Cyber Security Recruitment with an Edge

- How to Build an Ethical Cyber Security Recruitment Team

- BlackHat, B-Sides and Defcon Regulars

- Extensive Cyber Security Training

- 94% Submission to Interview Ratio

- Global Coverage

- Permanent and Contract Staff

Computer Network Defence Ltd are first and foremost a Cyber Security Consultancy, therefore we need to recruit staff, both permanent and contract.

Anybody who knows me, will know that I'm not the greatest fan of recruiters, the only LinkedIn recruitment connections I have are personal friends and my own staff.

Eleven years ago we at CND were so fed up with the lack of cyber security knowledge and ethics with the recruitment sector, we thought how hard can it be? I was requesting a Full Packet Capture (FPC) specialist and being sent a Fire Prevention Controller (FPC).

So we built our own cyber security recruitment team, initially it was for our own use, but now we deliver permanent and contract staff globally to everybody even our competitors. Though we only recruit for cyber security.

Our cornerstone had to be ethical recruitment, to always do right by the candidate and the client, even if it meant we wouldn't submit a candidate for a role.

Ethical Recruitment - Our Unique Selling Point

It's taken a while but we now have a really strong and cohesive team who are all genuinely great people, "recruiting nice/capable recruiters is harder than you think!"

We currently have a 94% submission to interview rate, this means that almost every candidate we submit gets an interview with the client. This is great news for our clients as it cuts down on them having to sift CVs (resumes) and it also means that candidates aren't submitted for roles for which they may be inappropriate or weaker.

How do we achieve these remarkable figures? Our cyber security recruiters are technically trained and they effectively hold a first stage interview with the candidates, moreover, our recruiters work alongside our technical consultants and get their hands dirty with Next Gen Firewalls, Packet Analysis, Vulnerability Assessments etc.

Our Technical Team will also assist the recruiters with the interviews, candidate assessments, sifting of CVs (resumes) and much more.

We have recently sent a mixed team of 4 staff to Las Vegas for B-Sides, BlackHat and Defcon, Jose and Ben from the tech side with Ryan (Head of Recruitment) and Matt from the recruitment team, they all absolutely loved it, this was Ben's 4th consecutive trip! They have also been to ShmooCon and CanSecWest.

The team's reputation is growing exponentially, they have already exceeded 2016's figures in the first 6 months of 2017 and have a plethora of very happy candidates continuing their careers in new roles.

At CND we don't target our recruiters as to do so would diminish the quality of our placements. As an example, we interviewed one recruiter who's recruitment firm wouldn't allow him to sit down on a chair in the morning until he had placed 10 cold calls! When starting with another recruitment firm, if they didn't cover their costs within 2 months, they would be told not to come back the following morning.

Whilst I understand that many recruitment firms are sales orientated and driven solely by profit, these practices lead to recruiters having to deliver in order to keep their jobs and in turn this results in the adoption of some wholly unethical practices, often endorsed by their management. We could write an entire article on some of the tricks they get up to!

We are finding that almost every high street recruitment agency now has a Cyber Security division. They have seen the possibility of making money without realising how incestuous and technical the cyber security industry is, their reputations are at stake if they get it wrong.

CND - The UK's Oldest Independent Cyber Security Recruitment Agency

Quality of life is imperative if you want to minimise the churn of staff, some recruiters love the work hard, play hard high tempo lifestyle of working 80+ hours per week. In my opinion working after 5PM should be the exception rather than the rule, this also wins the hearts and minds of the recruiters partner/spouse. If a role is urgent, it will be delivered and we will come together as a team to support the recruiter responsible.

So in summary

• Employ nice, ethical, intelligent people
• Train your staff well
• Avoid targets or make them soft targets (Don't chase profit)
• Look after your staff and they will look after you
• Get in touch if you want your staff recruited with our unique approach
• Computer Network Defence Ltd

Testimonials - Don't Take My Word For It!

Client - I decided to call Ryan after hearing good things about his team in the market, one of the best decisions I have made. He quickly met me and talked through all of my short falls with my function and spotted a couple of areas he would be able to help with. He swiftly provided me with a shortlist of pre-screened and very strong candidates. I took one of these options but felt I could have taken anyone of them. I will certainly be using him in the future. 

Candidate - It was an absolute pleasure to work with Georgina - she is warm, professional and reliable and I would have no hesitation in recommending her and/or working with her again. Thank you for all your support, Georgina!

Candidate - After reading my blog Ryan noticed that I had some relevant skills to a role he was recruiting. It just so transpired that the role he approached me for was one I had already been rejected for to which Ryan didn’t see as an issue. We soon realized that CV was a large part to play in this, so Ryan went about his way of building a new one for me populating it with all of my relevant skills. 1 telephone interview and 3 face to face interviews later I find myself in my dream job all thanks to Ryan’s eye for talent and dedication.

Candidate - Jasper is not like any other head-hunter I've dealt with. His ability to understand what candidates want is second to none. He does this in a straight forward and honest (rare in this industry) manner which is highly professional and effective. He and the rest of the team at CND are easy to work with due to their subject matter knowledge, expansive network and professional way of working. Highly recommended.

Client - I have used Ryan 20-25 times now on an exclusive basis for my various hiring needs. He has successfully built teams for us and will continue to be an asset for us going forward. I see no need to use any other agency when it comes to recruiting for us.

Candidate - Georgina found me a great role and kept me updated and informed throughout a lengthy recruitment process. several roles were offered to me and i felt like my best interests were a priority and was not pressured to take the first role offered but instead was helped to secure the best role for me. I would definitely recommend Georgina to anyone looking for a new role.

Candidate - Having worked with Jasper for over a year now, ensuring i find the right role for me, I am writing this recommendation sat in an airport about to embark on my sans 503 training. I owe this, and the confidence i have gained from taking on a life changing opportunity, to Jasper. Having worked with (but not closely) to other recruiters, Jasper and his team at CND shine through. You can tell from the outset that they are not there to push you into a job to meet their "targets", the fact we have been in contact for over a year, searching for the right job for me is testament to that. Not only is Jasper incredibly ethical, he is extremely technical, this helped me a lot in recognising my own capabilities and talents I could put forward to a prospective company. He has been with me every step of the way, with nothing but encouragement and enthusiasm, going above and beyond the call of duty. I would never have thought i would be able to make a leap to such a fantastic opportunity without his guidance and help. The fact he as a recruiter was never pushy, was a big thing for me, he worked to build my trust, and really got to know me, before suggesting any kind of jobs I may be suitable for. CND are one of the only recruitment companies i would work with now. Not only is he an exceptional recruitment consultant, id also now consider him a good friend, and if i was to ever look for another job in the future, he would be the first i would call on, to find me a suitable role. CND are miles apart from other recruitment companies, they seem to have an excellent working relationships with a various amount of world leading companies, and i cant thank him enough for helping me land this job. CND as a whole know that they are working with exceptional companies, that will invest and train their staff, and as previously stated, I am for the first time ever being sent on a SANS course by my employer. Thank you Jasper