In a world where digital crime rates are rising higher than they ever have before, any business owner knows that IT security is essential to survival and success. But it seems that companies are having a hard time finding software developers and security professionals. IT recruiting services do have successful hires, but these five reasons may be why IT security recruiters are having such a difficult time finding them.
Narrow Scope
Many companies say that they want applicants to be trained in cybersecurity skills in college, and some even require training earlier than that. The difficulty here is that cyber security encompasses such a large number of specialized skill sets that it’s impossible to just have one degree and have it be relevant for a long period of time. The cyber landscape is constantly evolving, and your applicants and employees need to be able to evolve with it. Rather than seeking out employees with a very specific set of skills, you should be looking for people with the fundamentals down, and the ambition to keep learning.
Looking in the Wrong Places
The best security professionals often come from an environment outside of security. Software developers and cybersecurity specialists might not present themselves in conventional places, which is why companies need to start looking in unconventional locations for these professionals. If employers started looking at hack-a-thons or capture the flag events, they might find the kind of innovative thinkers that they need.
Too Many Certification Requirements
relying solely on the number and type of certificates your applicants or employees have may eventually be your downfall, especially if you want to recruit IT specialists. Plenty of good applicants will have certifications, but certification and great candidate aren’t always synonymous. That’s not to say you need to abandon certifications, but try thinking outside the box.
Unrealistic Salary
Quality talent requires a quality salary. Bottom line, most places do not want to pay what it takes to hire a truly great cybersecurity specialist. The shortage of skills on the market may not actually be a shortage of skills, it may just be that people don’t want to work below their market value.
Too Many People
Security challenges may often make you feel like you’re security department is stretched too thin, but throwing people at a problem isn’t going to solve it. Hiring the right people, like creative thinkers and software developers, is going to help you create an innovative solution to your problem. However, you need to make sure you’re hiring the right people first.
Change takes time, but if you work to change at least one of these things, you may find that your recruiting experience is much easier and effective.