Recruiting the Right Cybersecurity Talent

In the last couple of years, the demand for cyber professionals has increased significantly. Recruiters and employers know that trying to hire cybersecurity talent is becoming more and more of a challenge.

With such a demand for these skilled professionals, and a big gap in the workforce of available security specialists, companies are looking for more than just technical skills in their security team. They’re basing a lot of their hiring practice on choosing personalities that are best-suited to a specialized career in cybersecurity.

When hiring skilled cybersecurity professionals, asking the right questions can help immensely with the hiring process. The answers to these questions can narrow down desirable candidates based on what employers are looking for. With so many companies looking for more than just technical skills to join their security team, helpful questions are those that let recruiters learn about the personality and motivation behind each candidate.

Good questions to ask candidates are:

  1. What inspired you to get into cybersecurity? This will help you spot different personality traits and where their passions lie.
  2. What are your greatest personal strengths? You can learn about strengths such as great communication skills or that a candidate works well when under pressure.
  3. What are your greatest accomplishments? It’s not the accomplishment that matters – listen for the passion with which candidates talk about something they’re proud of.
  4. What do you feel is the most satisfying part of your career? Answers to this question can tell a lot about what motivates a candidate and what they feel passionate about.
  5. What drives you in your career? Another great question to gain insight to see motivations and passions that will help see if they are a great fit.

Understanding the five different personality traits of cybersecurity professionals can give recruiters and employers a good indication of what motivates a candidate so they can find the best fit for a position.

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The Problem Solver. Problem solvers are motivated by their desire to critically think through each problem and come up with a logical solution. These candidates are easy to spot – they take time to carefully think about each interview question before responding. They bring this same thoughtfulness to their job in cybersecurity.

The Quick Learner. Candidates who are quick learners are naturally curious about everything – it’s this curiosity that motivates them to be constantly learning. They’re ideal in a crisis, working calmly through any emergency no matter how much pressure they feel. Employers find quick learners highly desirable by having someone on their security team they can rely on to research the latest tech information.

The Avenger. As cybersecurity candidates, the avengers have an instinctive way of knowing when they need to jump in and take action. Working in cybersecurity means you have to keep a clear head, something that comes naturally to the avenger, who can be very cerebral in their thinking. A good career opportunity for these candidates is as security engineers, where they can rationally identify security requirements.

The Teacher. The teacher personality is the employee who is always there to help the rest of the team. They bring their knowledge to the table and patiently explain what they know. They’re good listeners – in an interview they’ll pay careful attention to each question before answering. Employers can count on the teacher personality to educate others about cybersecurity in language that everyone can understand.

The Enthusiast. In an interview, it will be evident that the enthusiast loves what they do – working in cybersecurity. These personalities are passionate about what they do and eager to take the lead in any project. Their creativity motivates them to try new ways of thinking and solving problems, often coming up with innovative ways to reach a solution.

Hiring personalities that are best suited to a specific cybersecurity job ensures that employers are getting the security team they’re looking for. Recruiting the right cybersecurity talent is much easier when recruiters and employers understand the different personalities of cybersecurity professionals. The following cybersecurity career infographic by Varonis has more tips as well as insights from cybersecurity professionals.

Kiana Mason

Kiana Mason
Kiana is a content creator with a passion for writing and all things creative. She loves exploring a diverse collection of topics including wellness, business, tech, travel and everything in between.

Kiana Mason

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