The best way to collaborate talent within a security eco-system
By Karl Sharman
Fusion Centers were formed following the devastating 9/11 terrorist attacks in New York and now mainly form a way of analyzing and dissecting threat intelligence. It initially was started within government or federal organizations but has more recently been seen in primarily the financial services industry. This move has been seen with a lot of attention and is being seen both as a candidate attraction tool as well as more importantly a way of collaborating to help mitigate risks to the organization.
Staffing within Fusion Center is an attractive space with salary growth outpacing the national average as the talent gap widens. This means a further strain on budgets within security so thinking outside the box and understand how to attract a diverse pool of candidates is crucial within hiring for this area.
Often recruiting for Fusion Centers means we get a stronger response rate due to the excitement and mystery it causes candidates. The collaborative approach and branding often interest people to want to pursue a move into a Fusion Center. A Fusion Center often has a range of skill sets required so often people with a range of skills are sought after, but more than that a person with soft skills are required with this eco-system.
Soft skills in a Fusion Center are what is required for success. Skills such as critical thinking, knowing how to challenge, being pragmatic, a strong communicator and someone who has a real passion about the job. These skills are arguably the hardest to assess however, organizations should provide behavioral questioning, situational questioning and spend time with candidates face to face in order to see common trends in both body reactions and communication. Ultimately, a resume can only tell you so much, so begin to adopt video earlier in the process to assist in screening candidates.
The range of skills required, and the widening talent gap means that organizations must look from traditional and non-traditional fields to identify talent. For this to be successful diversity is required, that is background, skillset, education, gender, experience and race in order to bring different views and ideas to the table.
Retention across security is a real issue with 86% of people open to moving in 2019 (BeecherMadden, 2019). Our research suggests that people mainly move for the following three reasons: career progression, increase in salary and the opportunity to join a new or growing function. This is a real challenge if you’re a 100-year-old bank to compete in an ever-developing market. Some companies are even entering a seller’s market in order to compete to attract and retain talent.
Fusion Centers can be different, they can be marketed differently in order to retain talent. They can cause excitement, they can create a culture and they can develop people for the benefit of their career however, ultimately like any other area of the organization it comes down to leadership. Talent wants to be heard, see a pathway and have the opportunity to improve within this eco-system.
To achieve this, leaders within the security and the business need to pro-actively act and engage with the talent. This will include regular interactions, 1 on 1, recognizing achievements and providing education programs in order to the talent to keep engaged and thriving for the greater good of the organization.
About the Author
Karl Sharman is a Cyber Security specialist recruiter & talent advisor leading the US operations for BeecherMadden. After graduating from University, he was a lead recruiter of talent for football clubs including Crystal Palace, AFC Wimbledon & Southampton FC. In his time, he produced and supported over £1 million worth of talent for football clubs before moving into Cyber Security in 2017. In the cybersecurity industry, Karl has become a contributor, writer and a podcast host alongside his full-time recruitment focus. Karl can be reached online at [email protected], on LinkedIn and at our company website http://www.beechermadden.com
