View the webinar here: http://testhuddle.com/forums/topic/tester-motivation-the-results-of-a-600-tester-survey/ Stuart Reid shares the results of a motivation survey of over 600 testers. The study separated out the survey respondents into six distinct testing roles: Developer/Tester, Test Analyst, Test Lead, Test Manager, Test Consultant and Head of Testing. The factors and job characteristics that affect testers in each of the roles are also taken into account and they are compared and contrasted, as are the range of activities they perform. It is clear from the results that different roles are best motivated by different factors and job characteristics which Stuart will discuss. Key Takeaways from the Survey: Learn to to increase your team’s productivity by learning a smarter way of motivating your testers Identify areas that will make you more motivated in your job as a tester or test manager Learn how testers in different roles are motivated by quite different factors For a second chance to view the webinar, or if you want to discuss the content, you can join the discussion on TESTHuddle.com.

1. Tester Motivation - the
results of a 600 tester
survey
Stuart Reid
Testing Solutions Group
London, UK
www.testing-solutions.com
©Stuart Reid, 2014

2. Scope
• Introduction to Motivation
• Outline of the Motivation Survey
• Survey analysis and results
– What factors correlate best with motivation?
– Do existing theories work for testing?
– How does motivation change for different roles?
• Conclusions & recommendations
2

3. Defining Motivation
• a reason or reasons for acting or behaving
in a particular way - Oxford Dictionaries
• internal and external factors that
stimulate desire and energy in people
to be continually interested and
committed to a job, role or subject, or
to make an effort to attain a goal
– http://www.businessdictionary.com
3

4. Motivation 101
4

5. Investigation Approach
• Questionnaire
– Paper-based
– SurveyMonkey
• 40 Questions
– Demographic
– Motivation-related (Likert-scale)
– Open-ended
– Qualitative & quantitative data
• Responses from around the world (over 600)
• Thanks to Tafline Murnane
– KJ Ross – Australia
5

6. Respondents by Region
6

7. Industry Sectors
Finance, Insurance
Communications
IT
Utilities
Health Care
Government
Services
Transportation
Media
Non-profit
Retail, Wholesale
Construction
Internet
Manufacturing
Other
7

8. Organization Types
IT Organization
Self-employed
Consultant
Self-employed
Contractor
Testing
Services
IT Department
within an
Organization
Other
8

9. Company Size
9

10. Life Cycles
10

11. Testing Roles
11

12. Specified Variety - Test Analyst
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Exploratory
Test Design
Execution
Automation
Reviewing
Management
Improvement
Env't Support
12

13. Different Jobs…
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Exploratory
Test
Design
Execution
Automation
Reviewing
Management
Improve-
ment
Env't
Support
Head of Testing
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Exploratory
Test
Design
Execution
Automation
Reviewing
Management
Improve-
ment
Env't
Support
Test Manager
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Exploratory
Test
Design
Execution
Automation
Reviewing
Management
Improve-
ment
Env't
Support
Developer/Tester
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Exploratory
Test
Design
Execution
Automation
Reviewing
Management
Improve-
ment
Env't
Support
Test Analyst
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Exploratory
Test
Design
Execution
Automation
Reviewing
Management
Improve-
ment
Env't
Support
Test Lead
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Exploratory
Test
Design
Execution
Automation
Reviewing
Management
Improve-
ment
Env't
Support
Test Consultant
13

14. Motivation Theories
• Hierarchy of Needs – Maslow, 1943
• Motivation-Hygiene Theory – Herzberg, 1959
• Theory X & Theory Y – McGregor, 1960
• Expectancy Theory – Vroom, 1964
• Equity Theory – Adams, 1965
• Job Characteristics Model (MPS) – Hackman & Oldham, 1976
• Three Needs Theory – McClelland, 1988
• Temporal Motivation Theory (TMT) - Steel and Konig, 2006
• Motivation 3.0 (MAP) – Pink, 2010
14

