identify any defects or issues in the product and provide valuable insights for improvement.

Sourcing and Attracting Potential Product Testers

One of the key steps in recruiting testers for a product is finding potential candidates who are interested in testing and providing feedback on products. There are several effective methods to source and attract potential product testers. One popular and effective method is to use a tester recruitment platform. Utilizing job platforms can be a great way to find testers for your product.

These platforms often have a wide reach and attract individuals with different backgrounds and experiences. They provide a convenient platform for both employers and candidates to connect, making it easier to find potential testers who match the requirements of your product.

Once you’ve found these testers, you want to prep them to ensure that they fit your target audience, and they have the necessary knowledge, experience, skills and abilities to provide valuable feedback to you and your product. One very good way of prepping your testers, from what we’ve learnt, is to interview them.

Here are some interviewing techniques that can help in prepping testers for a product:

1. Behavioral Interviews: Focus on asking candidates about their past experiences and how they have handled specific testing scenarios in the past. This will give you insight into their problem-solving abilities and their approach to testing.

2. Role-Play Interviews: Create a simulated testing scenario and ask candidates to demonstrate how they would approach it. This will give you a better understanding of their practical skills and how they think critically in real-life testing situations.

3. Technical Interviews: Test the candidates' technical knowledge and skills by asking them specific questions related to testing methodologies, tools, and technologies.

4. Group Interviews: Conducting group interviews allows you to observe how candidates collaborate and communicate with others in a team setting. This is particularly important in testing as teamwork and collaboration play a significant role in the success of the testing process.

5. Situational Interviews: Present candidates with hypothetical testing situations and ask them how they would handle them.

In addition to these techniques, it is important to establish clear criteria and expectations for the role of a product tester. This includes outlining the specific skills, knowledge, and experience required for the position. Additionally, it is important to provide candidates with a clear understanding of the product being tested and the goals of the testing process.

When you’ve successfully prepped your testers, you can then sit back and allow the give you quality feedback and reports on your product.

Exercise: Recruit two product testers. Tell one to just go ahead and test the product, prep the other with the tips in this article, and compare the quality of the feedback they submit.