The cybersecurity workforce shortage has risen to a record high of just under 4 million despite the cybersecurity workforce growing by almost 10% in the last year. The participation in cybersecurity jobs by women continues to lag at less than 24% of the workforce, and those who identified as Hispanic, African American, Asian, and American Indian/Native Alaskan are 4%, 9%, 8%, and 1% respectively. Recently much of the focus has been on addressing the workforce gap through developing skills and increasing access to education including certification pathways. However, there is little research on the impact of cybersecurity job descriptions and their compounding effect on the workforce shortage and diversity.
In a study conducted by the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC), the role of job descriptions in attracting underrepresented candidates was evaluated. Incremental modifications such as eliminating mandatory degrees, or major/specialization and signaling job requirements with competencies, increased applicants for the cybersecurity roles by 56%. Additionally, recommendations specifically matching candidate’s competencies influenced their decision to apply, with higher self-efficacy (37% higher). Self-efficacy for a role is a strong predictor of success in the employment interview process and job outcomes. This study provides early evidence of interventions to shorten the cyber-talent gap through competence-based job descriptions.
