Providing Practical Solutions

Winning the Talent Wars for Recruiting and Retaining 21st

Century Cyber Engineers Jeff Kubik, PMP, CISSP

Sr PM, Praxis Engineeringjbkubik@praxiseng.com

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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) 7

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)

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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)

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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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