In the cyber world, demands are never low. A new report surfaces a number: almost two-thirds of cybersecurity professionals intend to change jobs over the next year. This exodus is largely prompted by overwhelming demands for the job – a whopping 71% of these employees works weekends regularly.
The Toll of Overwork
Cybersecurity threats never sleep; neither, it appears, do the practitioners charged with stopping them. The stats paint a rather grim picture:
- United Kingdom: 81% work weekends, 71% looking for new jobs
- Germany: 77% work weekends, 77% plan to quit jobs
- United States: 70% work weekends, 62% are actively looking for other work
The links between these long hours and job dissatisfaction are pretty difficult to ignore. Working over the weekend is one of those things that are often considered to be part of ‘those extra steps.’ Industry greatness shows no stop in terms of pressure. Soax’s CEO & Co-founder, Stepan Solovev, shares his comments on the matter, “The cyber industry is at crossroads. The inane pressure on these professionals can’t go on this way. Otherwise, we are going to face a severe lack of skilled defenders when the cyber threat level is escalating.”
Burnout, a GROWING CONCERN
Cybersecurity burnout is not about long work hours, but rather the stressful and high-pressure nature of the job. Cyber professionals are always on the lookout for potential threats and breaches. It indeed takes a toll mentally and emotionally on the person. As Solovev writes, “These are not just employees clocking in extra hours. They are people enduring significant stress and pressure, which can lead to serious burnout.”
Possible Solutions and Industry Initiatives
Experts to tackle this emerging issue point out a much-needed multi pronged approach:
- Work-Life Balance: Organizations should take up the mantle of responsibility toward employees’ well-being and health by offering working conditions that are flexible and subject to strict downtime.
- Use of Advanced Tools: Using smarter, automation-driven tools could help to lighten the burden and eradicate the need for weekend shifts altogether.
- Enhanced Support Systems: Establishing stronger support and mental health resources specifically catered to the high-pressure scenarios that cybersecurity teams face.
- Employee Retention Programs: Crafting targeted retention programs that not only reward longevity but also address the unique challenges in the cybersecurity field.
Solovev stresses the importance of such initiatives, “It’s crucial that companies start implementing more comprehensive approaches towards managing workloads and recognizing the hard work of their cybersecurity teams. These professionals are the unsung heroes of the tech world.”
Looking Forward
The high turnover rate in cybersecurity is indicative of deeper systemic issues within the sector—issues that extend beyond mere job dissatisfaction and enter the realm of worker sustainability. This scenario presents a pivotal opportunity for leadership within tech industries to step up and create conditions that foster job satisfaction and ensure the security and resilience of our digital infrastructures.
In restructuring the work environment and expectations of cybersecurity roles, perhaps the industry can stem the tide of professionals looking for an exit. The importance of their continued engagement in this field cannot be overstated, especially as the digital threats of the future evolve to be more sophisticated and pervasive than ever before.
If this research works for you, a little credit goes a long way: https://soax.com
