5 Expert Tips for Recruiting Cybersecurity Talent

The number of cyberattacks is increasing, and organizations everywhere need talented cybersecurity professionals to help combat dangers posed by cybercriminals. But according to recent data from CyberSeek, talent is scarce. Right now, there are only 68 cybersecurity workers per 100 job openings, and 530,000 more workers in total are needed to close the gap.

With the most perilous threat landscape to date and not enough workers to support the rising number of incidents, it’s imperative that your organization hires only the best talent—and that means improving your cybersecurity recruiting strategy.

Read on to learn our top five expert-approved tips for recruiting cybersecurity talent.

Cybersecurity Recruitment Tips

Whether you’re a small business or a large one, there are a few things you can do to improve your cybersecurity recruitment strategy and find (and keep) great talent. Let’s review:

Write a First-Rate Job Description

This first tip for recruiting cybersecurity talent is to write a quality job description.  A job description (JD) is often a candidate’s first bit of exposure to a role—and it needs to be treated as such! This means not over-complicating JDs with industry jargon and highly specific qualifications. Overall, a good cybersecurity job description:

• Uses inclusive language and avoids gender-coded words (i.e., “communicating” over “talking” and “expert” over “wizard”)
• Includes all the necessary information about your company and role while still being clear and concise
• Uses bullet points for readability
• Explains the necessary skills and requirements without being too limiting
• Gets reviewed and updated regularly

Hire Skills, Not Degrees

One of the biggest challenges in cybersecurity recruitment is the vetting process. How do you know your candidate is right for the role? It’s hard to know for sure, but a skills-based hiring approach can alleviate some of the uncertainty.

Skills-based hiring is a method of recruitment that focuses on an individual’s abilities rather than their background or qualifications (i.e., a college degree). This approach looks beyond the resume and instead assesses a person’s ability to perform the tasks required for the job.

Adopting this approach can lead to improved performance and productivity, increased diversity, and lower costs (no need to invest in as many training resources for your new hire if they already possess the right skills).

Network! And Then Network Some More

Another tip for recruiting cybersecurity talent is to network. If you’re not finding the right hire through your traditional recruitment platforms (LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, etc.), it might be time to look elsewhere. And while social networking is still important, too many people forgo in-person networking opportunities. But how do you network in an increasing digital world? Here are a few ideas:

• Attend cybersecurity conferences, events, and seminars. There are tons of events out there for cybersecurity pros. Immersing yourself in these experiences is a great way to connect to potential talent.
• Ask for referrals from existing employees. Talk to your existing employees and ask if they know any potential cybersecurity recruits. Maybe they have a tech-minded friend looking for a new career, or perhaps they know someone from a previous job that would be a great fit.
• Go to your local career fair. A common mistake in cybersecurity recruitment—and every other industry—is overlooking young talent. Just because someone doesn’t have five+ years of experience in penetration testing doesn’t mean they won’t make an excellent vulnerability management analyst, for example.

Don’t Overlook Soft Skills

Technical skills are obviously a priority in cybersecurity recruitment, but that doesn’t mean you should overlook soft skills in your hiring process. Why? Because cybersecurity is a team effort, and employees must be able to work well with others to ensure the security of your organization.

Soft skills like collaboration, leadership, and problem-solving help foster a positive and productive working environment, while effective communication ensures that information about threats and vulnerabilities is effectively shared and acted upon.

Invest in Training and Upskilling

Do you want your cybersecurity recruit to have a specific certification, skill, or capability? Offer them the chance to obtain it on the company’s dime instead of requiring it up-front. Investing in training and development is a great way to widen your candidate pool and retain employees in the long run.

But you shouldn’t just invest in your new hires. Continuously upskill your tenured employees, too! With the rapid pace of technological advancements and the evolution of cyber threats, it’s essential for cybersecurity professionals to continuously improve their skills to keep up with the changing landscape.

Improve Your Odds With Our Cybersecurity Recruiting Tips (Or Let Our Experts Help)

Demand for cybersecurity talent is booming, and the competition for finding great talent is high. But with these expert-approved cybersecurity recruiting tips, your business is sure to improve its odds.

And if you don’t have the time, resources, or expertise to build and maintain an expert cybersecurity recruitment strategy, we have the experts to assist you! Our recruiters can help you find and hire pre-vetted, qualified cybersecurity professionals within just two weeks.