How Leaders Prevent Cybersecurity Employee Churn and Boost Retention

How Leaders Prevent Cybersecurity Employee Churn and Boost Retention

Empowering Your Cybersecurity Team Through Goal Alignment, Retention Strategies, and Enhanced Job Satisfaction 

The cybersecurity industry faces a staggering talent gap, with an estimated 3.5 million unfilled positions worldwide. This problem is further exacerbated by the substantial 20% turnover rate among cyber professionals.  

These issues are not only frustrating to security leaders – they affect the organization’s security since there is a direct relation between staffing levels, retention, and cyberattacks, as noted in ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity Report. 

It’s time to make some changes. Organizations can’t keep addressing churn with the same tactics and expect different results. 

Identifying the Source of Churn

One in five U.S. cybersecurity practitioners is considering quitting their jobs within the next six months, and 57% have experienced heightened stress over the past six months. It is crucial to address the reasons why this is happening to drastically reduce turnover.

While many factors can influence the turnover rate in cybersecurity, one key reason for churn is the lack of alignment around objectives. Simply stated, the goals of the C-suite, security leaders, and cyber practitioners don't always match up. 

For example, a CEO may prioritize growth and innovation, while a CISO may prioritize risk mitigation and security, potentially affecting technology adoption or budget allocation. Similarly, a CIO may focus on implementing new IT systems, whereas cybersecurity team members might be more concerned about learning those new systems while maintaining existing ones. None of these priorities are wrong. But it’s crucial for security leaders to create a cohesive cybersecurity strategy that supports organizational goals while improving employee satisfaction and retention.

High churn rates among security operations center (SOC) team members can also arise from what they perceive as insufficient support, under-prioritized security initiatives, and difficulty obtaining resources or executive buy-in for critical projects. Such perceptions could result from undefined expectations or point back to misaligned objectives. Left unresolved, these issues can lead to burnout, job dissatisfaction, and increased stress. 

Cybersecurity specialists often leave their companies for higher pay, but retaining top talent involves more than competitive compensation. When organizations prioritize professional development and team cohesiveness, employees feel valued, engaged, and supported in their growth.

Constant turnover within the SOC team disrupts the continuity of security efforts and strains the organization's ability to maintain a mature cybersecurity posture. Plus, team members possess specific knowledge, training, and expertise that is difficult to replace, and their departure can increase vulnerability to cyber attacks and security breaches.

Nurturing the Personal and Professional Development of Your SOC Team

Security leaders who want to keep their cyber employees must implement a comprehensive personal and professional development strategy that enables them to acquire new skills, feel valued, and remain current with industry trends, emerging tech, and evolving cyber threats. One of the top reasons cyber professionals leave their jobs is limited advancement opportunities. Providing them with new responsibilities and training, which should also lead to advancement within your organization, can motivate them to stay with the company long-term. 

The secret to reducing churn lies in effectively addressing the needs and aspirations of individuals, which includes creating customized training plans and opportunities for advancement. 

Additionally, the support for personal development must be underscored by transparent and meaningful metrics that show progress and align with organizational objectives. 

Here are six practical ways security leaders can reduce the churn currently plaguing their industry:

1. Guide employees to best-fit roles 

Learn each person’s innate strengths and talents and help them find or create the role that aligns best. For example, not everyone who wants to be a white hat hacker will excel in that role – they may be better suited in forensics or another area. RightTrak™ Cyber Aptitude Assessments will help you map someone’s natural abilities to suitable cybersecurity roles. 

You can also use the aptitude assessments to help transition people from other departments into cybersecurity, such as from IT. That will help you retain top talent within your organization and allow people to move into new career paths. While they may need training, they already understand the company culture and internal processes, making them ideal candidates. 

2. Overcommunicate 

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place,” is a great quote attributed to George Bernard Shaw. Another communication problem is our limited recall, with studies showing we remember only 10%-17% of what we hear. That’s why it’s critical to say things numerous times and in different ways.

Overcommunication is necessary for explaining how organizational goals impact cybersecurity team members on an individual level. Sometimes that line from the C-Suite to the SOC isn’t easy to draw. Discussing it multiple times may sound wearisome, but it’s helpful for promoting teamwork and shared purpose. Good communication can also help prevent goal misalignment, reduce the risk of errors and vulnerabilities, and foster transparency.

3. Invest time in your people

Investing time in your team benefits both you and them. If you sit down for even 15 minutes with a team member, you can gain insights into the challenges they face and address them. This could involve providing flexible work hours, helping team members step into new roles, or allowing downtime for self-care. 

If you invest time in your employees, it could save you the headache of having to replace them because they left for seemingly greener pastures. Showing concern for their personal and professional well-being can go a long way in fostering trust and respect — two essential parts of strong teams.

4. Set up new hires for success

New hires, with their diverse backgrounds and expertise, require tailored training solutions. This means one size does not fit all. You need the right tools to create engaging and effective training that empowers each individual, setting them on a path towards success. 

For example, the FastTrak™ Cyber Candidate Assessment is an innovative tool that evaluates the skills and know-how of new hires in a simulated environment. The resulting report allows you to see how someone performs their work role in a real-world environment. Plus, Cloud Range’s Performance Portal can take the results and generate a unique training plan to bridge any gaps and ensure a successful onboarding. This personalized approach to training allows new hires to build the knowledge and skills they need to shine, transforming them into valuable team members swiftly and effectively.

5. Create personalized growth plans

Now that you know what your individual team members need to become even better at their jobs, you can generate a personal professional development plan that includes labs, workshops, courses, and immersive cyber range simulation training. Cloud Range’s Performance Portal provides single-point access to all of these things as well as performance analytics and tailored recommendations for continued growth. Easy-to-understand metrics help you track and report on the cyber readiness progress of your team.

6. Encourage collaboration 

Building a strong cybersecurity team isn't just about coding skills or threat detection. It's also about fostering a spirit of collaboration and unity that enables everyone to do their best. Think escape rooms and scavenger hunts for a fun twist on problem-solving, or live-fire cyber simulation missions for teams. And never underestimate the power of a good old happy hour, where the team can unwind and connect on a personal level. After all, a team that plays together, stays together — and keeps networks safe together!

Many security leaders have more expertise in safeguarding an organization's network versus in HR or talent management. But there are tools to help. By offering resources that foster individual and team growth, your cybersecurity team can transform into a cohesive, highly skilled unit. 

Contact Cloud Range to learn more about our comprehensive suite of products and services to help you reduce your turnover rate and ensure cyber readiness, which ultimately reduces risk.