Tester/Developer Perceptions

Testing is a difficult effort. It is the task that’s both infinite and indefinite.
No matter what testers do, they can’t be sure they will find all the problems,
or even all the important ones.

It is hard to find individuals who are good at testing. It takes someone
who is a critical thinker motivated to produce a quality software product,
likes to evaluate software deliverables, and is not caught up in the assumption
held by many developers that testing has a lesser job status than development.
A good tester is a quick learner and eager to learn, is a good team
player, and can effectively communicate both verbally and in written form.

The output from development is something that is real and tangible. A
programmer can write code and display it to admiring customers who
assume it is correct. From a developer’s point of view, testing results in
nothing more tangible than an accurate, useful, and all-too-fleeting perspective
on quality. Given these perspectives, many developers and
testers often work together in an uncooperative, if not hostile, manner.

In many ways the tester and developer roles are in conflict. A developer
is committed to building something to be successful. A tester tries to minimize
the risk of failure and tries to improve the software by detecting
defects. Developers focus on technology, which takes a lot of time and
energy when producing software. A good tester, on the other hand, is motivated
to provide the user with the best software to solve a problem.

Testers are typically ignored until the end of the development cycle
when the application is “completed.” Testers are always interested in the
progress of development and realize that quality is only achievable when
they take a broad point of view and consider software quality from multiple
dimensions.

Source: Software Testing and Continuous Quality Improvement 2nd Edition