DevSecOps: The New Frontier in Tech Recruitment – How to Find and Hire Top Talent

The world of tech recruitment is constantly changing. Nowadays, a completely different profile is sought than ever before: DevSecOps specialists. Are you a tech recruiter looking for insight on that role? It will be well understood from this article what to know to search for the best DevSecOps talent and, therefore, make your recruiting skills shine.

Table of Contents

1. Understanding DevSecOps: The New Challenge in Tech Recruitment
2. Key Skills of a DevSecOps Profile Sought by Tech Recruiters
3. Effective Recruitment Strategies for DevSecOps Profiles
4. Challenges and Opportunities in DevSecOps Recruitment
5. The Future of DevSecOps and Its Impact on Tech Recruitment
6. Practical questions you can ask in an interview

Understanding DevSecOps: The New Challenge in Tech Recruitment

DevSecOps is basically the methodology of integrating security right from the beginning of the software development cycle. It is the natural evolution of DevOps, focused on security. The global DevSecOps market is expected to grow from $5-7 billion in 2023 to around $18-32 billion by 2030, with CAGRs ranging from 15-28% depending on the source like MarkNtel Advisors, The Business Research Company or GlobeNewsWire

Definition and Principles of DevSecOps

DevSecOps means the integration of Development, Security, and Operations. DevSecOps seeks to create a culture wherein security is everyone's concern. It catches and corrects security flaws much earlier, saving money by minimizing risks. Just to give some ideas: by implementing DevSecOps practices and shifting security left (addressing issues earlier in development), the time to fix vulnerabilities can be reduced by approximately 10 times according to DeepFactor.

The Evolution of Software Development: From DevOps to DevSecOps

DevOps to DevSecOps: that's where it's going. Security awareness is developing, and there is a greater demand in the application security development sector. Organizations experienced an average of 1,636 cyber attacks per week in Q2 2024, representing a 30% year-over-year increase according to TerraNova Security. No longer could one afford to make security an afterthought. Tech recruiters have a vested interest in learning about this trend as this can provide them with clear oriented candidate searches.

Competencies of a DevSecOps Profile Sought by Tech Recruiters

To effectively recruit in DevSecOps, you need to understand what competencies are at stake in this function. Below is the summary table of the skills and certifications sought:

Skill	Importance	Associated Tools	Required Level	Recommended Certification
CI/CD	High	Jenkins, GitLab CI	Expert	Jenkins Certified Engineer
Application Security	Critical	OWASP ZAP, Burp Suite	Advanced	CISSP
Automation	High	Ansible, Terraform	Advanced	Red Hat Certified Ansible Specialist
Containerization	Medium	Docker, Kubernetes	Intermediate	CKA - Certified Kubernetes Administrator
Secure Cloud	High	AWS, Azure, GCP	Advanced	AWS Certified Security - Specialty
Vulnerability Management	Critical	Nessus, Qualys	Expert	CompTIA PenTest+
Scripting	Medium	Python, Bash	Intermediate	PCAP - Certified Associate in Python Programming

If none of this makes sense, it might be useful for you to check TechMap, the industry-standard certification for technical recruiters.

Experience with Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD) Tools

A DevSecOps expert needs to learn the usage of different CI/CD tools, such as automation of security testing. For instance, they can integrate Jenkins with the application development life cycle in a DevSecOps manner so that any new commit automatically runs in the vulnerability scanner.

Application Security and Vulnerability Management Skills

Familiarity with frequent security vulnerabilities and secure coding best practices are of the highest importance. A good DevSecOps would make use of OWASP ZAP for vulnerability detection.

Automation Skills and Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Automation is the Heart of DevSecOps: Automation of deploying secured infrastructures using Ansible or Terraform should be carried out by candidates.

Knowledge in Containerization and Orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)

Containerization facilitates the safe deployment of applications. A DevSecOps profile should be able to secure Docker containers and manage the orchestration using Kubernetes.

DevSecOps Profile Recruitment Strategies: How to source the Best Profiles?

Recruiting in DevSecOps requires a particular approach. To try to improve a little more your recruitment practices, here are some strategies which may work for you:

Identify Key Performance Indicators for Development, Security, and Operations to assess DevSecOps candidates.

• Total vulnerabilities detected and fixed: 50% in 6 months
• Average time to fix a security flaw: under 24 hours
• Success rate of secure deployments: 99.9%
• Costs associated with security incidents reducd by: -30% per year

Those are directional examples/data and not meant to be the case for every candidate or organization!

