Every year, every day really, the need for a great cybersecurity team becomes more and more apparent. If Marriott, Yahoo, and the entire nation of Ireland are vulnerable, so are you. But how can you find the right talent in a job market where there are loads of listings and not enough professionals to go around?
In this article, we take a look at a few tips that will help you find the right cybersecurity team for your needs. Read on to learn how to keep your business safe from cyber threats.
Consider Your Needs First
Before you punch together a job description and post your listing, it’s important to think about what you are hoping to accomplish from this new business relationship. Increased cyber security, sure. But in what capacity?
Are you looking for a team that can strengthen an exciting system? Work with you to train your staff? Or do you already have most of the groundwork already laid out? Being clear about your needs will help you write an accurate job description. It will also help you recognize the right applicants when their resumes wind up in your inbox.
Backgrounds May Vary
Of course, appropriate degrees and certifications are important. For most job postings, this needn’t even be said. In the world of tech, things are a little bit different. For one thing, it’s important to keep in mind that a recent survey revealed that only 27% of recent college graduates left their education with an adequate understanding of the skills required for the job.
The other 73%, though perhaps knowledgeable, get stuck in what is referred to as a “skill gap”—basically the difference between learning about something and actually knowing how to apply it in real life.
The tech world is extremely autodidactic. Many of the most skilled tech workers started fiddling around with computers at the age of nine and learned everything they needed to know on their own.
Does this mean you should hold out for a prodigy that made headlines for hacking into Apple at the age of thirteen? Probably not.
The right qualifications are still an important and simplified way to reduce your candidate pool. It’s just a good idea to remember that in tech, qualifications come in many shapes and sizes.
Try to Get Industry-Specific
Every business has its own data security needs. Does your business handle lots of customer information? Or do you just need to look after your own data? These distinctions may feel inconsequential but they can matter a great deal when it comes to finding the right hire.
Each cybersecurity situation is unique. Finding a candidate with experience in your industry is a good way to reduce your new hire’s learning curve and get the ball rolling faster.
Get Them Acclimated
Once you’ve found the right people, it’s a good idea to take things slow. Not, “Well, for the first six weeks forget all about cyber security. Get yourself an iced tea and relax you silly goose,” slow. But slow enough for your new hire to acclimate to the way you do business and adjust to your expectations.
Proper onboarding can feel superfluous or even indulgent but it’s extremely important. What you do out of the gate can and usually does have an enormous impact on the entire trajectory of a new hire’s time at your business.
Train them as much as you can, help them get to know their coworkers, and make sure they feel welcome at your business. Not only will this make their first months on the job feel less awkward and uncomfortable but it will also vastly increase your odds of keeping them around for a long time.
Otherwise, you might find yourself revisiting this article sooner than you would like as you try to find yet another new cybersecurity team.
Make Yourself Appealing
Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that we are still in a seller’s market where jobs are concerned. This is particularly true for high-demand talent. Everyone needs cyber security specialists, but there simply aren’t enough to go around.
So, how are you going to attract a dream team? Compensation and benefits are a good starting place, but that can’t be the beginning and end of your efforts. Ideally, your business will attract new employees in every department simply by being the sort of place people want to work at.
“Company culture,” is a concept that has picked up significant steam in the last several years. Basically, it just refers to what it feels like to work at a certain business.
You don’t have to be like Google, offering employees free sushi and yoga classes. You should, however, maintain a welcoming and open atmosphere that attracts new employees and encourages them to stay for the long haul.
