Reshaping company culture to build strong QA teams
Whether you are preparing for a mythic raid, joining a battleground, solving a co-op puzzle, or defending an objective, all players must work in sync towards the same goal, even as they perform their own distinctive roles. Teamwork is the key to winning, and team dynamics have an impact on the final result.
This is even truer when it comes to quality assurance and game development teams. Productivity, quality, innovation, and success are all results of the same action: seamless collaboration. This is why company culture is a crucial aspect of building strong QA teams.
Through clearly defined values and an organizational culture open to all employees, we can create the proper environment to achieve victory.
The need to rethink company culture.
In our significant almost 20-years journey in the gaming industry, we have tirelessly worked to optimize our processes and develop the potential of our QA testers. Beyond industry know-how, company culture was something that we maintained organically and actively, in order to support our teams and grow together.
In 2019, we took a first step towards improvement by adding more of a focus on soft skills, in addition to the technical training and growth on which we were already putting our skill points.
Yet with the pandemic, the rise of new technology and all the rapid changes in the gaming industry, we felt the need to do more. The responsibilities of roles have extended and diversified, while the company has increased its partner portfolio. Moreover, our teams have been working from the office instead of working from home, in order to ensure security for our projects and to promote the kind of collaboration that can be achieved through real social interaction.
In order to level up our teamwork, we looked for a transformational program, with a methodology fit for our vision and culture.
Turning ideas into actions.
Partnering up with a consulting specialist, we formed a core team made up of leaders from multiple departments, in order to discuss needs and establish solutions. We found that, much like the realm of game development, strengthening company culture is an iterative process.
Here are some of the aspects that lead us on the right path:
Brainstorming. Frequent brainstorming and discovery sessions have helped us to better understand the needs of the company. We identified key facets of our culture and gradually split the vision into specific concepts and a roadmap of actions.
Active listening. Asking for constant input and taking into consideration both employee and partner feedback was an important step of the process.
Company values. While putting together ideas, we understood the need to refine and redefine our values to better reflect the company identity. After extensive research and deliberation, we established six company values:
- Developing quality services
- Strong communication
- Learn, educate & innovate
- Attract and support the right employees
- Flexibility and competitiveness
- Passion and integrity
Culture code. To actively promote positive behavior within our teams, we developed a culture code. Our guidelines are open, inclusive and relevant for the business.
Soft skills. We continued to grow on the soft skills side of things, to increase the confidence of our testers and give them the right tools for career development.
Upskilling and rewarding. Speaking of careers, we also worked to identify more employees who are interested in growing with us and ready to handle more responsibilities. Upskilling and cross-skilling is something that we are encourage.
Multidisciplinary QA teams. With eclectic roles and an interdisciplinary approach, the gaming industry attracts a mixture of personalities through its very nature. Jobs and departments are inherently creative-focused or technically-driven, but the role of QA is in the middle, making use of both to ensure that all pieces of the puzzle come together to form the desired image.
In the process of redefining our workplace culture we had to consider the diverse profiles of QA testers and expand our approach to include various personalities. We have initiated a process to set up communication channels and procedures that are friendly to introverts, artistic personalities, technically-focused people, as well as extroverts or more socially-oriented personalities.
The impact of reshaping company culture.
While each community has its own dynamics, a solid organizational culture is the foundation on which we can build stronger teams. Since we have completed the mission, the results screen of our action has shown significant impact on both internal and external fronts.
Some of the clear wins we have noticed include:
- Increased level of confidence among QA testers.
- Better preparedness for diverse projects.
- Higher number of applications for new roles.
- Increased interest in Quality Assurance as a long-term career path.
- Trust, inclusiveness, and respect are more prevalent than before.
- Seamless integration in new projects.
- Successful collaboration with developers and external teams.
- Transactional relationships turned into real partnerships for all stakeholders.
- Overall positive feedback from our partners.
Establishing company culture is not a box that can be ticked and forgotten. It’s a convoluted, organic process that needs to be nurtured constantly, and we are continuing to do so in our day to day activity.
