Beyond Technical Skills in Software Testing: Automated versus Manual Testing

Software testing is not a purely technical, but rather socio-technical activity. Although there are a few studies on this topic, to the best of our knowledge there is a lack of research focusing specifically on skills, in particular soft skills needed for automated and manual testing. In both cases, software testing is a challenging task that requires considerable effort by practitioners. The aim of this study is to identify what are the most valued skills with regards to these different types of testing. To do so, a survey was applied among software practitioners and 72 responses were received. The questionnaire covers 35 skills grouped in technical (hard) and non-technical (soft) skills. The results of this exploratory study provide empirical evidence that reveals the importance that software practitioners give to hard and soft skills alike.