Finding skilled, professional workers in Network and Cybersecurity has been an increasingly difficult hurdle to overcome for multiple companies. The workforce gap for security practitioners is palpable, with an estimated shortage of 1.8 million qualified professionals by 2022.
The ISACA reported statistics from 633 practitioners and managers who had a primary job function of cybersecurity or information, with 55% of these organizations stating that their open positions for network security take at least 3 months to fill. 32% of these companies reported an average of 6 months or more to fill open positions and a final 27% stated they were unable to fill the positions at all.
What does this mean for your business? How can you better recruit cyber professionals? Here we list the 6 most common struggles businesses come across when looking for cybersecurtiy professionals, and we discuss the solutions best suited to recruit and retain employees.
1. Skillset Demand
There are quite a few businesses that demand a larger set of skills than what most cyber job applicants have yet mastered. Cybersecurity includes a large number of specialized practices that often take a good amount of time and experience to fully grasp. When combined with the need for soft skills, such as communication and management, the number of prospective employees who possess all requirements in the skillset demand dwindles farther.
Our solution: First, figure out which specialized skills are most important and hire for those very positions. If there are still gaps in your security structure, there are options such as a vendor partner or service provider. Be smart with how you staff your team!
2. Compensation
Pay for general security practitioners has remained rather stagnant. While network security specialists usually take home more than others in the IT field, many, still, are not fully compensated for their skillset. When companies are asking for those who are fully qualified in highly specialized skills, yet will work for a lower cost, they are asking for something that is not practical.
Our solution: Make sure your list of qualifications is realistic and that the pay grade matches what you’re asking for in a qualified candidate. It’s good to be selective about the skills your company actually requires from a cybersecurity professional on staff and then be willing to pay competitive rates for those needed skills.
3. Creating Balance
It can be difficult for companies to keep qualified, professional network security specialists partly because of the work/life balance. As the cybersecurity field becomes more diverse, with those even without a technical background joining the field, many companies have to take a step back and consider work/life policies due to the ages and values of their workforce. Cyber professionals often respond to alerts outside of “normal working hours”, so, candidates looking for a typical 9 to 5 would find this isn’t the job for them. Network security is a field that is definitely entered into because it is enjoyed, often as a hobby as well as a career. However, not all candidates are willing to devote so much time into work.
Our solution: Consider offering candidates new benefits, such as working flexible hours and/or working remotely. These incentives can boost the eagerness of those looking into the open position.
4. Overlooking Talent – Current Employees
The struggle to find qualified cyber employees is one that many companies face. Many look into placing most of their time searching for someone completely new for the team. While this may help to diversify the workforce, it also has the effect of overlooking talent already within.
Our solution: Consider cross-training current employees, particularly those already in the IT field. Another good way to identify talent is to integrate job rotation programs, where people try out security roles for a certain amount of time.
5. Overlooking Talent – Other Qualified Cybersecurity Resources
Who else should companies be looking for to fill open cybersecurity positions? Women, recent graduates, and veterans are all candidates worth exploring. The diversity of talent provided by these faces in the IT field are often a pleasant integration to a company.
Our solution: Consider working with local universities and veterans programs to build up your talent pool.
6. Inefficient Recruiting
For many companies, the hiring process is a lengthy one, with most qualified candidates losing interest in the time it takes for the company to review their prospective talents. Losing the interest of these candidates is certainly not ideal, especially when they are highly skilled and hard to find. These days, simply posting that your company has an open cybersecurity position is not enough. Recruiting is a constant job and many companies fail to realize that they have to network in the same manner as their prospective candidates. This is where working with a qualified recruiter can save you time and money.
Our solution: At Charsky Group, we strive for innovation and process improvement for your company! We’re always looking for ways for our clients to lower their recruiting costs, and we work hard to collaborate and partner with our clients for the best results for their businesses.
We’re not looking for a “quick fill”. Our team will find the best fit for your open cybersecurity position in order to help you save on recruiting costs, training costs and operational downtime while also raising retention rates and adding value to your company.
Learn more about how our professional staffing experts can support your company by contacting one of our experienced members today! To stay updated on this, and more tips for your business staffing needs, follow Charsky Group on LinkedIn.