I mentioned elsewhere that Qxf2 is not optimized for rapid growth in sales and that it is not going to be your lottery ticket to get rich quick. So why bother joining us? This page outlines plenty of reasons for why you should join us.
1. You will learn ... a lot
The number one benefit to joining Qxf2 is that you will learn a lot. You will begin approaching problems with a different perspective. We have a culture of research and development. A key part of our work culture is learning, doing and sharing. We think and debate a number of topics that are relevant to the testing world. We spend a lot time thinking about the conditions that produce good software - not just testing! You will also get excellent exposure to technology. We work on a variety of problems that are tangentially related to testing.
In the last 6 months, we have implemented map-reduce for API testing, explored how to test wearable technology, worked in JS heavy nodeJS environments, experimented with BDD tools, figured how to automate interaction with canvas and WebGL elements, worked on BigQuery, implemented a web application with Flask, wrote unit tests for Whoosh (a Python indexer), read and implemented a few tf-idf search algorithms and the list goes on. Many of these projects are not based on client asks. We worked on them because we identified these as topics that interest us. If you have spent years at a big company being shackled to a specialty for many years, I think you will like working at Qxf2. I know many employees end up looking at testing very differently after they join us.
2. Our target market (startups) is interesting
We work with startups. You will get to do interesting work with enterprising people from all over the world. This will help you learn a lot more about how high quality software is made, how it evolves and the kind of business decisions that drive products. Your perspective and knowledge will no longer be limited to that of an average tester. You will develop a holistic view of how products are made and how markets receive them.
3. You will work with enterprising colleagues
A good reason to join an early stage company is that you get to network with entrepreneurial folk. Enterprising colleagues teach you a lot, help you approach problems differently and motivate you to perform at higher levels. People at small companies are already risk takers - otherwise they would not have joined a small company. It is good to cross orbits and network with these people sometime in your career. It will set you up for success when you eventually start a business.
4. Low management overhead
We have low management overhead. One of the advantages of growing slowly and methodically is that I can hire smart people that I trust and let them do good work. We do not waste a lot of time in meetings or creating fancy presentations or tracking metrics in some elaborate Excel sheet. We use lightweight collaboration tools and thoughtful communication to greatly reduce the time needed for managing work. If you have experienced the yoke of oppressive management, Qxf2 will be a breath of fresh air.
5. High amount of work flexibility
Relative to most other companies in Bangalore, you will get a lot of flexibility. You get to pick the hours you work as long as you keep them consistent. You get to work from home. You also get a reasonable amount of freedom to choose your areas of technical interest. Having worked as a full time employee in the US, I can tell you that Qxf2's standard for work flexibility matches what you would enjoy at a US based startup.
6. Remote work opportunities
We encourage working from home. Bangalore has a terrible traffic problem. I don't want employees arriving at the office mentally exhausted from driving and then wasting time in the evening returning home in traffic. Invest in a good Internet connection, good headphones and in return you will get to save time and save petrol. If you live in a tier 2 city in India and are frustrated with the lack of opportunities - join us! You do not have to move to Bangalore. We will pay you a Bangalore salary even if you live in a city with a lower cost of living.
7. Peer pairing activities
We organize pairing activities that let you work on safe-to-fail projects with colleagues. The pairing activities take up one hour a week of employee time and end up producing something useful for Qxf2 or the testing community. The activities themselves are designed to help employees pick up new technologies and new skills while still being productive. Pairing has also helped our employees bond with their colleagues.
8. Group discussions
We have gotten into the habit of thinking deeper about one topic on a weekly basis. We pick topics based on anything interesting we read - so the topics can range from 'how to express the value of testing' to 'Dieter Rams' design principles' to 'effective remote work habits'. Employees are guided to spend no more than one hour researching the topic online. The emphasis is on coming up with their own ideas and interpretations. We then meet as a group to exchange ideas. I love this habit and consider it one of the more unique benefits you will enjoy at Qxf2. Look at our discussions here.
9. Mentoring and training
Every employee will receive mentoring and training. We view both, mentoring and training, as activities with high return on investment. Senior, billable employees, including me, will help and mentor you. We are open about our sales process, our automation code, how we approach testing and what lessons we learnt dealing with our clients. I am not scared of employees leaving for competitors and using this knowledge against us. Pieces of knowledge is not our secret sauce. I think the environment that we are building at Qxf2 is the key to making our testers effective. So if you join Qxf2, we won't hold back any secrets. You will get a realistic picture of almost every component involved in running a successful testing services firm.
10. Two conference days a year
Apart from national and state holidays and twenty vacation days, we allocate two days a year for every employee to attend a conference of their choice. The conference does not have to do with testing or software. It can be whatever you are interested in. Qxf2 will pay your salary for those two days and foot the conference ticket cost. You need to cover transport and any associated lodging costs.
© Qxf2 Services 2013 -
