Cyber Security is a Top Concern, Where Will the Talent Come From?

MILWAUKEE, March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- IT leaders rank cyber security among their top concerns, yet the scarcity of IT talent and lack of development opportunities for new entrants leaves organizations struggling to meet the challenge. This is according to a new global survey of senior IT managers by Experis, the professional resourcing and project-based solutions arm of ManpowerGroup (NYSE: MAN).

Download the report, Protecting Your Organization in a Talent-Scarce Market: http://goo.gl/MW2V3i

Experis' survey finds cyber security is the most frequently cited in-demand skillset globally (32%), nearly twice as much as the next mentioned skillset, software development (18%). This perceived talent shortage aligns with market data which suggest the gap between supply and demand for cyber security professionals globally will be nearly 1.5 million workers by 2019.¹

"The information security threat is one of the biggest risks organizations face today, but as the demand for skilled professionals skyrockets, there simply aren't enough of them to go around," said Ram Chandrashekhar, Global Head of ManpowerGroup's Experis business. "Employers need to anticipate their growing talent needs, implement development plans for current employees and create a robust talent strategy for the future."

Protecting Your Organization in a Talent-Scarce Market offers recommendations for employers on how to manage their IT talent pools and deal with the widening security talent shortage:

• Make information security talent management a priority. Ensure that the C-suite and boardroom are educated and engaged in an ongoing dialogue with IT leaders to create a flexible plan that can adapt to emerging security risks.
• Evaluate staff. Institute an annual skills inventory process to identify and track critical security skills employed or anticipated by your organization to aid in career development, resource retention and staff acquisition planning.
• Grow from within. Develop in-house talent by providing hands-on, cross-functional opportunities in real-world situations.
• Carefully evaluate new talent before hiring. Incorporate a screening process by experienced security staff to help vet resumes and better understand the functional areas and skills needed.
• Manage the talent supply chain. Match your resourcing strategy to your specific need and consider alternative options like contract expertise or thought leadership, project-based consulting and deliverables-based temporary staffing initiatives.

"Information security is a fast-changing field and companies are having to explore new talent models to keep up," said Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Global Chief Technology Officer, ManpowerGroup. "Clearly organizations need to do a better job developing talent internally, but given their fast-evolving IT needs many are also turning to outside vendors for help." 

Experis' research examines the question of workforce composition and finds that two-thirds of organizations still rely on a single resourcing strategy — 52% only use permanent employees, while 15% only use contractors. The study concludes that the best results tend to come from hybrid models, used by 33% of employers, that combine in-house teams with third-party expertise.

For more information, read Protecting Your Organization in a Talent-Scarce Market.

About Experis
Experis™ is the global leader in professional resourcing and project-based solutions. Experis accelerates organizations' growth by attracting, assessing and placing specialized expertise in IT, Finance and Engineering to deliver in-demand talent for mission-critical positions and projects, enhancing the competitiveness of the organizations and people we serve. Experis is part of the ManpowerGroup family of companies, which also includes Manpower, ManpowerGroup Solutions and Right Management. To learn more, visit www.experis.com.

¹ The 2015 (ISC) Global Information Security Workforce Study, Frost & Sullivan, April, 2015.

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SOURCE ManpowerGroup