Cybersecurity Hiring: Challenges and how to overcome them

Cybersecurity talent drought is a reality. According to the latest research by (ISC)2, by 2022, an estimated 1.8 million cybersecurity jobs will go unfilled. From an organization’s perspective, this is a matter of concern because lacking cybersecurity expertise in today’s world is a dangerous position to be in. 

Cybersecurity expertise has never been more crucial as the entire workforce went remote last year and has continued to remain so to date, but cyber threats continue to rise and pose a challenge.

Here are some interesting findings around cybersecurity talent shortage:

• 62% say their organization’s cybersecurity team is understaffed. 
• 57% say they currently have unfilled cybersecurity positions on their team.
• 72% of cybersecurity professionals believe their HR departments do not regularly understand their needs.
• Only 27% say that recent graduates in cybersecurity are well-prepared, indicating that finding cybersecurity talent with the right skillsets remains difficult.
• Retaining this talent is also a problem, with 66% saying it’s challenging to retain cybersecurity talent due to limited promotion and development opportunities, poor financial incentives, and more.

So the question remains what organizations can do to overcome these challenges when finding and hiring top cybersecurity talent?

Here’s you can attract and retain top cybersecurity talent in the time of intense talent war and cyber threats.

Revamp your recruitment processes and rethink hiring criteria

Organizations tend to have a certain number of non-negotiable criteria for candidates (years of experience, exposure to technologies, etc.). However, in a competitive market like cybersecurity, it is worthwhile to rethink these non-negotiable criteria and be flexible.

Instead, organizations should hire for potential and provide their new hires training and certifications opportunities to hone their skills. 

Organizations need to revamp their hiring processes to make them speedy and streamlined. The tech hiring market is competitive, cybersecurity talent market with the existing talent gap, even more. Streamlined processes and moving fast to take the candidate through the entire process will be crucial to candidate closure for organizations.  

Cultivate a talent pipeline by partnering with universities

While scouting for new talent pools for cybersecurity, organizations should consider developing a talent pipeline for the future. 

One way to start is by partnering with universities and STEM departments to encourage students to pursue careers in cybersecurity by giving them information about career paths, growth opportunities, and more. 

Organizations can also offer internships, sponsor events, and organize hackathons to identify talent and groom them to join cybersecurity. It is also a great way to target women and underrepresented groups to build a diverse talent pipeline. 

Create a pipeline to cybersecurity positions for your existing team

Finding specialist talent is never easy, especially in a relatively young and rapidly changing industry like cybersecurity.

While organizations continue to search for candidates outside, they should also consider looking at their internal team members looking for a change in role. For these team members to understand how their career would look like, chart the career path for these professionals.

This way, organizations maximize the existing employee base by identifying and grooming talent otherwise neglected while reducing hiring costs. 

Invest in skilling and training programs

Given the ever-changing nature of the cyberthreat landscape, you must equip your cybersecurity talent with the latest training and certifications to keep their skills sharp. 

Investment in training and reskilling programs is beneficial for both employees and organizations, as this has a positive impact on employee retention. At the same time, organizations benefit from well-trained, up-to-date cybersecurity teams. 

Additionally, these sponsored training programs and certifications would allow non-cyber security staff newly venturing into cybersecurity to grow into their roles. Employees are less tempted to seek new opportunities if they believe their current employers are invested in their skill development and provide them opportunities for the same.

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Competition for cybersecurity talent is fierce and will only get more intense in years to come, given the rising demand and awareness around this field. Organizations have to rethink their existing recruiting strategy to attract and retain top talent while improving their engagement and focusing on reaching out to these candidates.

A diverse talent base is the best chance to combat cybersecurity threats. 

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