How to source and shortlist {role_name}

Where can you find qualified {role_name}?

  • Professional network : Leverage your professional network and reach out to former colleagues, industry peers, and tech community members to ask for referrals.
  • Educational Institutions:
    • Universities with strong cybersecurity programs.
    • Specialized training programs that offer cloud security certifications, such as those provided by SANS Institute, ISC2, and CompTIA.
  • Company Career Pages:
    • Posting the job on your company's career page ensures it reaches candidates who are specifically interested in your organization.
  • Role-Specific Job Boards:
  • Geography-Specific Job Boards:

What are the best practices for headhunting {role_name}?

  • Personalized Outreach:
    • Customize your outreach messages to highlight why the candidate would be a great fit for your company and the specific security projects you are working on.
    • Mention specific security certifications or projects from their profile that align with your job requirements.
  • Leverage Referrals:
    • Encourage current employees to refer qualified Cloud Security Engineers.
    • Offer referral bonuses to incentivize participation.
  • Engage in Industry Events:
    • Attend cybersecurity conferences, webinars, and meetups.
    • Network with professionals and distribute information about the job opening.
  • Showcase Unique Selling Points:
    • Highlight any opportunities for advanced security certifications, involvement in cutting-edge security projects, or unique company benefits.

How to shortlist candidates?

Once you have started to get applications from applicants, a thorough screening process and shortlisting of prospects will help you make the most of your time spent with the most qualified ones. 

Automated shortlisting tools :

Automated screening quickly filters out unqualified candidates, saving time for manual review. This allows the manual process to focus on the most promising candidates, ensuring the best ones are considered for further evaluation.

Screening questions to auto-shortlist based on predefined criteria

like qualifications, location, experience, and skills. Either use job board or use an ATS such as whitecarrot. Here are some questions for {role_name}

  • How many years of experience do you have with cloud security tools (e.g., firewalls, IAM, encryption)?
    • Auto-reject criteria: Less than 2 years of experience.
  • How many years of experience do you have with compliance standards (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS)?
    • Auto-reject criteria: Less than 1 year of experience.
  • Are you located within [specified location] or willing to work remotely?
    • Auto-reject criteria: Not located within the specified region and unwilling to work remotely.

Skill based question to auto shortlist candidate

Analyze the skill test data to automatically shortlist top-performing applicants. (recommended screening test time - 15 minutes). Here are some skill test questions for {role_name}

Cloud Security Tools

  • Question 1: What is the primary function of Identity and Access Management (IAM) in cloud security?
    • Options:
      • To monitor network traffic
      • To manage user permissions and access
      • To encrypt data
      • To detect malware
    • Correct Answer: To manage user permissions and access
  • Question 2: Which cloud security tool is commonly used for encryption in cloud environments?
    • Options:
      • Azure Key Vault
      • AWS Shield
      • Google Cloud Armor
      • CloudTrail
    • Correct Answer: Azure Key Vault
  • Question 3: What is the purpose of a firewall in cloud security?
    • Options:
      • To log user activities
      • To prevent unauthorized access to network resources
      • To monitor application performance
      • To backup data
    • Correct Answer: To prevent unauthorized access to network resources

Risk Management

  • Question 1: What is a risk assessment in the context of cloud security?
    • Options:
      • A process of encrypting data
      • A method of analyzing potential security threats and vulnerabilities
      • A way to optimize cloud resources
      • A compliance checklist
    • Correct Answer: A method of analyzing potential security threats and vulnerabilities
  • Question 2: Which of the following is a key component of a risk management strategy?
    • Options:
      • Encryption
      • Incident response plan
      • Cloud resource optimization
      • Software updates
    • Correct Answer: Incident response plan
  • Question 3: How often should risk assessments be conducted in a cloud environment?
    • Options:
      • Monthly
      • Quarterly
      • Annually
      • Continuously
    • Correct Answer: Continuously

Compliance

  • Question 1: Which regulation is specifically focused on data protection in the European Union?
    • Options:
      • HIPAA
      • GDPR
      • PCI DSS
      • SOX
    • Correct Answer: GDPR
  • Question 2: What is the main goal of HIPAA in cloud environments?
    • Options:
      • To secure financial transactions
      • To protect patient health information
      • To manage cloud costs
      • To optimize application performance
    • Correct Answer: To protect patient health information
  • Question 3: What does PCI DSS compliance ensure?
    • Options:
      • Secure handling of payment card information
      • Compliance with environmental regulations
      • Efficient cloud resource management
      • Secure software development practices
    • Correct Answer: Secure handling of payment card information

Note - Auto reject candidates if scores less than 70% in this section

One way video interview

Recruitment Bullet

Use tools like hirevue, whitecarrot.io to ask candidates pre-recorded questions about their experience and skills.

Recruitment Bullet

Use sample question given in scorecard.

Collect other information 

Recruitment Bullet

Collect data from shortlisted candidates, such as salary expectations and visa status.

Manual candidate profile shortlisting:

Recruitment Bullet

Thoroughly review the CVs of the top scoring candidates from the automated process

Recruitment Bullet

Look for evidence of the required skills, experience, and achievements

Recruitment Bullet

Review the candidate’s portfolio or GitHub repositories to see examples of their work.

Schedule recruiter calls with the candidate

Recruitment Bullet

Use a tool like calendly or whitecarrot to allow candidates to self-schedule calls based on your availability

Recruitment Bullet

Confirm the call details (date, time, dial-in info) with the candidate via email

What questions to ask in the recruiter phone screen?

Recruitment Bullet

 Use scorecard for rating candidates for recruiter

Recruitment Bullet

Sample scorecard : 

Criteria Rating (1-5) Comments
Experience with Cloud Security Tools
Knowledge of Risk Management
Compliance Understanding
Problem-Solving Skills
Communication Skills
Cultural Fit
Work Sample Test
Recruitment Bullet

Check for consistency in responses from the candidates.

Recruitment Bullet

Record such scorecards in an ATS like whitecarrot or use google doc