Cybersecurity Recruitment Made Easier: How RPO Closes the Talent Gap

In cybersecurity, the strongest defence isn’t just technology, it’s the right people.

Average time to hire cybersecurity talent: 82 days
Average time to exploit a vulnerability: 7 days

Time to optimize your cybersecurity recruitment...

The field of cybersecurity is evolving rapidly, with organizations facing unprecedented challenges - the number and the potential danger of cyberthreats are increasing rapidly.

Despite this, a significant talent gap persists, leaving many critical cybersecurity positions unfilled.

According to a recent cybersecurity job market study, approximately 3.5 million roles remain vacant globally, and 68% of breaches are attributed to the shortage of cybersecurity professionals (1). This situation underscores the urgent need for organizations to reassess their cybersecurity hiring process and strategies.

Key Roles in Cybersecurity Recruiting

Building an effective cybersecurity team requires more than just technical expertise. Organizations should focus on recruiting professionals for roles such as:

Cloud Security Specialists: Cybersecurity experts in platforms like AWS, Azure, and GCP who can architect secure cloud solutions.
Zero Trust Experts: Skilled professionals who implement identity-centric security models, recognizing that identity is the new perimeter.
AI-Powered Threat Analysts: Analysts who leverage artificial intelligence to combat evolving cyber threats.
Red Team Specialists: Security consultants who have a deep understanding of the opposite side and can adopt the mindset of adversaries to identify and address vulnerabilities proactively.
SOC Leaders: Security leaders capable of orchestrating cyber defense strategies at machine speed to respond to incidents effectively.

Beyond Technical Skills: The Importance of Soft Skills in Cybersecurity

Skills-first hiring is important. While technical skills are essential, the strongest cybersecurity teams also need to have the following skill sets:

Crisis Leadership: The ability to lead effectively under pressure during security incidents.
Cultural Alignment: Ensuring team members share the organization's values and work seamlessly within its structure.
Independent Problem-Solving: Encouraging team members to think critically and address challenges proactively.

Assessing candidates for mindset, adaptability, and resilience is crucial to building a team capable of responding to the unpredictable nature of cyber threats.

Challenges in Cybersecurity Recruitment

Traditional recruitment processes and methods often fail to keep pace with the dynamic nature of cyber threats. Relying on outdated talent pipelines and prolonged hiring processes can leave organizations vulnerable, as attackers continue to innovate at a faster rate than most information security teams can hire.

With a projected CAGR of 7.58% from 2025 to 2029, the cybersecurity industry is on track for sustained and stable growth(3). The global cybersecurity workforce expanded by 12.6% from 2022 to 2023, a remarkable year-over-year increase for any industry. However, the cybersecurity talent gap remains substantial.

According to a recent white paper from the World Economic Forum (2), the global demand for cybersecurity professionals is high - companies need 4 million more. Looking ahead, projections indicate a potential shortfall of over 85 million skilled information security professionals across industries by 2030.

To build robust defenses against new security challenges, companies must prioritize the swift acquisition of specialized cybersecurity talent.

Due to a significant cybersecurity skills gap, the best way to find qualified candidates is to partner with a recruitment process outsourcing provider like Serendi.

Let us explain why you should outsource recruiting …

Why Recruitment Process Outsourcing Is Better Than a Cybersecurity Staffing Agency

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is often a better solution than traditional cybersecurity staffing agencies because it provides a deeper, more strategic partnership that’s built for long-term talent acquisition success aligned with your business goals - not just transactional hiring.

An RPO partnership is built for results, bringing you:

Up to 40% Faster cybersecurity Hiring – Critical roles filled quickly
30% to 50% Cost Savings – Optimized cybersecurity recruiting strategies that cut expenses
30% Lower Turnover – Employees who stay

Hire cybersecurity professionals 40% faster and cut recruitment costs by 50%

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How RPO Outperforms Staffing Agencies for Cybersecurity Hiring

1. End-to-End Recruitment Support

Unlike staffing agencies that focus on filling open roles, RPO providers have a consultative approach. They can manage the entire lifecycle of cybersecurity talent recruitment - from workforce planning and employer branding to sourcing, candidate screening, interview process, and onboarding cybersecurity professionals.

