16 Sep The Key to Attracting Cybersecurity Talent in Singapore
A quick glance at the recently trending news within the cybersecurity industry will let you know that the industry is finding it hard to attract tech talent. The current shortage of tech talent is not a phenomenon exclusive to Singapore – but a global one.
Even hiring managers working with big-name Silicone Valley companies such as Facebook and Google have complained about the talent shortage. And we bet that if you’re reading this, chances are you’re a hiring manager at wit’s end, trying to attract the right cybersecurity talent in Singapore.
So what can you do? Below, we describe the key to attracting cybersecurity talent in Singapore.
1. A Substantial Increase in Salary
It has recently been revealed that tech employees expect a salary increment of at least 20% when switching jobs within the tech industry. This is possibly due to the huge demand for IT and tech talent in the current day and age.
Additionally, Michael Page Singapore claims that average tech employees earn between S$10,000 to S$22,000 monthly. Organizations should look within themselves and figure out if it is financially possible to hire cybersecurity talents on a permanent and full-time basis.
2. Engineering New Culture Redesign
Despite all the glitz and the glamour of tech life on TV. Older employees working in the industry will remember a working life where they feel undervalued and unappreciated. This is why organizations looking to hire tech talents will have to redesign and reinvent the company’s culture.
When it comes to engineering a new culture at your workplace, you may find tips given to tech startups useful. Some helpful tips include:
- Maintain employee morale: Happy employees are more productive employees. Studies reveal that workplace happiness increases productivity by 12%. One way to promote employee morale is through open communication – which allows employees voices to be heard and ensure that workplace-related issues are not allowed to fester. Learn more about maintaining employee morale here.
- Clarify mission: Have you heard of the saying, you attract those who are like you? Spend time to define a good company mission statement along with the culture you want to portray.
- Flexibility to experiment: Tech talents are usually disinterested in climbing career ladders within a single organization. Studies have shown that overseas Singapore tech talents tend to stay in their roles for approximately three years, before moving. So what can traditional companies and organizations take away from this? Well, for one hiring managers and HR staff can stop assuming that career progression within the company is an attractive incentive to promote. Instead, GovInsider.com claims that tech talents are more interested in the flexibility to experiment on the job. Take a look at Google for instance. Employees often talk about the respectable “Level 5” – which is a point in the Google employee’s career where they do not have to worry about getting fired. The catch is that these employees will also be tapping out of further promotion. Quite an interesting incentive, right?
- Remove hierarchy: Not everyone working in tech or cybersecurity is interested in dropping their path of mastery in order to become managers. Keep in mind that skills such as coding, design, and cybersecurity are paths that require mastery. Additionally, not every cybersecurity or tech expert is willing to give up that mastery or role, in order to be a manager. As such, managers and supervisors should keep in mind that hierarchy does not matter to the cybersecurity or tech expert. Keep an open mind and heed the advice given by your tech employee.
3. Consider Foreign Talent
If all else fails, you might want to consider head hunting for foreign talent. With Singapore being a growing tech hub, it might be an attractive incentive to foreign cybersecurity talents. Not to mention the shortage of top tier tech talent within Singapore.
Of course, hiring foreign talent comes with multiple challenges. Sourcing a reputable cybersecurity specialist overseas will be tough – how would you test the candidate’s tech proficiency without specialized tests?
Once you’ve hired your foreign cybersecurity specialist – your organization would have to think about work arrangements. Will you be able to outsource your daily cybersecurity needs to a specialist overseas? Or will you spend exorbitant fees in an attempt to “import” such talent into your organization. In any case, there’ll be a lot to look out for before organizations in Singapore can hire foreign talent.
Final Thoughts
There are many challenges to hiring permanent cybersecurity talent – and not all the solutions are applicable. Consider outsourcing your hiring and HR needs to a specialist agency such as A Very Normal Company (AVNC).
We hope that you are able to alleviate some of your hiring woes with these tips from Cyberstein (AVNC).
Need some help?
Outsource your cybersecurity headache to trained tech recruiters with Cyberstein. At Cyberstein, we offer the best manpower available to act as your first line of defence. Find out more about Cyberstein’s services here. Or contact Victor at ([email protected])for more information on how outsourcing and recruiting temporary cybersecurity talents is a great option to consider when it comes to protecting your company, its resources, and reputation online.
Stay informed, follow A Very Normal Company on Linkedin for more news and updates on Cyber Security outsourcing and recruitment in Singapore.
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