Cybersecurity team members have unique skills that are in short supply. There are more job openings than there are cybersecurity professionals to fill them, making it more and more important for employers to establish strong teams and tailor their support for those teams so they retain the best talent for their organizations. Talented professionals want to work for organizations that will help them develop skills and knowledge to further their careers. As a result, creating an environment of sustained support and motivation is important for employers to do.
Five Ways to Support and Motivate Your Cybersecurity Team
Show your cybersecurity team that you want to help them grow professionally and that you will support them in developing their skills by applying the following strategies:
Take an Interest in Employees’ Career Goals
Open, two-way communication is essential to the effective running of every team, including a cybersecurity team. It’s important to communicate frequently with employees, not just about the day-to-day operations but also about their long-term goals and career aspirations. Support like that will help your team members feel valued and lead to increased loyalty and productivity.
Have one-on-one meetings during which you can have employees outline their potential career paths within your company. This helps them visualize their professional development within the organization and lets you know how to best offer support for them as they move along their chosen paths. In addition, regular, direct, and clear communication from management about career development will help employees stay engaged and motivated.
Promote Employee Training and Development
Making time for continuing education and training motivates employees to think about their career development. It’s vital that you encourage cybersecurity team members to participate in relevant training courses, workshops, conferences, and the like that will help them progress in their careers. Give employees the flexibility to participate in industry events, whether internal or external. Doing so not only nurtures the individual needs of employees to learn but also helps them stay updated on industry trends.
One way to promote employee development is by covering the expense of the training and exam for certification in relevant cybersecurity areas. Cybersecurity certifications help prepare your cybersecurity team for the risks of today and the future while providing your organization with confident, credentialed cybersecurity professionals who are motivated to protect the company’s vital assets.
Encourage Mentoring
If your organization doesn’t already have some sort of mentoring program for employees, starting one may be one of the most motivating things you can do for your employees’ personal and professional development. Typically, a mentoring program is regarded as a tenured, seasoned team member sharing knowledge and insights with a less-experienced employee. However, mentoring is actually beneficial to both parties. While the mentors have the ability to support and guide their junior colleagues, they can also benefit from fresh ideas, innovative thinking, and the technological knowledge of promising employees.
Tell Employees How They Fit into the Big Picture
Never assume that your cybersecurity team members know how their work adds value to the organization. It’s critical to remind each employee of their unique contribution to the organization’s mission and vision. Offer them frequent insights into how their daily duties make a difference and highlight the company’s overall progress toward its objectives. Recognize and reward individuals who have reached specific accomplishments that help propel the organization toward its goals. This will increase motivation and even lead to a desire to expand responsibilities among employees.
Create a Succession Plan for Key Positions
Developing a succession plan for every major position within the organization can help motivate employees to learn the knowledge and skills needed to advance to the next position. Doing so demonstrates that you want to invest in their career development and that you can see them advancing into leadership roles within the organization. This is a powerful message to convey to employees, so don’t forego this process.
Final Thoughts
Your cybersecurity team members will be better able to exceed their goals if they know that their management supports them. Motivating employees to develop their skills and emphasizing career growth will create meaningful benefits for them and lasting benefits for your company. A key part of supporting and motivating employees is offering additional training to help them grow and advance.
TrainACE has a comprehensive catalog of courses and training for cybersecurity professionals. Many of our courses prepare students for certification exams, which are essential for their continued career development. Let us help you discover the best courses for your team in our corporate training courses. Contact TrainACE for more information.
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