Talent Acquisition for Cybersecurity

Often, the words recruitment and talent acquisition are used interchangeably, however they are two different things. Recruitment is very short term and looks at filling vacant positions. Talent acquisition on the other hand takes a long-term view and builds a strong pipeline of talent.

Cybersecurity leaders are feeling the shortage of talent. The world of cybersecurity is constantly changing and is very complicated. With competition that is high, being understaffed can be a huge challenge. It is believed that the talent gap in cybersecurity is growing at an alarming pace.

 Let us look at the different things that you can do to attract and retain cybersecurity talent in your organization

     1. Find a suitable candidate

You do not want to hire a candidate and find that they are not interested in the role of cybersecurity that you have hired them for. At the same time, you cannot make a mistake and hire a hacker who is pretending to be an expert in cybersecurity and gets into your system and steals your passwords, sensitive login credentials and essential business data. 

So, when hiring a cybersecurity expert, it is crucial to safeguard your own systems with a password manager that can auto-fill and manage your passwords and keep your systems secure. Once you have established the credentials of your cybersecurity expert, they can take over the managing of your cybersecurity systems and implement measures for long-term stability and security of your systems and data.

   2.  Promote diversity and inclusion

Effective promotion of diversity and inclusion can bring in candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds who provide fresh perspectives, look at your problem from a different angle and provide viable solutions. Not just diversity and inclusion, but also focussing on things like flexible work schedules, mentorship opportunities and bridging the pay and promotion gaps can open up your talent pool to a wider range of qualified candidates. When the horizons are widened, new talent emerges.

    3.  Offer training and career progression opportunities

The biggest skill gaps in cybersecurity are in cloud computing, security controls and coding skills. You could consider including new training opportunities or build on existing professional development initiatives. These will not just attract new talent but also help in retaining the existing talent. Training programs give employees a chance to upgrade their skills and acquire knowledge in emerging cybersecurity fields. Not only will your company be up to date with the latest innovations in the digital field but you get to build a long-standing relationship with your cybersecurity specialists.

     4. Make cybersecurity a priority for leadership

The senior leadership in an organization must be involved and supportive of the need to build a strong cybersecurity team. The top management must understand the risks associated with cyber threats and collaborate with the cybersecurity specialists to build a holistic plan and address the security concerns.It must become a priority of the C-suite and they must understand the types of security threats, why ransomware attacks are happening and how virtual working leads to cybersecurity risks.

     5. Check for attitude and culture match

Besides having the knowledge and the skills required for the job, the cybersecurity expert must be able to match your work culture. Look for the following checks while screening a potential candidate:

• Are they passionate about cybersecurity?
• Do they have a problem-solving process?
• How do they stay ahead of cyber threats?

Put your company’s culture and values on full display and ensure that your communication is compelling. Talk about your company’s mission and cybersecurity concerns. These will give the potential candidate a clear idea of what you are looking for. 

Keeping these points in mind could help you build your talent pipeline for cybersecurity and address any gaps that you are facing.

People Also Ask:

1. What are the duties of a talent acquisition specialist?

Essentially, their role is to help grow the talent in a company by finding and nurturing the most suitable people to contribute to a company’s future success.

2. How do you attract cybersecurity talent?

You can widen the talent pool by promoting diversity and inclusion, partnering with academic institutions to train and increase the talent pipeline and by reskilling your existing talent.

3. Does cybersecurity require coding?

Some cybersecurity positions don’t require extensive coding and programming knowledge, there are still some highly technical positions that do require individuals to have a strong understanding of various coding languages and concepts.