Your Cyber Security Hiring Program

Hiring for cyber security positions is tough!  The fact is, as more and more businesses look to hire qualified individuals, the harder it will get to find good talent.  Why?  Cyber security is a competitive market and it will take a sound hiring strategy and program in order to attract talent to your company. 

Information technology positions, and cyber security positions in particular, are becoming more sought after than any other technology position today.  However, because the pool of qualified talent is limited, there is virtually no unemployment in this industry.  This means that candidates are typically not searching for opportunities and may miss what you have to offer.

This will require you to have a strategy for hiring talent not looking, and possibly recruiting entry level professionals to groom.  Here are a few tips to help you design and implement a successful cyber security hiring program:

• Many companies are closed about sharing their projects, or company secrets, however, it can be to your benefits to share some of this information when interviewing your cyber security candidates.  Many of these candidates like a challenge and providing these details just may get them interested enough to accept your offer.  If you are able to get them to the interview, you need to provide them with enough details to entice them and keep them interested.
• If you are looking to groom your cyber security team, you might wish to look internally at your existing employees.  Not only will they already understand the culture of your company, but they typically will be more invested.  Consider providing the necessary education for these staff members and slowly work them into the positions you desire.
• Veterans are an excellent source of candidates for cyber security positions.  They typically will have no problems with security clearance, and many of them have knowledge of this industry from their military work.  They typically have a skill set that most civilians to not have.  Talk with your recruiting firm about targeting veterans for your open security positions.
• Networking is another great way to find exceptional talent.  While you may not know of any cyber security guru's, other's in your network might.  A referral may be the only way that you can get a qualified candidate in your door, so do not discount asking others you know.
• No matter how you find your candidates, you must be prepared to move quickly once they are willing to listen to your proposal.  Because these candidates are highly sought after, taking a week to think about it, means you will most likely lose that candidate.

As cyber security positions become more popular, the available pool of candidates will get smaller and smaller.  It is estimated that the number of students currently studying in this field, will not be enough to satisfy the overwhelming demand over the next ten years.  Follow the tips above to secure your candidate!

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