Why is it important to use specific and clearly defined job descriptions for hiring information security professionals?

5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Underestimate the Importance of Job Descriptions for Employers

Here are five key reasons companies should establish a good practice of writing and maintaining up-to-date and relevant job descriptions:

1. Job descriptions ensure you’re recruiting the best candidates.

A good job description will go far with an employer’s recruitment and onboarding efforts. Not only will the job description help a potential employee know if the position is a good fit for him or her, it will also guarantee the most qualified applicant pool for the employer. In the end, the more detailed and descriptive job descriptions can be, the better it will be for attracting and retaining high-quality employees who will love their jobs.

2. Job descriptions help ensure your expectations are established and met.

A well-written job description will establish a solid set of expectations for employers to communicate to their employees. When employees have a concrete understanding of their responsibilities, they will work more efficiently and effectively in their respective roles. An awareness of expectations for employees also helps employers properly evaluate performance.

3. Job descriptions support greater employee accountability.

Especially when it comes time for a performance review or evaluation, a well-written job description can help employers maintain accountability to a position’s needs and demands from employees. If a job description is vague or open to interpretation, it will be more difficult for an employer to address a lack of performance or areas of improvement when it comes time for constructive critique or review.

4. Job descriptions promote greater productivity.

When employees understand the specific demands of their jobs, chances are that productivity will be higher. Well-written job descriptions can be the key to employee motivation and happiness on the job, and it’s no secret that happy employees are productive employees who not only accomplish their required tasks but often go above and beyond.

5. Job descriptions mitigate risk and limit liability.

Though there’s no law requiring job descriptions, they can serve as helpful legal documentation if an employee files a lawsuit against a company. In fact, job descriptions have been used successfully by employers against employees. For this reason alone, there’s an excellent case for employers to create and maintain the most accurate and updated job descriptions possible.

Also, while job descriptions alone will not determine whether an employee should be classified as exempt or nonexempt under applicable wage and hour laws, they can and should help to justify an employee’s exemption status in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Our personal and professional lives are interconnected by technology in ways that were unimaginable just a few decades ago. The cloud, mobility, and the powerful devices most of us have in our pockets enable a culture of convenience, and the ability to collaborate and be more productive. While this convenience arguably makes our lives easier, it also makes it easier for cybercriminals to gain access to our sensitive personal information wherever it lives or wherever it is traveling across the network. These bad actors have ample motivation, too – there’s a lucrative market for the sale and exploitation of that data. Even with best Cyber Security Professional on your side, hackers and cybercriminals will eventually find a way to get to your data. That’s not to say that all is hopeless, however. IT security professionals work on the front lines of this battle fighting to protect against the continually evolving threat landscape.

ceh course preview banner

Roles of the Cyber Security Professional

At a mile-high level, cybersecurity professionals are responsible for protecting IT infrastructure, edge devices, networks, and data. More granularly, they are responsible for preventing data breaches and monitoring and reacting to attacks. Many have backgrounds as programmers, and systems or network administrators, and in math and statistics. Those skills are undoubtedly relevant to the role of an IT security professional, but equally as critical are the things that aren’t necessarily things that can be taught – critical thinking, curiosity, and a passion for learning and research. People from all kinds of backgrounds possess those qualities, so companies shouldn’t limit themselves to a narrow pool of candidates. Further, hackers are creative by nature. To outsmart them, security pros need to be, as well.

Responsibilities of the Cyber Security Professional

New security threats pop up all the time, and IT security professionals need to stay up to date with the latest tactics hackers are employing in the field. In addition to the high-level responsibilities mentioned above, some specific duties IT security teams do, include:

  • Set and implement user access controls and identity and access management systems
  • Monitor network and application performance to identify and irregular activity
  • Perform regular audits to ensure security practices are compliant
  • Deploy endpoint detection and prevention tools to thwart malicious hacks
  • Set up patch management systems to update applications automatically
  • Implement comprehensive vulnerability management systems across all assets on-premises and in the cloud
  • Work with IT operations to set up a shared disaster recovery/business continuity plan
  • Work with HR and/or team leads to educate employees on how to identify suspicious activity

Three Critical Skills for Cyber Security Professionals

Successful IT security professionals need more than technical skills. To truly advance in the field, these experts should be:

  • Strategists - Cyber Security professionals should be able to proactively implement security measures and controls within organizations, weighing the consequences of any action. Advanced security protocols require tactical and strategic evaluations of workflows, dependencies, budgets, and resources. Because new methods to hack information are continually developing, professionals must be a step ahead, studying how hackers enter networks and procedures for thwarting them.
  • Communicators - Management and communication skills ensure effective coordination with teams and clients. Technology and security touch every professional in an organization. Security professionals must interact in meaningful ways by training and empowering employees to help protect systems.
  • Lifelong Learners - Another must-have skill is technical competence. With the pace of development in IT security, this means ongoing research, training, and earning standard certifications. These professionals should constantly be learning new advanced technology skills to be able to resolve complex security issues.

Conclusion

Highly skilled security professionals are in high demand. No organization is immune to cybercrime, meaning that all need to make IT security a top priority. The first step is finding the most qualified professionals to lead the way.

Gearing up your security game is the best call today and we can help. The PG Program in Cyber Security will equip you with the skills needed to become an expert in this rapidly growing domain. 

Learn for free! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel & Be a Part of 400k+ Happy Learners Community.

”Get

What general attributes do organizations seek in candidates when hiring information security professionals across all positions?

The most important traits in an information security professional are relevant experience, trustworthiness, and pragmatism.

What are the information security roles of professionals within an organization?

The typical CISO's responsibilities include:.
Planning long-term security strategy..
Planning and implementing data loss prevention measures..
Managing access..
Ensuring that the company implements proper safeguards to meet compliance requirements..
Investigating any incidents and preventing them in the future..

What are the three roles of information security ?*?

Information security is based on three main aspects of data security, frequently referred to as the CIA- namely confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

What functions does the security manager perform?

Security Manager.
Manages and trains security guards..
Hires and onboards new security guards..
Sets the security guard staffing schedule..
Creates all security policies and procedures..
Conducts regular security inspections..
Investigates security threats and breaches..
Writes comprehensive security reports..