The foundation of any successful organisation begins with creating the right culture and providing the necessary support to employees. Employers need to ensure that their senior leaders are provided with the right tools and resources to get the job done, while also giving them the space and freedom to express their ideas and feelings without fear of judgement or criticism.
Tweaking communication channels until the most effective manner is found can also reduce the impact on stress and the workplace. 

Open communication, regular team meetings and team-building activities encourage collaboration, trust and understanding among teams. Exploring out-of-office occasions for senior staff might be a good option to explore also. We know it's a simple factor but it's often overlooked and is underestimated on the positive impact it has on teams. 

Senior leaders, in particular, may experience a positive boost in performance with access to a therapist or well-being coach to aid their stress management development.

The cyber security industry is known for its fast-paced environment and long work hours – two factors that can easily lead to burnout. It is up to the employer to ensure their  leaders are provided with the necessary resources to prevent burnout. This includes providing adequate rest periods, and regular breaks, and ensuring that the workload is manageable. 

Additionally, employers should create an environment where team members feel comfortable taking vacation time or taking a leave of absence if needed. 

This is not to encourage holiday misuse, but to promote a healthy mindset among senior staff that hard work grants well-earned rewards.

Retention can be a major problem in the cyber security industry. Employers should make a conscious effort to ensure that their leaders and senior leaders are not being overworked or subjected to excessive expectations. This begins with setting realistic expectations and establishing clear, achievable goals on projects. 

It goes without saying that employers should provide well-crafted compensation packages for their accomplished staff members. 

Internal recognition schemes should also be well thought out.

By taking the necessary steps to improve their senior leaders' well-being and workplace stress, employers can create a culture conducive to productivity, motivation and creativity. With the right resources and support, senior leaders will be more likely to stick around and make a positive contribution to the organisation.

The cyber security industry has a lot of runway to go grow into it's maturity, with that in mind, although the participants in the market are aware of the intensity of careers in the field; it's important that mental health and well-being longevity in the industry is encouraged to ensure that great talent at all levels but particularly among senior leaders. This is so that their expertise isn't short lived within the field and consultancies don't experience a constant talent churn.

It's in a firm's best interest to address the components attributing to workplace stress so that existing senior leaders don't nurture the early stage of this trend, and mid-level cyber professionals have the confidence that the next phase of their career is sustainable, and not a quick burn. 

talentorder is a niche recruitment firm specialising in permanent, interim, and retained recruitment solutions. We work with a range of different clients, including, but not limited to; corporate consultancies (boutique to international), financial services, FinTech, telecommunications and multimedia companies across the emerging technology market. 

If you're a company looking for the right talent that fits your expansion plans, do reach out toAmy here so that a confidential exploratory conversation can be arranged to discuss the needs of your practice. 

If you’re looking for a new opportunity in Cyber Security, get in touch with me with your up-to-date CV and the best time to speak.