Cybersecurity is a critical part of any organization, and hiring the right talent is necessary for safeguarding your digital space and protecting company data and information. With the current increase in cyber attacks, having the right team on your side is mandatory for avoiding security breaches and the resulting consequences on your company.
Whether you need to hire a security analyst or an ethical hacker, here are a few tips on how to hire a cybersecurity professional that fits your organization’s needs.
1. Consider Key Skills
Most hiring managers make the mistake of considering certificates and credentials when acquiring new hires instead of skills. Just because an applicant has impressive papers doesn’t mean they are the best on the job.
Cybersecurity being a key field, you need a professional who is competent in their line of work. With this in mind, you should consider essential and practical skills when looking to fill a position.
Some of the skills you should consider for cybersecurity experts include familiarity with current cybersecurity trends and developments and the ability to detect security risks, threats, and intrusions. Also, one should have a deep understanding of network architecture as well as safe exit practices. Depending on the roles, you should always focus on skills rather than credentials when hiring.
2. Be Flexible With Your Job Requirements
When coming up with job requirements for a cybersecurity position, be flexible to avoid missing out on valuable talent. For example, instead of sticking to professionals with Master’s or Degrees in computer science, you can consider applicants with technical knowledge even if they don’t have the degrees to show for it.
This is because some individuals choose to learn the skills by themselves instead of going the traditional way of earning certificates. As long as an applicant has the right skills and culture, consider them when hiring.
You can also compromise on the length of experience by hiring a beginner, given that they have desirable soft skills and willingness to learn. Consider offering internal training for new hires who are enthusiastic about the job and may not have considerable experience in the field.
What’s more, the rapid technological changes make it unnecessary to have extensive experience in a specific technology.
Outsource the Cybersecurity Services
If you don’t have the budget for an in-house cybersecurity team, you can outsource the service to third-party service providers Outsourcing the services gives you access to unbiased opinions on your systems and helps reduce expenses that come with maintaining an in-house team in terms of salaries and benefits. You also get access to the best skills and expertise at a fraction of the cost you would incur to hire them s full-time employees.
However, you cannot outsource all services due to the nature f the job. These may include services like security architecture and strategy. Some of the cybersecurity services you can outsource include, vulnerability management, security operations like network monitoring, and training of employees and end-users.
Working with companies that offer security as a service ensures that you secure your systems on a subscription basis without having to hire and maintain an in-house employee.
4. Upskill Your In-House Staff
External recruitment for a profession as competitive as cybersecurity can be challenging. Instead of sourcing new hires from outside, you can up-skill your existing staff by equipping them with relevant skills for the available cybersecurity posts.
Doing so not only shortens and simplifies the recruitment process but also motivates your employees by providing opportunities for career growth. Hiring internally also improves your chances of employee retention through professional development.
When training your staff, certification courses are preferable as they allow your employees to specialize in their fields of interest and helps IT generalists breakthrough into cybersecurity. You can bring in specialists to train your staff or encourage your employees to take outside courses and cover the training expenses. While it may seem expensive, it saves you the time and money that comes with hiring and integrating new employees from the start.
5. Offer Attractive Benefits and Salaries
One of the best ways to attract and keep top cybersecurity talent is through salaries and benefits. Given the existing high demand for cybersecurity professionals and shortage of skills, big companies that can offer higher pay have the upper hand in hiring cybersecurity experts. You can use salary insights from reputable sources like the Bureau of Labor statistics to help you offer competitive salaries.
For smaller companies that may not match the salaries of their counterparts, you can still acquire the best skills by offering attractive benefits and happy working environments. An excellent working environment with the flexibility necessary for a work-life balance can give you access to some of the best skills in cybersecurity.
Besides family-friendly workplace policies, other benefits you should consider as incentives when hiring include healthcare, retirement contributions, saving schemes, and generous leaves.
The above tips can help you hire the right cybersecurity professional to protect your company’s digital infrastructure. Consider working with an employment lawyer when planning your recruitment to ensure compliance with employment law.
An employment attorney can help you create job descriptions for the positions and review your employment contract to avoid future lawsuits.
