Editor’s note: Daisy Jardine-Viner, a cybersecurity recruitment specialist for NDK Infosec, recently shared her expertise on pandemic-impacted industry hiring trends at ISACA’s EuroCACS conference, hitting on topics including Zoom interview best practices, how the pandemic has altered hiring and what skills and credentials can best position candidates for success in this new climate. Jardine-Viner recently visited with ISACA Now to further explore the recalibrated hiring landscape. The following is a transcript of the interview, edited for length and clarity:
How has COVID changed the recruitment process this year?
The recruitment sector, like every sector, has been affected by COVID. There are many ways in which we have all had to change the way we operate, but interviewing and onboarding have been most impacted. Everything, bar rare exceptions, has become remote.
The use of video technology and new platforms have been quickly adopted. Despite a few inevitable hiccups in a period of transition, every company that I work with or have spoken with has reacted to these changes brilliantly. Many have implemented the latest technology and adjustments to processes in order to make hiring as safe and seamless as possible.
Does the interview and hiring process take longer than usual?
At the very beginning of the pandemic, interviewing and hiring did take longer. Companies weren’t sure of the impact of COVID would have and many didn’t utilize remote interviewing in their standard processes. We are now a fair way through the pandemic, with many of us in second lockdowns, but the hiring processes have now sped up significantly and are a lot swifter than before.
With so many candidates working from home, finding the time for a telephone or video interview is easier – there is no need to book half a day off or try to slip out of the office and hope no one notices. The increase in availability has meant that we have seen candidates complete multiple interviews over a single week as opposed to several. Yes, there are instances where processes still take longer, but overall, processes have improved.
Are organizations hiring at the same rate that they would be otherwise?
The economic shock of COVID has meant that some hiring plans have changed significantly in both positive and negative manners. For the most part, at the beginning we saw industry freezes on hiring, and despite a select few industries going through hiring surges from changes in demand, there were only critical fill positions open.
Hiring has now picked up tremendously over the past 3-4 months. As the dust starts to settle, projects are underway again and businesses are starting to resume at almost a pre-pandemic pace. Things will vary industry to industry, but we have seen hiring going back to what we would normally expect.
Any tips on how to be effective at interviewing over Zoom and how to follow up once it’s over?
It is important to remember that video interviewing is new to everyone – it could be your interviewer’s first video interview as well! Below are some of the basics I would always cover:
- Set the scene. Find a quiet place at home – somewhere you can sit comfortably with good lighting. Is there anything in your background that could be distracting that you could move or avoid?
- Have a trial run. Download and run the video platform that you are using, get used to the navigation and maybe do a dummy video call with a friend or family member. Make sure your headphones and video setting are configured before the real interview.
- Dress for the occasion. Just because you are at home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be well presented. Speak to your recruiter/point of contact about how formal you need to be and they will be able to guide you, but it is always better to be overdressed.
- Prepare how you would for a face-to-face interview. Research the company, look through the role again, see how your skills align with the position and find out about your interviewer. You will need to be as prepared as possible.
Once your interview is complete, make sure you send a follow-up email on the day of, or if your interview was in the evening, send it the next morning. Thank the interviewer for their time and mention that you look forward to speaking again soon and finding out about next steps and feedback.
If you have applied via a recruiter, make sure you call and pass on your feedback so that they can have a conversation with their client about your thoughts. It can also be worth sending a follow-up email with your thoughts on the interview.
Remember, interview processes can take some time. Even if everything is moving faster, there are often other candidates being interviewed. Don’t be disheartened by this – many companies want to evaluate all options before returning with feedback. I would recommend sending a follow-up email the week after your interview to see if you have any news yet.
What skills and certifications are most in demand in the information security space right now?
Continual professional development and improvement plans really do have their place and can never hurt to have, but it is important that the skills and certifications you choose to pursue are relevant to you and your career. Within my specific area of Information Security recruitment (Governance, Risk, Compliance and Audit), there are certain certifications that have been in demand and are increasing in demand:
Data privacy and protection certifications have been especially in demand recently as organizations are now putting this at the forefront of their agendas. I would also say that more basic certifications in technical or hands-on skills, such as the CompTIA certifications, are growing in popularity, as there has been an increased need for technical understanding in most GRC positions now.
What do you think the next five years will see in the tech field as far as new roles and responsibilities? Are there emerging roles that we should be preparing for?
Over the next five years we are likely to have an increased focus on information security in the wider business (I imagine much to the relief of information security professionals globally). Business Information Security Officers have been in frequent demand, and almost every position I have come across has had some level of user awareness, education and training experience needed.
Alongside an increased business need, we have also seen a rapid increase in demand for cloud security experience (GCP, AWS or Azure predominantly) as organizations look to change how they operate. This has also been reflected in an increasing demand for automation engineers within security, not to take away roles from information security professionals, but so they can fully utilize all their resources and focus more on bigger issues.
It should also be noted that cyber/information security insurance has been growing as an additional form of protection for organizations, so I would expect some changes and developments in the insurance industry. As mentioned, data privacy and protection has been growing in importance and is likely to only continue rising; in a similar vein, threat intelligence has become more important for organizations so that they can monitor issues they may encounter in the near future and take active steps to avoid them.
Are you seeing an increase in qualified and well-trained candidates?
The industry is becoming increasingly competitive, and due to the ever-changing nature of information security as a whole, many candidates are now striving to actively upskill. This could be from attending webinars or virtual conferences, to taking certifications, tackling additional areas of work for exposure or participating in events. It is important to remember that everyone enters this industry differently, and you should focus on your career path and how you can best better yourself – look to others for guidance, but develop what you need to and what will be beneficial for you first.