CISOs Urged to Innovate in Talent Retention as Job Satisfaction Declin

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cisos-innovate-talent-retention/

Publish Date: 2026-04-14 09:00:00

Source Domain: www.infosecurity-magazine.com

CISOs must be “aggressive” and “innovative” in how they retain talent against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile jobs market, a new report from IANS and Artico Search has revealed.

The duo’s 2026 Cybersecurity Talent Report is based on interviews with over 500 US cybersecurity professionals.

It found that just 34% of respondents are planning to stay in their current role in the coming year, with 43% considering a job change – rising to 46% of senior professionals.

“Career progression, satisfaction with compensation and a healthy work-life balance all correlated moderately to strongly with job satisfaction,” the report noted. “Compensation progression also correlates with job satisfaction, but as a weaker driver.”

Regardless of pay level, even small pay increases are likely to result in higher satisfaction and a greater chance of individuals staying put compared with flat compensation, IANS said.

Read more on hiring and retention: CISO Pay Increases 7% As Budget Growth Slows

There were other clear signals from the report that could help CISOs improve talent retention. IANS claimed that hybrid work involving one or two days on-site per week delivers the strongest work-life balance outcomes.

It added that 73% of security professionals who see security as a core priority for the organization report job satisfaction, versus just a fifth (19%) who see little or no senior backing for the function.

“Security leaders are navigating a complex talent environment where expectations are rising, but resources are not,” said Steve Martano, IANS faculty member and partner at Artico Search.

“We still see junior-level cyber professionals commanding high levels of compensation, but it is clear that top-quartile talent is seeking more than just a hearty paycheck. Visibility, career growth, and support from security leadership are necessary to keep high performers”