2. Embedded Expertise RPO

Cybersecurity recruiters embed themselves within your organization, working as an extension of your talent acquisition function. This allows them to truly understand your security culture, role requirements, and team dynamics, which leads to better-quality hires.

3. Scalable and Cost-Efficient

RPOs offer scalable hiring models tailored to your cybersecurity hiring needs, whether you're building an entire team or need urgent placements. Over time, this can be more cost-effective than paying one-off fees to staffing firms or incredibly expensive cybersecurity headhunters.

4. Proactive Talent Pipelining

While staffing agencies typically react to job openings, RPOs focus on a comprehensive recruitment strategy and building long-term talent communities and talent pipelines. This is essential in cybersecurity, where top talent is scarce and fast-moving threats demand rapid hiring response times.

5. Stronger Employer Brand

Your RPO partner helps promote your employer value proposition in the cybersecurity market, enhancing your reputation and improving candidate experience and engagement - something staffing agencies typically don't prioritize. Recruiting statistics show that 75% of candidates assess company culture through the hiring process. With 60% psychology-qualified recruiters and 15% behavior specialists, Serendi crafts brand-positive candidate experiences.

6. Global Reach

With office locations across Europe, North America, and APAC and a deep understanding of local job markets and cultures, Serendi helps you find the best talent anywhere. Thanks to our extensive network of offices and associate companies, for one client, we have engaged suitable candidates in 95 countries and in 13 languages.

Find out more about recruiting across regions on our Recruitment Process Outsourcing Poland and Recruitment Process Outsourcing Netherlands pages.

RPO: Cybersecurity Recruitment Services That Give You The Edge

Given the complexities of cybersecurity recruitment, many organizations turn to specialized cybersecurity recruitment firms like Serendi for assistance. In a landscape where breaches can occur in milliseconds, slow hiring processes are a risk organizations cannot afford. By partnering with experts in talent acquisition, companies can strengthen their cyber defense strategies and stay ahead of

potential threats.

Key Takeaways

Faster Hiring Reduce time-to-hire by 40% and costs by up to 50%.	Stronger Candidates Better-fit hires mean 30% less employee turnover.
Always-On Pipeline Our sourcing keeps roles filled—no more empty seats.	Clear Costs No hidden fees. Pay only for what delivers.
Control Stays With You We fit your process, not the other way around.	Flexible by Design Start, pause, or scale hiring as needed.
Premium Candidate Experience Crafted by psychology and behavior specialists.	Quick Launch Minimal setup. Start hiring in just weeks.

Cybersecurity Recruitment with RPO: Infographic

Cybersecurity Recruiting: Case Studies

A global IT provider in the air transport industry was struggling to hire top-tier cybersecurity talent across multiple locations (The Netherlands, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Canada, US, Dubai, Singapore, and India) during a major restructure.

They needed multiple roles filled, from cybersecurity specialists to senior-level positions. Budgets were lower or limited compared to the job market and candidates’ salary expectations. We delivered an end-to-end RPO solution that boosted candidate volume by 68%, reduced hiring costs by 35%, and cut time-to-hire by 40%.

A data infrastructure and analytics economic interest group wanted to build a skilled workforce from the ground up.

Their team had just begun to form, and no Talent Acquisition department or processes existed. The biggest challenge was specialized roles and unicorn positions that needed to be filled in a small talent market. Serendi showed its recruitment expertise and delivered results through superior sourcing and vetting processes, achieving significant recruitment cost reductions, a 97% probation success rate, and remarkable cultural alignment, which drove retention.

An IoT solutions company needed ultra-niche R&D talent across multiple EU locations, with only 30 to 40 suitable profiles globally.

They also required talent insights to support their global, talent-centric hiring strategy. Our dedicated team delivered targeted shortlists and deep market analysis, resulting in a 55% cost reduction and 40% shorter time-to-hire.

