Benefits of Hiring at Entry Leve for Cyber Security

Why hire entry level for cyber security? I find myself discussing this more and more with cyber clients and more broadly, in the technology realms. As the cyber security industry grows, as does the need for people to help deliver to the requirements. The issue is that, in the current Australian recruitment environment, finding skilled professionals is very difficult and people who are deemed to be SME level people are in demand. The time, effort and cost to run a full recruitment process and then miss out on the person who was deemed the best for the position is a tough one to swallow. We propose considering hiring entry and junior people to combat the talent short cyber market and be part of the solution to supporting and growing the cyber eco system. 

When considering hiring an entry level person, I believe you need to implement a strategy for a successful hire. There is a difference between plucking people of the street and throwing them into a CompTIA course and expecting them to be your next “top employee”, as opposed to scouting the market and finding someone who is passionate about the industry, has demonstrated a thirst to learn and has the attitude to help them and you succeed.

When e2 hires at entry level, we focus on three factors to determine people who can both start and do well in the industry. Firstly, we want to know you are a good person with quality human skills. Secondly, they must have a drive and passion for the cyber industry and thirdly, we want someone who has demonstrated a drive to be better. Ideally, they have already been part of some form of learning (free or paid), follow industry news and have an idea of their career pathway. Now to find these 3 key attributes isn’t always easy BUT when you ask the right questions, look in the right places and have a process to enable the right interview conversation to happen, this can be an incredibly successful process to land the right entry level person to your business. 

Why should a business hire entry level cyber roles?

As a business, when you hire at entry level, we have seen strong success when these areas are the focus:

1. Loyalty – when you give someone an opportunity, they typically show a better level of loyalty to the business that gives them a chance to get started. This is shown through extra effort, time in the company, promotion of the business to their networks and level of commitment to their role.
2. Output – an entry level person wants to “earn their stripes”. They have a point to prove as to why they were hired and given a chance. Again, they are typically more willing and wanting to put their hand up for all requirements to give as much as they can to the company and role.
3. Culture – having a diverse range of experiences, ages and skills helps build a better and well-rounded culture for any business. This opens up more dynamic conversations as a whole and creates a workplace where people feel everyone has voice and opportunity.
4. Cost – hiring junior people is cheaper than more experienced hires. The process to hire can be shorter, salary lower, output of hirer better and with a limited amount of people to choose in the cyber space, can mean you actually fill your needs.

I do fully believe all the above is true and the positives far outweigh the negatives of junior hires, however there are some risks associated with the plan of hiring at entry level and building them up. These risks can be mitigated with a proper recruitment process and then a clear, well-defined process and plan for when you hire junior people. I advise clients to make sure they have a recruitment process that is transparent on what the role is, how the company will support the hire, a clear-cut training pathway and to be honest about the challenges in the role. For candidates, I address the issues around needing to be fully committed, give it a real go through time and effort and to make sure they are confident they can be successful in the role. Again, this all comes down to planning and communication to make sure it works well.

In a very tight candidate pool of skilled resources, we have a need for people to help deliver to improve the cyber industry, combined with the number of entry level people who are desperate for a start in the cyber world, you can have success. Manage a strong recruitment process, outline clear pathways for new hires and ensure you get a commitment to the role, and the outcome can be more beneficial for all, sometimes even more so than trying to find a more experienced employee!

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