15. 0
50
100
150
200
250
300
strongly
disagree
disagree neither
agree nor
disagree
agree strongly
agree
Perceived Motivation
“I am highly
motivated to do my
job in testing”
15

16. Perceived Motivation - Roles
120117
109
10310199
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Head of
Testing
Test
Consultant
Test ManagerTest LeadTest AnalystDeveloper /
Tester

17. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient
r = +0.70 or higher
Very strong positive relationship
r = 0.85r = 1
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 5 10 15 20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 5 10 15 20
17

18. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient
r = +0.30 to +0.39
Moderate positive relationship
r = 0.35r = 0.55
r = +0.40 to +0.69
Strong positive relationship
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 5 10 15 20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 5 10 15 20
18

19. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient
r = 0 to +0.19
Negligible positive relationship
r = 0.10r = 0.25
r = +0.20 to +0.29
Weak positive relationship
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 5 10 15 20 25
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
0 5 10 15 20
19

20. Pearson’s Correlation Coefficient
20
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
200
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
r = -0.71 (Very) strong negative relationship

21. • Skill Variety (V)
– range of different skills used
• Task Identity (I)
– degree of completing a whole job
• Task Significance (S)
– importance of the job
• Autonomy (A)
– level of control of your own time
• Feedback (F)
– degree of supervisory & results-based feedback
• MPS = FA
SIV
**
3
MPS from Hackman & Oldham, 1975.
Motivating Potential Score
Assign a score
of 1 to 7 to
each
attribute...
...and then
calculate your
MPS
21

22. Feedback
22
(WORK ITSELF)
(COLLEAGUES)
(SUPERVISOR)

23. Variety
23
(# TASKS)
(# PROJECTS)

24. Significance
24
(# AFFECT
COLLEAGUES)
(AFFECT PROJECT)

25. Identity
25
(PROJECTS TO
COMPLETION)
(TASKS TO
COMPLETION)

26. Autonomy
26
(NEXT TASK)
(WORKING HOURS)
(WHO WITH)
(HOW TO DO)

27. It works!
MPS & Perceived Motivation
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
r = 0.40
Strong positive relationship
27

28. MPS – Different Roles
28
144
117114
101
91
85
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
Head of TestingTest
Consultant
Test ManagerTest LeadTest AnalystDeveloper /
Tester

29. Daniel Pink’s MAP
• Daniel Pink’s Motivation 3.0
Mastery
PurposeAutonomy
29

30. Mastery
30
(CHALLENGE)
(MASTERED SKILLS)
(IN THE FLOW)

31. Purpose
31
(WIDER
COMMUNITY)
(PROFITS)

32. Environment
32

33. Multiple Motivation Factors
Motivation
Variety
(0.29)
Feedback
(0.30)
Mastery
(0.28)
Purpose
(0.22)
Autonomy
(0.27)
Environment
(0.38)
33
Significance
(0.13)
Identity (0.18)
MPS
MAP

34. MPS and MAP and MAPFV and…
34
0.40
0.41
0.44
0.50
MPS
MAP
M+A+P+F+V
Top 4 ENV’T + VARIETY 2 + MASTERY 1 + MASTERY 3
Daniel Pink’s Motivation 3.0

35. Multiple Motivation Factors
Motivation
Variety
(0.29)
Feedback
(0.30)
Mastery
(0.28)
Purpose
(0.22)
Autonomy
(0.27)
Environment
(0.38)
35
Significance
(0.13)
Identity (0.18)

36. Asian vs All – Motivation Models
36
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
MPS
MAP
M+A+P+F+V
Top 4
ALL
ASIAN

37. What (De)Motivates Testers?
37
Motivating Demotivating
#1 Challenges 17% Management 20%
#2 Feedback & Appreciation 15% Feedback & Appreciation 16%
#3 Making a Difference 15% Repetition 13%
#4 Team & Work Env’t 10% Changing Exit Criteria 11%
#5 Money 7% Team & Work Env’t 5%
#6 Meeting Targets 7% Developers 5%
#7 Autonomy 5% No Targets 5%
#8 Management 5% Process 4%
#9 Training / Career Path 4% Changing Requirements 4%
#10 New Technology 3% Money 3%

