Onboarding new QA engineers isn’t just about showing them the tools or assigning bugs — it’s about laying the foundation for long-term quality ownership. A well-structured QA onboarding plan helps new testers confidently navigate manual, automation, and non-functional testing practices from day one. In this post, we’ll walk you through a practical, 60-day QA training roadmap designed to upskill both junior and mid-level testers. Whether you’re scaling a growing QA team or refining your current onboarding process, this guide will help you transform new hires into test-ready, product-aware quality professionals — faster and smarter.

✅ First 30 Days – Foundation, Familiarization & Fundamentals

🧭 Week 1 – Orientation & Product Understanding

• Introduction to the company’s QA philosophy, tools, and team structure
• End-to-end product demos: understanding core modules, user flows, and value drivers
• Access to product documentation (SRS/FRS/User Stories)

📚 Week 2 – STLC, Process & Tools

• QA lifecycle, bug life cycle, and reporting protocols
• Introduction to Jira, TestRail, or your preferred QA/project tools
• Deep dive into the test case repository and regression suite

👥 Week 3 – Shadowing & Peer Learning

• Join sprint ceremonies: standups, grooming, retros
• Shadow senior QAs during testing and bug triage
• Begin writing test cases for upcoming or mock stories

🛠️ Week 4 – Independent Task Assignments (Manual)

• Assigned small test tasks (e.g., validating minor UI fixes or verifying APIs)
• Peer-reviewed bug reports and test cases
• Basic introduction to exploratory testing and edge case thinking

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🚀 Next 30 Days – Deeper Exposure, Hands-on Testing & Growth Alignment

🔄 Week 5 – Ownership & Real Sprint Participation

• Take ownership of QA for a small feature in an active sprint
• Perform manual testing independently with supervision
• Review bugs logged by peers and practice clear reproduction steps

🧪 Week 6 – Introduction to Automation & Beyond

• Walkthrough of the test automation framework (even if manual-focused)
• Optional hands-on tasks like writing test steps or running scripts
• Exposure to CI pipelines and basic version control (Git, Jenkins, etc.)

📊 Week 7 – Non-Functional Testing Awareness

• Overview sessions on performance testing, security, and accessibility
• Encourage participation in a shadow project or light practical task (e.g., Lighthouse audit or Postman test)

📈 Week 8 – Evaluation & Growth Plan

• Final evaluation via task ownership, peer feedback, and bug quality
• One-on-one feedback session to identify strengths and areas for growth
• Personalized roadmap: choose manual/automation/performance path
• Assign a long-term mentor for continued growth

📊 Measuring Effectiveness
We track:

• Test case quality
• Bug reporting clarity
• Independent task execution
• Peer and mentor feedback
• Confidence with tools and processes

This phased approach ensures that we don’t just “train testers” — we build confident, product-aware quality advocates.

Conclusion:

An effective QA onboarding plan is more than a checklist — it’s your blueprint for building capable, confident, and quality-driven testers. By investing in a structured 60-day training roadmap, you ensure your QA hires are not just executing tests but truly understanding the product, identifying risks, and contributing to long-term quality goals. Whether your team focuses on manual testing, test automation, or non-functional testing, this onboarding framework creates a solid launchpad.

✅ Ready to put this into action?
Start customizing the plan to match your tools, culture, and workflows — and watch your new testers thrive.