Manual QA testers
Exploratory, functional and regression testing by hand, with test cases kept in TestRail, Xray or your tracker.
Roles · Software Development
Hire a QA tester who finds the bugs before your customers do
Manual testing for new features, automated suites for the flows that must never break, and bug reports your developers can act on straight away.
Release days without the crossed fingers
When developers test their own work, they test the path they built. Customers take every other path. A QA tester writes test cases from the requirements, tries the edge cases, checks the release on real browsers and devices, and builds an automated regression suite so last month's fix stays fixed.
What they do for you
- Write test plans and test cases from user stories and designs
- Test new features by hand across browsers, devices and user roles
- Log bugs with clear steps, screenshots, logs and expected results
- Build and maintain automated end-to-end tests for core flows
- Test APIs for correct responses, error handling and permissions
- Run regression checks before each release and report what's safe to ship
- Retest fixes and close the loop with developers in your tracker
Qualities of a QA tester worth keeping
Tools they work in
PlaywrightCypressSeleniumWebdriverIOAppiumPostmanREST Assuredk6JMeterBrowserStackTestRailXrayJiraGitHub ActionsCharles ProxyChrome DevToolsMany more
A good fit if:
- Bugs keep reaching production and customers find them first
- Your developers spend release week testing instead of building
- You want an automated regression suite and nobody has time to write it
- Your app runs on web and mobile, and testing both by hand takes days
Not the right fit if:
- You need security or penetration testing; see Cybersecurity Analyst
- You need someone to build the features as well as test them; see Full-Stack Developer
- You want usability research with real users; see UI/UX Designer
Interview questions
01
"Here's a signup form (sample). What would you test?"
Strong answer: valid and invalid input, field limits, duplicates, error messages, keyboard use, slow networks, and what happens after submit, grouped by risk.
02
"Write up a bug you found recently, as you would in Jira."
Strong answer: a clear title, environment, exact steps, expected and actual results, evidence attached, and severity they can justify.
03
"Which tests would you automate first, and which would you leave manual?"
Strong answer: stable, high-value flows such as login and checkout get automated. Exploratory and fast-changing screens stay manual for now.
04
"Your automated suite fails randomly one run in ten. What do you do?"
Strong answer: treat flaky tests as bugs, look at waits, test data and environment, quarantine the worst offenders and fix the root cause.
05
"A developer says the bug you logged works as designed. How do you respond?"
Strong answer: check the requirement, bring the evidence, and ask the product owner to decide instead of arguing it out.
06
"How would you test a REST endpoint that creates an order?"
Strong answer: status codes, schema, required fields, auth and permissions, duplicate requests, and what the database looks like afterward.
Signs of a strong QA tester:
- Reads the requirements and asks questions before testing starts
- Writes bug reports a developer can reproduce in one try
- Thinks about who will misuse the feature, and how
- Keeps the automated suite fast and trusted
Signs of a weak QA tester:
- Tests only the steps written in the ticket
- Logs "doesn't work" with no steps or evidence
- Lets flaky tests pile up until nobody looks at results
- Reports bugs without a sense of which ones matter
QA automation engineers
End-to-end and UI automation in Playwright, Cypress or Selenium, wired into your CI so every pull request runs the suite.
API testing
Functional, contract and load testing for REST and GraphQL APIs with Postman, REST Assured or k6.
Mobile app testing
iOS and Android testing on real devices and device clouds, with Appium automation for the screens that change least.
Getting a QA tester into your release cycle
- 1
Talk it through
We agree the work, the tools, the hours you share and who they report to. For this role: your product and platforms, the tracker you log bugs in, your release rhythm, and if you need manual testing, automation or both.
- 2
Meet a shortlist and choose
We screen a wide pool for every role and introduce only the few who fit your brief. We source, screen and test candidates against your brief, and run background and reference checks. You interview and decide.
- 3
Start with support in place
They start on the work in the brief, and we stay in contact once they've begun.
Manual testers are usually quick to find. An automation engineer who knows your framework of choice is a narrower search and may take a week or so longer. Candidates are typically based in South Africa unless your stack points us elsewhere.
How pricing works
QA testers can join through any of these models, and the decision stays with you. Questions about how they differ are welcome before you commit. Compare the arrangements on ways to hire.
Who does what
Swipe to see more →
| Task | You | JiveTalent |
|---|---|---|
| What counts as release-ready, and bug priorities | Own | – |
| Test cases, bug reports and automated tests | Review | Done by your tester; we follow up on how they're working with your developers |
Common questions about QA testers
Do they need access to our code?
For manual testing, usually not. They need a test environment, accounts with the right roles and your tracker. Automation engineers need repository access so the tests sit next to the code.
Will they work during our business hours?
The brief sets the hours and the overlap with your team before the search starts, so every candidate is hired for them.
Who owns the automated tests?
You do. Test code lives in your repository, runs in your pipeline and stays with you if the engagement ends.
What if it isn't working out?
Talk to your account lead. We go through it with you and agree a way forward.
Can one tester cover web and mobile?
Often, yes. Say so in your brief and we look for experience on both. Large mobile apps can need a specialist of their own.
Do they do load or performance testing?
Some do, with tools such as k6 or JMeter. It's a separate skill from functional testing, so list it in the brief if it matters.
How do we see what our QA tester is working on?
Their hours are tracked in the client app and reported there for you to see.
Ship your next release with fewer surprises
Book a call. We'll agree the brief for your QA tester and talk you through the ways to hire.