A Testimonial from One of Our Clients

“We worked in an agile manner and nicely adapted depending on the situation and changes. This is how the team dedicated to LNDS went above and beyond for us.”

Matthieu Paret, Head of People at Luxembourg National Data Service

Looking for a cybersecurity recruitment company that delivers speed and savings?

Serendi is your Talent acquisition powerhouse.

Hire cybersecurity professionals 40% faster and cut recruitment costs by 50%

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About the Author

Ivana Vukotic is a Business Development Manager at Serendi.

With over 15 years of experience in human resources and recruiting, Ivana is well-versed in the dynamic developments of the talent market and provides tailored recruitment solutions for our clients.

“I’ve spent over a decade helping organizations across the Central and Eastern Europe region identify and develop talent, supporting over 20 businesses in their growth. I am constantly inspired by overachievers who push boundaries and set new standards, and I strive to bring that same drive to every aspect of my work, contributing to a 25% cost savings year-over-year to my clients.”

Cybersecurity Hiring: Frequently Asked Questions

Why is cybersecurity hiring so critical right now?

The threat landscape is evolving faster than companies can hire. While it takes an average of 82 days to hire cybersecurity talent, cyber attackers only need 7 days to exploit a vulnerability. This hiring lag leaves organizations exposed, making rapid, strategic talent acquisition essential

Why is it so hard to hire qualified cybersecurity professionals?

There’s a massive global talent shortage in the cybersecurity field, with over 3.5 million open cybersecurity roles and rising demand. The industry’s rapid evolution means qualified candidates need both technical depth and real-world experience - a combination that’s hard to find. Add high salary expectations and remote work demands, and hiring becomes even more complex.

How do you hire top cybersecurity talent?

Hiring top cybersecurity talent requires a mix of technical assessment, soft skills evaluation, and a strategic approach to sourcing. Focus on identifying specialists in high-demand areas like cloud security, zero trust, AI threat detection, and SOC leadership. Partnering with a cybersecurity recruitment firm can help accelerate the process and improve the quality of hire.

How does Serendi RPO outperform cybersecurity staffing agencies?

Unlike a cybersecurity recruitment agency, an RPO provider:

Manage the entire recruitment lifecycle, not just job placements
Embed within your team to align with your culture and security needs
Reduce time-to-hire by up to 40%
Cut costs by up to 50%
Improve quality of hire - 98.6% of Serendi hires pass probation

RPO is designed for long-term talent success, not short-term transactions.

How quickly can Serendi help me hire cybersecurity talent?

Serendi’s RPO model enables full go-live in just 1–2 weeks, with measurable outcomes like:

40% faster time-to-hire
35–50% recruitment cost savings
97–98% probation pass rate

This speed and efficiency help you close the gap between time-to-hire and time-to-breach.

Where can you find cybersecurity candidates?

Cybersecurity candidates can be found through a combination of sourcing channels:

Professional networks (LinkedIn, GitHub, Stack Overflow)
Security-specific job boards (CyberSecJobs, InfoSec Jobs)
Conferences and meetups (e.g., Black Hat, DEF CON)
Partnerships with universities offering cybersecurity programs
Cybersecurity staffing and RPO providers

Why are talent pools and passive candidates important in cybersecurity recruitment?

Top cybersecurity talent is often passive, not actively job hunting but open to the right offer. This requires a different approach to cybersecurity recruitment. Maintaining a broad network of contacts and strong talent pools ensures faster access to pre-qualified candidates, reducing time-to-hire and improving hiring outcomes in a highly competitive market.

What defines a high-quality cybersecurity candidate?

High-quality candidates combine technical proficiency with key behavioral traits. While certifications and domain expertise matter, equally important are soft skills such as crisis leadership, adaptability, and strategic thinking.

These professionals must be able to operate under pressure, make decisions quickly, and align with the organization’s security culture. In cybersecurity recruitment, the ability to think like a threat actor, communicate across departments, and remain resilient in dynamic environments often separates good hires from great ones.

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