Data security threats are at an all-time high, and most organizations are finding themselves understaffed when it comes to cybersecurity. According to a recent study conducted by the CyberSeek and CompTIA, cybersecurity jobs must double in order to meet current demand. Additionally, a majority of organizations lack the tools and resources they need to protect their data assets.

Many companies need more people for their security team, but what’s the best way to go about accessing and securing that talent? Let’s start with the numbers, according to recently released hiring data. The cybersecurity workforce gap will hit 1.8 million by 2022, a 20 percent increase since 2015. Additionally nearly three-quarters of workers in North America believe the shortage is due to a lack of qualified people.

According to over 50% of the businesses that participated in the survey, there are currently not enough workers to address data threats. In reaction to this, nearly 75% of employers globally are planning to increase the size of their cybersecurity staff in 2018.

Here are some of the ways you can tackle the cyber security talent shortage, according to the Harvard Business Review.

1) Look at revitalizing your workforce strategy

You may have an idea of the skills you need today, but what about the skills of tomorrow? You should adjust your hiring efforts to truly fit the needs of your business. Discuss 2018 needs with leadership and hiring managers within your company to determine staffing needs.

For example, has your company been affected by a cyber security breech, and do you need specialists to ensure your customer’s information is as secure as possible? Or is one of your marketing messages this year how your company is innovative when it comes to cyber security, and you need to bolster your security team to accommodate this?

2) Widen the scope of your search

Studies show there is a significantly larger percentage of males compared to females in the industry at this time. This means there is an opportunity for employers to look past the typical hiring path. You have an opportunity to be proactive within diversity recruiting and hiring. These efforts will be rewarded with a richer culture and a more passionate workforce. Diversity in any workforce brings different perspectives and experiences, which helps your company become even stronger.

3) Leverage with the help of a recruiter or staffing agency

Whether you need on-demand talent or a long-term higher, a recruiter can help you fill cyber security talent gaps on your team. Particularly, reaching out to a recruiter is a good idea if you have highly specific areas of expertise that you’re looking to hire for. Recruiters spend the vast majority of their days interacting with talented, passive candidates who could be a perfect fit for your team.

4) Broaden the scope of the job qualifications

You may struggle with attracting enough talent because your job qualifications are too narrow. You must ask yourself, is it necessary for the cyber security candidate to have a college degree or five years of experience? For many forward-thinking tech companies, a traditional college degree has become less and less important as a required qualification . There are many technical certifications available, which qualified candidates have taken advantage of, ranging from EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) to (ISC)² Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

You can also recruit internally and train employees. The most important thing is that they have the attitude and aptitude to come up to speed quickly and add value to the organization. This also means you must provide adequate direction, training and mentoring. This may require some serious and dedicated investment on behalf of the employer, but it’s worth it in the end.

Consider Outsourcing Your Recruiting Process

One of the most challenging parts of recruiting top talent is honing in on your process. This can take years and expertise to do successfully. At US Tech Solutions, we understand the challenges associated with talent acquisition and how an inconsistent process can drive up costs and push back deadlines.

We have the best-in-class approach to recruitment process outsourcing (RPO). By investing in RPO, you can attract top talent while reducing associated expenses and time-to-hire. We invite you to build a partnership with us to gain access to the talent that will help your organization drive innovation and move forward.