Recent cybersecurity breaches are putting the spotlight on major hiring shortages in the cybersecurity industry. However, solving the shortage goes beyond offering satisfactory pay, according to Ben Smith, field CTO of NetWitness, who offered his insight into how companies can pay closer attention on employee well-being, career progression, and upskilling to help retain the diverse talent it will take to solve the industry’s trials.

Smith looks at cybersecurity’s greater issue of retention and workforce resiliency through a lens of interpersonal and managerial assessments, and the ways in which hiring managers can greatly alter worker engagement.

A big part of what cybersecurity professionals are going to be looking for in this age is organizational flexibility to match individualized strong suits, according to Smith.

“If your cybersecurity developer never interacts with your customers, but has the people skills and an interest in doing so, get them involved with the broader business so that they can burnish that important combination of technical and interpersonal skills,” he explained.

“If your cybersecurity analyst loves the technology but has a longer-term goal which might carry them to an adjacent space like risk management, find someone already in that ‘next phase’ and see if they might be open to an informal mentor relationship with your employee,” he continued, adding, “If your cybersecurity rock star has entrepreneurial skills not being fully leveraged in their current position, consider allowing them to pick up projects outside of their day job.”

Smith explained that these incentives need to be attentively built to really drive retention. “Beyond the satisfactory pay, consider making additional educational opportunities available — perhaps an organization funds the path for an employee to attempt a new technical certification, in return for a three or six-month claw back option.”

“Providing regular access to new cybersecurity tools and technologies can provide a powerful incentive to stay for those employees hungry to expand their skills,” he added. 

Another point of flexibility was on looking at how to reduce monotonous “pain points” for workers through automating and orchestration of manual tasks. This time frees employees to target the work they enjoy.  

“More strategically finding ways to create a true sense of purpose and achievement are powerful incentives for employees to make their current job something more than a temporary visit,” he added. 

“Today’s cybersecurity professionals are also expecting a boss who is more than a manager in name only,” Smith explained. “A manager who doesn’t know the top two or three goals of each of their employees isn’t doing their job.”

Smith clarified that these goals should not be those that an employee “chooses from a list the organization built,” but should cross over from professional into personal goals as well. 

A forward-thinking manager realizes that "career advancement isn’t defined in just one way for all their employees,” according to Smith, whether that means upskilling on projects outside of work, or living in another “geography.” 

“The sooner a manager realizes that they cannot succeed by managing every employee identically, which becomes even more important when considering a diverse workforce, the stronger that manager’s retention metric will be, whether in cybersecurity or any other industry.”

Smith also says smart managers wear the “big hat” when interviewing, and will quickly source candidates with other hiring teams internally to “a place where they can gain the experience you believe they lack today.”

“Done right, you’ve helped bring in a solid player, making your organization stronger and more diverse,” he explained. And beyond that, maintaining the connection makes it easier to bring them on later – even if they aren’t a team member out of the gate.

“Your organization wins, and the new hire wins too. You’ve not only helped place them in a job, you’ve provided some glue to keep them around for a while, by demonstrating a path to how to get onto your team in the future,” he explained.