Cybersecurity talent is in high demand and short supply – but if you’re struggling to fill roles, it’s not always just the market’s fault.
Many hiring challenges are within an organisation’s control, and fixing them can drastically improve your ability to secure top talent before your competitors do.
Common hiring pitfalls
Laundry-list job ads
Too many job descriptions read like wishlists for a unicorn candidate who doesn’t exist. Listing every tool, certification and skill under the sun deters high-calibre professionals who may not tick every box but could still excel in the role. The best candidates look for impact and career growth, not a never-ending checklist.
Slow hiring processes
In a candidate-driven market, time kills deals. Top cyber professionals are typically off the market within 10 to 15 days. If your process drags through multiple layers of approval or unnecessary interview stages, you risk losing them to faster-moving competitors.
Poor interview experience
A lack of clarity around the role, inconsistent communication and ‘ghosting’ between stages all leave a bad impression. Highly skilled candidates often have multiple offers and will walk away from an employer who doesn’t show respect for their time and expertise.
How to improve
Focus on outcomes, not just tools
Rather than demanding a laundry list of certifications or vendor-specific knowledge, define what success looks like. Do you need someone to reduce incident response times? Strengthen your cloud security posture? Lead a SOC transformation? This approach broadens your candidate pool and attracts people who can deliver results, even if they use different methods or tools.
Streamline your hiring pipeline
Aim for no more than 2 to 3 interview steps. Pre-qualify candidates early, use panel interviews where possible and make quick decisions. Showing that you value efficiency demonstrates the same responsiveness that strong cyber talent uses in their day-to-day work.
Offer flexibility
Many in-demand cyber professionals expect hybrid or remote arrangements, particularly for roles that don’t require constant on-site presence. Mandating full-time office attendance can eliminate a huge portion of otherwise perfect candidates.
Work with specialists
Partnering with recruiters who focus solely on cybersecurity and IT (like Needus) means tapping into deep talent networks and market knowledge. We can identify candidates who match not only your technical needs but also your organisational culture, reducing the risk of costly mishires.
The cyber skills shortage is real, but it’s not insurmountable. By tightening up your job ads, speeding up your hiring process, improving the candidate experience and leveraging specialist recruitment expertise, you can outpace competitors and secure the talent you need to keep your organisation secure.
