Cybersecurity Workforce Study Highlights Barriers to Adopting Skills-Based Talent Strategies
Cybersecurity Workforce Study Highlights Barriers to Adopting Skills-Based Talent Strategies
Publish Date: 2026-03-11 15:05:00
Source Domain: www.securityinfowatch.com
A new industry study is drawing attention to the growing role of mentorship, structured development programs and skills-based promotion practices in strengthening the cybersecurity workforce; however, adoption across organizations remains uneven.
The report, “The ROI of Resilience: How Cybersecurity Talent Management Best Practices Improve the Bottom Line,” released by Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) and research firm FourOne Insights, finds that skills-based workforce practices can generate more than $125,000 in savings per cybersecurity employee while improving hiring speed and employee retention.
Despite those financial and operational benefits, many organizations continue to rely on traditional talent management models that make it difficult to implement structured mentorship and development programs, Lynn Dohm, executive director of WiCyS, tells SecurityInfoWatch.
“One of the biggest barriers is that many organizations still rely on legacy talent systems that prioritize titles, tenure, or informal sponsorship instead of clearly defined skills and transparent advancement pathways,” Dohm said. “Even when leaders recognize the value of mentorship and structured development programs, implementing them requires a shift in mindset.”
