With the shortage of IT and security talent, what are some creative ways you approach hiring?

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There are ways to help that. First of all, I'm super involved with recruiting and hiring for positions in my portfolio. I look over every job posting, and I'm very clear on things I don't want to see. I don't want to see requirements that are going to chase away applicants. I don't want words that are more masculine. I want positions to be welcoming for all. I don't want unnecessary certificate or degree requirements that'll be a barrier for people. Or even X years of experience doing something. You really have to be specific about what you are looking for and what you actually need to fill a position.

The best way to do that is to have the process as open as you can in recruiting. Talk to people, have a very diverse interviewing panel, make sure you have that representation. And then, bottom line, make that hire. Hire that non-traditional candidate who can get there, give them the tools to succeed, the development tools, the mentoring, communities that help, etc. But make that hire.

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Look inside the organization for talent with strong potential; half the battle of recruiting isn't just hiring for skill, but cultural fit as well. Investing from within gives you that advantage up front.

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As I wrote in this piece, I think much of the so-called information security skills shortage is simply made up. Yes, it can be hard to find really good security people. But the firms that are complaining the most are the ones who refuse to pay reasonable salaries/consulting rates.

There are firms that want a very senior cloud security engineer, but will only pay $110k. Or want a security architect for $55 an hour. They whine that they just can’t find candidates. The candidates are there, the salaries are not.

https://engineering.tapad.com/the-fallacy-of-the-information-security-skill-shortage-c1214122e6c0

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Look beyond what you’ve always required in hiring - get creative. Example, you don’t NEED higher ed experience to work in higher ed. I didn’t.

With the shortage of IT and security talent, what are some creative ways you approach hiring?

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