Providing Practical Solutions Winning the Talent Wars for Recruiting and Retaining 21 st Century...
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Transcript of Providing Practical Solutions Winning the Talent Wars for Recruiting and Retaining 21 st Century...
Providing Practical Solutions
Winning the Talent Wars for Recruiting and Retaining 21st
Century Cyber Engineers
Jeff Kubik, PMP, CISSPSr PM, Praxis Engineering
1
Agenda
Background Distinguishing Cyber engineering talent from
other technical fields Recruiting challenges for national defense
customers PM’s role in recruiting and developing a
successful recruiting strategy Lessons learned from previous programs
2
Background
2013 DoD Cyber Security budget: $3.4B DHS $769M – Cyber security budget for 2013 Gov’t IT projects all competing for the same cyber talent Increase use of mobile & cloud computing environments
bolstering demand for security Shortage of Science, Technology, Engineering,
Math (STEM) graduates to fill market demand Growing number of STEM degrees in
US being awarded to foreign citizens
3
Cyber Talent DistinctionCyber Engineer Talent Requires broad
understanding of networking, operating systems & application development
Understanding of cyber attack scenarios & mitigation strategies
Encompasses Computer Network Defense, Computer network attack, Computer network exploitation skills
Requires continuously updating of skills & maintenance of DoD 8570.1 certifications
Technical Talent Focus on excellence within a
specific domain: Programming, networking, system administration, Database administration
More concerned about functionality vs security of solution
Maintains proficiency in the technology
4
Recruiting Challenges Intense competition (Private Industry,
Government) for new college (STEM) talent Limited supply of talent with active security
clearances Processing new candidates for high level security
clearances can take more than a year with no guarantee for adjudication
Compensation expectations of new / recent graduates misaligned with reshaping of Federal marketplace
Millennials seek challenging work environments that provides them with unrestricted access to mobile computing and social media
Traditional IT workforce requires training investment to become Cyber ready
5
PM’s Role in Recruiting and Developing a Recruiting
Strategy PMs need to outline recruiting strategy in
advance of winning a cyber program Active involvement with recruiters & participation
in candidate interviews Identification of sources of cyber engineer
candidates Determine talent acquisition investment
required in obtaining necessary personnel
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Recruiting Strategy Identify sources for program staffing Identify recruiting sources & establish pipelines
Other Contractor personnel Former Government/Military personnel External Recruitment firms Interns / Co-Ops
Incentives: employee referrals, sign on bonuses Social Media & Marketing efforts Conduct targeted sourcing across electronic job
boards, alumni associations, professional trade groups, LinkedIn
Active participation in Cyber Competitions: Cyber Patriot, Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC)
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Involvement with Recruiting Team
Provide recruiters with summary table of skills mapped to available contract labor categories
Collaborate with recruiting on compensation strategy
Maintain staffing spreadsheet to highlight vacancies
Participate in candidate interviews Provide detailed feedback to recruiters to improve
their sourcing criteria for candidates Join recruiters at campus visits (build future
pipeline) Encourage employees to become extensions of
the formal corporate recruiting team8
Sources of Cyber Engineers
Defense Contractors Government (Civilian/Military) Academia (IA Centers of Excellence) Security / IT engineers supporting other critical
infrastructure sectors (finance, healthcare, energy)
Pathways to Cybersecurity Careers Consortium College campuses Cross train current talent (long term investment) 1099s (Independent consultants)
9
Talent Acquisition Investment
Determine employment offer: Contingent or Firm Establish budget for employee referrals Determine relocation budget for candidates
possessing critical skills Budget training $ to ensure staff obtain/retain
their DoD 8570.1 certifications (e.g. Security+, CISSP, GIAC)
10
Lessons Learned
Allow candidates to share in the vision of their future professional growth on your cyber program
Invest in the training of cyber personnel & create assignments that expands their technical skills
Establish frequent and open communications with recruiting team, management and project staff
Create a partnership with the Customer to enable staff growth which increases the program’s intrinsic value in retention of top talent
Develop a flexible staffing strategy that accommodates change and staff transitions
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Conclusion
Active PM involvement is critical to winning the cyber talent war
Coaching the next generation of cyber engineers contributes to increasing the talent supply for our Nation
Maintaining technical competencies aides in cyber talent acquisition and development
Invest time and energy in developing better awareness of your personnel’s needs to improve retention
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