If you have visited a restaurant recently, whether it was quick or full service, you might have noticed the employees frantically scrambling around the facility with a look of utter dismay on their faces. The hospitality industry has been hit hard by the worker shortage that started to develop at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hotels and restaurants continue to struggle with recruiting and retaining workers that match the personality traits that define “hospitality.”

As a leader in information technology, you also have noticed a cyber talent gap that widens with each passing day. Although labor shortages in the IT industry have always been a concern, the worker shortage issue for IT leaders has reached the critical stage of development. Addressing the acute shortage of IT professionals requires the right balance of one part recruitment, one part development, and one part retention.

A recent survey conducted by Trellix should confirm what IT professionals such as CIOs already know: 85 percent of the survey respondents stated the workforce shortage in the IT industry negatively affects how a company establishes increasingly complicated networks and systems. The frequent turnover among IT professionals is further verified by the survey’s result stating almost one-third of the current workforce plans to leave their current jobs before the end of 2022.

Vanson Bourne, which conducts research for companies operating all over the world, recently presented a questionnaire to nearly 1,000 cybersecurity professionals located in several countries, including France, Japan, Canada, and the United States. The research study analyzed the demographics of the employees working in the cybersecurity industry, as well as measured their level of motivation and frustration. A wide variety of workplace issues surfaced that include the need for IT departments to implement diversity initiatives and individual plans for professional development.

Cybersecurity professionals and the people that lead them should understand how we have reached the point of an acute labor shortage. However, more importantly, IT leaders such as CTOs must plot a strategy to recruit, develop, and retain the brightest minds and most dedicated IT professionals in the cybersecurity industry.

Recruitment of IT Professionals

The recruitment of IT professionals typically starts at academic institutions that specialize in running the most renowned IT education programs. Cybersecurity professionals tend to possess at least one academic degree, as well as at least one certification that is relevant to a professional’s IT specialty. Recruiting IT professionals straight out of college allows a company to develop new employees according to a well-thought-out career progression program.

How do you recruit recent college graduates? Setting up a booth at a college’s IT career day represents a promising start. You get to meet students your company would not have met otherwise. Getting your foot into the door of a prestigious IT academic institution ensures you build mutually beneficial relationships that last for years to come. Another way to connect with IT students on the verge of launching their careers involves holding open houses at your company’s headquarters. IT students can meet individually with members of your team based on their career interests, as well as get to see firsthand the type of cybersecurity technology your company has implemented.

Focusing on just students fresh out of college graduate ceremonies provides a narrow perspective when it comes to recruiting the most accomplished IT professionals. In an era of high turnover, your company has the opportunity to target experienced IT professionals that are searching for a different organization to continue an already bright career.

Development of IT Professionals

Perhaps no other industry requires as comprehensive of vocational qualifications as the IT industry. This is especially true for cybersecurity professionals because the industry constantly demands adaptation to rapid technology changes. To leverage the need for your IT staff to develop professionally, your organization must establish programs that encourage IT professionals to gain new skills, as well as create measurement guidelines that analyze the performance of your employee development program.

Remember that it is not a one-size-fits-all model for creating an employee development program. Your company should customize each development program to match the goals and skillsets of each of the IT professionals on your team.

Retention of IT Professionals

Yes, compensation matters when it comes to retaining the most professionally accomplished members of your IT team. Higher than average salaries combined with lucrative bonuses that award tenure and achievements represent a good start for the formation of a successful IT professional retention strategy. However, compensation is not enough if your company fails your team on other retention issues.

For example, implementing a development plan that both rewards and challenges the IT professionals on your team is an effective way to generate long-term loyalty. Making diversity and inclusion a priority opens up many more doors for you to keep the best IT team members in the fold for years to come. Recognition plays an integral role in employee retention strategies, which can be as straightforward as congratulating team members for jobs well done.

The Bottom Line

Your organization has a cyber talent gap, as growing frustrations on several levels have caused IT professionals to jump ship for a more beneficial professional voyage. With the Vanson Bourne survey demonstrating that nearly 90 percent of the IT professionals survey are currently experiencing at least one professionally-based frustration, the time has arrived for your company to become proactive by emphasizing the importance of recruiting, developing, and retaining the best cybersecurity professionals in the industry.