The hiring process for cyber experts in the Department of Homeland Security is being adjusted. Not by much, but it should reduce the time between a prospective employee’s application and beginning work. GovTechWorks recently interviewed Phyllis Schneck, DHS’s deputy undersecretary for cybersecurity and communications for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) to obtain more information about the hiring programs.
In a first for the agency, qualified professionals will be offered positions on-the-spot. The usual hiring process, according to Schneck, takes six to nine months, which includes an average 116 day security clearance process. On-the-spot hiring will be contingent on passing the security check.
The department is also reminding hiring managers handling applications that they are able to pull a problem application and send the others in the stack onward. Up until now, some managers might delay moving the entire group of applications until the one problem application is resolved.
Ms. Schneck noted that competition for skilled workers against the private sector’s needs is fierce. Government jobs often have lower salaries but the DHS hopes that outreach to the workers that emphasizes service to the country and patriotism may help. “But you don’t know everything until you are inside. You never really see the guts of how this work is being done to ensure the population is not harmed.”
Cybersecurity Outreach Initiatives
The DHS sponsors several programs to interest students in the cyber activities of the department. These include the Cybersecurity Internship Program, the Secretary’s Honors Program Cyber Student Volunteer Initiative and the CyberCorps: Scholarship for Service. These programs offer real world experience to students as well as the chance to have some of their education paid for through scholarships.
The outreach is not limited to students. For career cyber professionals, the DHS has the Loaned Executive Program. This programs brings in private sector industry leaders for short-term work opportunities in the department.
“The more people know what we do, the more the ones with those very wide skill sets are likely to approach us,” Schneck said.