Specific Sourcing Techniques for DevSecOps Talents

Target these top DevSecOps profiles by reaching out to specialized security tech communities. Attend meetups on cybersecurity or DevOps. Do not hesitate to use platforms like GitHub when spotting active contributors to security-related projects. These channels make up 76% of the best candidates that tech recruiters find.

A good indicator of the candidate's skill is the different certifications that they hold. 87% of the employers believe that certification is an important criterion while hiring a particular resource. A small comparison table showing relevant DevSecOps certifications is provided below:

Certification	Organization	Level	Focus
Certified DevSecOps Professional	DevSecOps Institute	Advanced	DevSecOps practices
AWS Certified Security - Specialty	Amazon Web Services	Expert	Cloud security
CISSP - Certified Information Systems Security Professional	ISC²	Expert	Global security
CKS - Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist	Cloud Native Computing Foundation	Expert	Kubernetes security

Challenges and Opportunities in DevSecOps Recruitment

Recruitment in DevSecOps has specific challenges but also fantastic opportunities for tech recruiters.

The DevSecOps Talent Shortage: How to Cope

With the scarcity of the DevSecOps profiles - ISC2 estimates a global shortage of 4 million cybersecurity professionals - consider training developers or motivated ops staff in-house. You can also provide mentorship to attract and develop talents.

The Rapid Evolution of Technologies: Keeping Knowledge Up to Date

The DevSecOps area evolves very fast. Encourage candidates to demonstrate their commitment to keeping themselves up to date. A good DevSecOps profile is curious and eager to learn.

Creating an Attractive Company Culture for DevSecOps Profiles

DevSecOps experts are searching for exciting working environments. Highlight your company's innovative projects and continuous learning opportunities, in order to attract these profiles.

The Future of DevSecOps and How It Will Impact Tech Recruitment

DevSecOps will always be in evolution. Following are a few trends to watch for to stay ahead in the recruitment game:

Rising Trends in DevSecOps - AI, ML, Secure Cloud

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are becoming a greater part of DevSecOps practices. This could be AI that allows for real-time detection of suspicious behavior by applications.

The Growing Importance of Continuous Compliance and Risk Management

Other regulations like GDPR require DevSecOps profiles to master aspects of compliance as well. Find a candidate who weaved such constraints into the development cycle.

Anticipate future needs by keeping in close contact with the technical teams. Keep watching the market trends and adjust the recruiting criteria to fit the evolving landscape. Not afraid to train yourself regularly in new security technologies.

DevSecOps is one of the new and growing fields. For any tech recruiter, an idea of the challenges faced will be a great aid in attracting the best people. In this field, no doubt, continuous training is very much important. From TechMap, recruitment leaders certification program can help one gain deep insight into every fact and become an expert in tech recruitment. With this certification, one can master the skills required to be able to perform well in the DevSecOps recruitment segment.

Practical questions you can ask in an interview

Here's a list of 10 questions we came up which we think could help you in your day-to-day job

1. In your own words, how would you explain DevSecOps to someone unfamiliar with the term?
2. Can you share how you promote a culture where everyone feels responsible for security within a development team?
3. Imagine building a car: how would you ensure safety features are integrated during the design and assembly, rather than added afterward?
4. Tell me about a time when you had to balance the need for quick delivery with the need for security. How did you handle it?
5. How do you stay current with the rapidly changing landscape of technology and security practices?
6. Think of software development like cooking a meal. How do you make sure all the ingredients (code, security, operations) come together smoothly for the final dish?
7. Describe an instance where you helped your team understand the importance of security in their daily work.
8. When faced with a complex problem that requires input from different team members, how do you facilitate collaboration to find a solution?
9. If you had to explain the importance of integrating security into the development process to a non-technical person, what would you say?
10. What excites you about working in DevSecOps, and how do you believe your role contributes to the success of a company?

These questions aim to:

• Assess Understanding: Gauge the candidate’s grasp of DevSecOps principles in simple terms.
• Evaluate Communication Skills: See how well they can explain complex ideas using analogies.
• Determine Cultural Fit: Understand how they promote teamwork and shared responsibility.
• Explore Problem-Solving Abilities: Learn how they handle challenges without delving into technical specifics.
• Measure Passion and Motivation: Get insight into what drives them in their career.

We're always available if you need to get your Tech Recruiter Certification