In terms of employee recognition or rewards programs, what are some tactics you’ve found effective for cybersecurity teams in particular?

Here are some targeted strategies designed to offer clear guidance

• Spotlight Incident Response Successes: Cybersecurity teams often go unnoticed unless something goes wrong. Regularly highlight successful threat mitigations or response actions in company meetings or newsletters to show appreciation for keeping threats at bay.
• Gamified Challenges: Cybersecurity professionals often enjoy problem-solving and competition. Create monthly challenges, like “Find the Vulnerability” contests or “Capture the Flag” competitions, with rewards for the winners. It fosters skill-building and makes learning fun.
• Certificate of Cyber Excellence: Develop a recognition award for specific achievements, like preventing high-severity threats or achieving zero vulnerabilities over a set period. It can be presented during company meetings or cybersecurity awareness events.
• Team Achievement Awards: Cybersecurity efforts are typically team-based. Offer team-wide recognition for major achievements, such as completing a high-profile security audit or responding effectively to a simulated breach.
• Executive Recognition and Lunch with Leaders: Cybersecurity efforts are crucial to organizational security. Acknowledge top performers with an opportunity to meet with executives over lunch or coffee, emphasizing the importance of cybersecurity across the organization.
• Cross-Team Shadowing Opportunities: Many cybersecurity team members value learning opportunities. Recognize their efforts by giving them a chance to shadow other tech teams, providing a fresh perspective and rewarding them with unique learning experiences.

Based on past experience I’ve encountered a few strategies that may provide some helpful guidance:
• Additional Skill Developments/Certification:
o Offering employees vouchers for skills development or certifications, often through participation in conferences like RSA/Black HAT, ISC2 and others can be highly rewarding.
• Internal Recognition - for job well done.
o Announcing recognition for a job well done can be a great motivator. However, since some employees may not feel comfortable with public acknowledgment, I recommend checking in with the individual first to ensure they are okay with it.
• Time off for Recognition.
o I’ve occasionally given PTO (Personal Time Off) as a form of recognition to a team or individual recognition. In some cases we’ve arranged for a dinner out with transportation for the employee and their significant other at a local restaurant to show appreciation. Off course, its important to check with HR beforehand of course. But in most cases, this has been at the manager’s discretion.
• Additional Wellness support –
o In highly stressful situations, particularly those involving very rare critical or life-threatening circumstances, we’ve provided additional wellness days or access to mental health resources beyond standard HR benefits./This can help support employees in more meaning ful ways during these intense periods. It’s a very unusual situation but it happens.

Beyond normal corporate stuff (raises, bonuses, etc.) I find that security people, and IT people in general respond well to informal rewards.  Send them to dinner with a friend or significant other, etc. and let them expense it.  Do this after a busy period, or completion of a critical project or issue.

Our company has couple different recognition programs. The first is called FS3 which stands for Faster, Simpler, Safe, and Secure. If an employee is recognized for contributing to one of these areas above and beyond their normal duties, we recognize them with a celebration (where our President gives them a challenge coin-he was a former General in the Air Force). We also have a Hot Shot Award program where anyone can recommend an employee for outstanding work/service. This award ($25 value) allows the employee to purchase an item from our Team store. Both of these programs were established at the executive level and has a dedicated budget to use. 

Touching on the monetary aspect, managers can be given a small budget, even as little as 50 to 50 to100, to show appreciation for team members who step up during big incidents or complete significant projects. A small thank-you gesture, such as a gift card, can make a big difference. It's not about the dollar amount but the recognition and flexibility it represents. I've received great feedback from implementing such programs with a minimal budget.

Additionally, frequent team dinners provide a space for candid discussions about what's happening within the team. This helps team members feel heard and valued, contributing to their mental health and overall morale. Creating a culture where their voices influence strategic initiatives and fostering a sense of autonomy can significantly boost their motivation and job satisfaction.