I run a cyber security recruitment company and publish / speak regular on women in cyber.
Women are paid approximately 30% more than men in cyber and I hope that by publishing this information, it will attract more women to consider the field. Partly women are paid more because companies are keen to improve their diversity. They are also paid more as they tend to bring additional skills and come from a non-traditional background. They have often moved from risk management, product management or sales and bring good relationship management skills.
Companies and recruiters can also help with the language they use in their adverts and job descriptions. Job descriptions for cyber are still extensive wish lists, often created by companies not familiar with the roles they are hiring. By making them more specific, and less catch-all, companies will find they get more female applicants. Women typically only apply for jobs in the meet almost all the criteria, compared to 65% for men. By using less aggressive language, such as attack or kill-chain, companies may also find they attract a different style of applicant.
Apart from educating more girls in STEM, we also need to consider older women who may want to return to the workforce. This can also apply to men, who have taken some time away and could retrain, although it is typically thought of with returning mothers in mind. This is a huge untapped resource, that may help us counter the lack of skilled cyber talent.
For jobs in cyber, visit BeecherMadden’s website.