38. Different Life Cycles…
38

39. Different Organization Sizes…
39

40. Different Experience Levels…
40

41. Different Organization Types…
41

42. 0.09
0.51 0.01
0. 15
-0. 05
Salary, Experience & Education
Tester
Experience
Perceived
Motivation
Tester
Salary
Tester
Education
42

43. Outside Interests?
43

44. Conclusions – All testers
• The generic theories work for testing….BUT
….we can now do better
• Testers are special
– the most motivating factors are:
• working environment
• feedback
• variety
• mastery
• autonomy
• Testers love feedback – it’s a ‘win-win’
• it both improves motivation and decreases demotivation
• and it doesn’t cost the earth
44

45. Conclusions – Testing roles
• Testers perform quite different activities
depending on their role
– when moving between roles, training will be
needed by most testers
– the testing discipline is varied – we should be
careful not to treat all testers as a homogeneous
group - we are not all the same!
• Different roles are motivated differently
– so we need a smarter approach to select the
most influential factors for the individual tester
• The effects of role on motivation are far
greater than the effects of the region
– geography should be a secondary focus
45

46. Conclusions – For you
• Help yourselves – you spend a large
proportion of your time working – so you
might as well enjoy it
– compare yourself to the benchmark data to
identify potential areas for improving your
motivation
• Education, education, education?
– apparently not if you’re a tester
– hopefully this is just an initial ‘blip’ and will
change as the discipline matures
• Testing – outside of work – is a good thing
– for testers and employers
46

47. Go to:
More information is available
– please email
sreid@testing-solutions.com47
Thanks for listening
Any Questions?

48. 1 FEEDBACK 1
The work itself provides feedback on how well I am doing in
my job. (POSITIVE)
2 FEEDBACK 2
My colleagues provide little or no feedback on how well I
perform. (NEGATIVE)
3 FEEDBACK 3
My supervisor provides me with regular feedback on my
performance. (POSITIVE)
4 AUTONOMY 1
Most of the time someone else decides what tasks I should do
next. (NEGATIVE)
5 AUTONOMY 2
My job is flexible enough to allow me to decide which hours I
work most days. (POSITIVE)
6 AUTONOMY 3
For most tasks I get to decide who I will work with.
(POSITIVE)
7 AUTONOMY 4
I rarely get to choose the way that an activity is carried out.
(NEGATIVE)
8 SIGNIFICANCE 1
My job is one that affects few other colleagues.
(NEGATIVE)
9 SIGNIFICANCE 2
If not done well my job will have little impact on the project.
(NEGATIVE)

49. 10 IDENTITY 1
My job allows me to see projects through to completion.
(POSITIVE)
11 IDENTITY 2
I often start tasks but then pass them on to colleagues before I
finish them. (NEGATIVE)
12 VARIETY 1
My job comprises a relatively small number of different tasks.
(NEGATIVE)
13 VARIETY 2
In my job I get the chance to work on many interesting
projects. (POSITIVE)
14 MASTERY 1
My job does not challenge or stretch me.
(NEGATIVE)
15 MASTERY 2
I have mastered most of the skills required to perform my job.
(NEGATIVE)
16 MASTERY 3
I often become so engaged in my work that I forget the time.
(POSITIVE)
17 PURPOSE 1
My job includes the opportunity to work for the good of the
wider community (beyond my employer). (POSITIVE)
18 PURPOSE 2
My organization is primarily focused on increasing its profits.
(NEGATIVE)
19 PERCEPTION
I am highly motivated to do my job in testing.
(POSITIVE)
20 ENVIRONMENT
My work environment encourages me to perform my job better.
(POSITIVE)