A cut-down version of the slide deck shown here: http://www.richardneeve.net/2/post/2013/11/software-developers-in-test-the-supply-side-crisis-facing-agile-adoptors.html This lighter slide deck allowed more time for discussion.

1. UK Test Management Forum
Balls Brothers, London
5th February 2014
Software Developers In Test:
The Supply-Side Crisis Facing Agile Adopters
(Take Two)
_____________
A bit of background
A discussion on increasing supply
Facilitated By
Richard Neeve
www.richardneeve.net

2. Some Warnings
• The evidence herein is anecdotal
• This session isn’t for you if you’re anti-agile/an agile
denier/dismissive of SDIT demand/etc [delete as applicable]
• There may not be any realistic answers but any answers are
probably in this room
• We won’t crack this today; I would like us periodically re-visit
this topic to gauge progress (hopefully in a more evidence-based
fashion)
• I’ll be cantering through the background material. The detailed
slides (Take One) from Oct ‘13 are here

3. Definitions (1 of 2)
• An SDIT (Software Developer In Test) or SDET
(Software Development Engineer in Test) can:
• Write automation frameworks
• Develop automated test cases
• Use their coding skills to pair with a developer in
TDD (for example)
• Independently develop non-trivial bespoke test
tools
• Conceivably produce production code if
appropriate

4. Definitions (2 of 2)
Crisis:
– “A stage in a sequence of events at which the
trend of all future events, especially for better or
for worse, is determined; turning point”
(Source: www.dictionary.com)
• Seems justified to me. SDIT supply could get a lot
better/worse depending on whether/how it’s
addressed

5. Where Are We?
• Broadening/accelerating/committed demand set against
limited/illiquid supply
• We’re all fishing in the same puddle for resources considered
to be pivotal. Can we at least turn the puddle into a small
stream?
• Indications of a dysfunctional market (e.g. £120k for a lead
SDIT)
• Client awareness/impact seems to vary substantially
• Questionable preparedness for a large wave of capex by
corporates (if it happens)
• There are technical, financial and political factors in play
• I think this is a huge challenge for the next economic cycle

6. How Did We Get Here?
• Historical structural separation between dev
and test (certainly post ‘Y2k bug’)
• Apparent long-term downward trend in the
technical skills of candidates
• Testing’s initial reaction to The Agile Manifesto
seemed somewhat delayed/passive
• Unfavourable career path dynamics

7. Is Doing Nothing An Option?
• Opportunity cost implications?
– Look enormous to me (w.r.t both influence &
revenue)
• Do we have bigger fish to fry?
– Perhaps the offshoring nightmare? Hard to think
of many compelling candidates
• Is it too late or is the problem simply
intractable?
– Maybe but the situation still feels redeemable

8. Where Are They Now?
• In the short term and on the margins, clients may benefit from
being more informed/proactive in knowing where the existing
supply can be accessed:
– Events that are disproportionately likely to attract the interest of
SDITs such as: LTG, Skills Matter seminars, eXtreme Tuesday
Club, Meet-ups for SDITs, etc
– Focused Linkedin groups like this one
– Specialist recruitment agents
– Bonus Poaching Tip: I’ve noticed media organisations seem to
do well in recruiting SDITs
• On a selfish tactical level this may help some individual clients, but
it doesn’t create fresh supply in the market as a whole

9. But the real question is:
“How can we increase supply?”

10. •
•
•
•
•
•
Rolling back market norms?
– Paying to train contractors?
– Tackling specificity of job specs?
– Restructuring pay grades so people don’t have to go the management route to progress
financially?
Taking more risks on graduates?
– More use of propositions like FDM and Novus?
– Deeper links with universities?
Changing contractual arrangements for recruitment?
– Tighter PSLs (carrot)?
– Looser PSLs (stick)?
– Can we do anything different commercially to encourage risk taking? Changing the
risk/reward balance?
Exploring insights from recruiters?
– Any discernible themes in the reject pile? Are there risks in there that we could
ultimately manage as we do in other areas? How would we need to flex to turn the
top, say, 10% of rejections into placements?
Any scope to skill-up non-techies or de-skill the SDIT role without impacting its effectiveness?
– Anything around tooling?
– Converting script readers to script writers? A matter of building confidence through
coaching?
Can we cut demand too?
– Any scope to cannibalise the SDIT remit across other, more readily filled, roles?
– What might it take to make more (pure) developers want to do this kind of work?

11. Summary
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SDIT demand is broadening/accelerating/committed and set against limited/illiquid
supply, provoking symptoms of market dysfunction.
Recruitment consultants and direct hirers seem to be increasingly desperate.
Questionable preparedness for a large wave of capex by corporates (if it happens).
Status quo looks unsustainable to me.
A key challenge - both present and future – and not just for testing.
Dynamics involved are numerous, complex and inter-connected. They are financial,
technical and political; some having origins dating back many years.
Some clients are unaware (through not having to go to market, or luck, or having a
strong market position).
On the current trajectory, even those with a strong market position may soon start to
struggle.
On the margins, clients and their recruitment agents may be able to identify new
sources of existing candidates by being better informed and more proactive. But taking
a market-wide view, this is just ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul’.
Genuinely and sustainably freeing up supply in a way that will benefit the broader
market will require time, innovation and risk-taking (if it happens at all)

12. Thank You
• This deck and the key discussion points will
appear on www.richardneeve.net in the next day
or two
• This deck will also appear on uktmf.com
• The deck and discussion summary for the Oct ‘13
version (Take One) of this session are here
• I‘m on Linkedin
• Email: richard@richardneeve.net