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Curiosity killed the cat but that’s not the entire adage is it. Satisfaction brought it back. When the best testers are asked what motivates them – the answer first and foremost is certainly, curiosity.

This, however, is not a simple curiosity on part of the tester. It’s an honest, genuine curiosity to see whether the software has not only stood the rigorous standards of a top software testing firm or whether this software will ultimately be beneficial for the end user.

Hence this is an intrinsic motivation that every good tester will have while testing software. The three necessary factors of motivation;

• Curiosity
• The duty to the software company
• The duty to the end user

However, this is not where the motivation of the good tester ends, this is where it begins. With a genuine curiosity the tester will keep on testing the software and pushing his own boundaries and the defined industry standards with it. However, this motivation is intrinsic to the tester and comes when the tester wants his or her company to be the best in the business. With the company the tester wants him or herself to be recognized as the best tester.

Naturally a motivation ensues that ensnares the tester with a positive energy to be the best. In order to do so the tester has to think inside, as well as, outside the box.

On the inside a good tester is motivated when he wants to see himself and his company do the best. He genuinely feels a responsibility towards his company and an absolute sense of duty to himself or herself to be the best.

Outside the box, a good tester will have the end user in mind. A sense of appreciation of the end user of his tested product or the end user being happy with his product as being the best will motivate him to push the boundaries of testing and give the end user an unforgettable experience when it comes to using a simple or complex application or software.

However, intrinsic motivation is not the only motivation that motivates a good tester. A good tester has to be extrinsically motivated as well.

Hence it is a two way street. The phrase that the company has to keep in mind in order to motivate a good tester to turn him into the best is just one.

1. Reciprocate
2. Appreciate
3. Reward

A good tester will need extrinsic motivation as well. When the company does not forget to reciprocate the effort and time and spirit the tester puts in testing. The company will be rewarded manifold in the shape of the best of software testers in the field.

When the work of the tester is appreciated at each and every corner, a sense of belonging develops. This appreciation leads to the feeling of being part of something bigger and better. It will only translate into a better motivated individual and hence a better motivated tester.

Last but not the least, one must never undermine the power of rewards. We all need rewards and appreciation for our efforts and time. These are essential and necessary for a company to understand. Well timed and generous rewards lead to the right kind of motivation.

What motivates us, in fact moves us. If an individual or software tester is equipped with the right kind of motivation, he or she can move mountains. For example, at Kualitatem our team not only works on individual motivation but we work together to motivate each other. For it is good to be motivated but best remember that curiosity is not everything, we must work together to walk through the corridors of perfection.