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Guidelines for Conducting Interviews for Cybersecurity Roles

A study estimates that by next year, the field of Cybersecurity will have nearly 3.5 million open positions. With the popularity of the area on the rise, this is an excellent time to hire the right people for Cybersecurity roles.

Interviews are a significant aspect of the hiring process, especially keeping in mind that there a lot of people having the same skills out there. As a human resource professional, you need to filter out the candidates to find the one that will suit your business the best.

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Unsplash | Great HR tips to hire for Cybersecurity roles

Remote Working

COVID-19 has made most IT professionals switch to working from home. The fear of infection spread has caused the world to shift towards remote working collectively, and so far, it seems to be going quite well. Gartner anticipates a 65% increase in the demand for Cybersecurity experts with remote working skills on the rise.

One reason some may find working from home not efficient is if a team or a particular employee is not adequately skilled or experienced. To avoid such a situation to arise, you need to find people who are willing to stay with the organization long-term and work together comfortably.

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Unsplash | Seek out people who’re willing to stay long-term

Tips to Establish an Ideal Hiring Process

  • Firstly, create an excellent job description for the specific Cybersecurity role you are looking to fill.

Read – Tips for Writing the Perfect Job Description

  • Secondly, aim for diversity. You may have noticed that women account for only 20% of the workforce in Cybersecurity. This isn’t due to disinterest on their part! On the contrary, an internal Hewlett Packard report found that men tended to apply for a job when they met only 60% of the requirements while women took the step only when they believed they meet all the requirements. So make sure you are open to having interviews with everyone. You can make the hiring invite more welcoming by adding a line stating, “We would love to hear from you even if you think you may not be the best match.”
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Unsplash | Include more women in your workforce. Aim for diversity

 

  • Thirdly, as with all industries, there are degrees and certifications in the Cybersecurity field too. Of late, several hiring leads have taken the approach of making certifications not mandatory to apply for a position. For them, it opens up a bigger pool of applicants. For the prospective employees, it allows them to apply for jobs they think would suit their capabilities better.

What else?

Cybersecurity literacy is the commitment to devoting yourself to learning the advancements in the field. Being Cybersecurity literate allows you to always stay up to date. Additionally, you can have a chat with prospective candidates to understand their knowledge in the field.

If the candidate you are interviewing does not have a Cybersecurity past but has the required knowledge you need, consider hiring them. They will bring in new perspectives. Sometimes, there are no right answers, but you can use this opportunity to see how well they align themselves with the role and how comfortable they are communicating with others.

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