- Career vs. Job
- Developing Job Roles
- SOC Job Roles
- NICE Cybersecurity Workforce Framework
- Role Tiers
- SOC Services and Associated Job Roles
- Soft Skills
- Security Clearance Requirements
- Pre-Interviewing
- Interviewing
- Onboarding Employees
- Managing People
- Job Retention
- Training
- Certifications
- Evaluating Training Providers
- Company Culture
- Summary
- References
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
This chapter is from the book
Managing People
Failure to properly manage people will lead to a SOC whose employees are a flight risk, ready to leave for another organization if a better offer comes along. The current IT market is strong, and it will take effort to retain top talent. Great managers know what drives the people who report to them and act as an enabler for those goals. Career-driven people are not focused only on how much money they make. Table 4-13 lists the top five things that make employees happy at work and the top five reasons why employees are not happy and eventually leave a position. This data comes from Monster and BioSpace.
TABLE 4-13 What Makes a Happy or Disgruntled Employee
Happy |
Disgruntled |
|---|---|
Feel accomplished |
Are disengaged |
Receive positive reinforcement |
Are stressed out |
Like their co-workers |
Have a negative mindset |
Have some level of autonomy |
Have poor relationships with managers and colleagues |
Are proud of what they are part of |
Not fully using their intellect or strengths |
As a SOC manager, you will want to identify what motivates each of your SOC employees as well as help guide which future position and goals would be most ideal for them to target. This includes identifying that an employee is working a stepping-stone position with the goal of taking on a more senior role once they acquire the appropriate skills and experience. Goals should be documented in an employee development plan and must benefit both the organization and the employee. Before setting goals for an employee, consider the business goals and how that employee aligns to short-term and longer business objectives. Make sure to consider whether certain roles need to be filled in the future and, if so, whether this employee could be groomed for that needed role. Having a business goal aligned with an employee goal helps justify investment in training and experience so that both parties benefit from the promotion.
Once business goal alignments are identified with potential employee goals, speak with the employee and confirm career aspirations. When a career goal is confirmed by the employee that aligns with the business goal, assess the potential and readiness for the employee to take the role by asking the employee the following questions:
Would you be able to gain the skills required for the role?
What skills and experience do you currently have or lack that are required for the role?
Look at the gaps in the readiness assessment and develop a potential timeline to achieve those missing skills and experience. The results of this exercise will provide a development plan that leads to achieving a goal that is good for both the employee and the organization.
Common factors that can act as motivators or discourage an employee from working within a specific job role are as follows:
Income
Geographical location
Travel
Work/life balance
Type of work (technical, social, sales driven, etc.)
Benefits
Training and experience opportunities
It is important to identify how each of these factors impacts every employee as you create development plans to ensure their personal goals are met along with professional goals. For example, one position might have a higher pay but require more travel, posing an unwanted work-life balance for a particular employee. Another job might pay less but provide the opportunity to live where the employee desires and offer teleworking opportunities, which might be more important than higher pay to a particular employee. Not covering personal goals can lead to moving employees into roles that negatively impact their personal lives, causing the employee to leave regardless of the benefits of the promotion. Consider these personal factors when creating a development plan for your employees.