The cybersecurity industry in Europe is growing with a projected 12% growth between 2019 and 2029. With an anticipated market of $84.6B USD in 2029, it’s easy to understand why there are so many start-ups and established companies launching cybersecurity operations in the EU and beyond.
European cybersecurity firms need to provide thorough, up-to-date, and competitive HR services to their employees–and it has to be fully compliant with local, national, and international laws.
Whether you are a start-up or an established business, outsourcing your HR department is one of the best decisions you can make. Outsourcing to an experienced company like Europe HR Solutions gives you more than just knowledge and information. You also get a guarantee of full compliance with employment laws in the country or countries where you operate.
Special Considerations for Outsourcing HR in the Cybersecurity Industry
Every industry has its own unique HR needs, and that includes cybersecurity. Cybersecurity firms need specialized human resources services to address the field’s unusual characteristics. For example, the average small business operating in Europe probably doesn’t have to deal with security clearances, but this is commonplace in industries like infosec, cybersecurity, and data security, etc.
Specialized Technical Recruiting
HR at these companies are responsible for finding and recruiting employees with very specific cybersecurity skills and experience in areas like penetration testing, security monitoring, incident response, encryption, etc.
Security Clearances
Many cybersecurity jobs require special security clearance, which adds complexity and delays to background checks and onboarding. Your HR team needs to be able to process and manage security clearances for any number of sponsoring organizations.
Ongoing Technical Training
In an industry that is always evolving, there is an ongoing need for technical training and certification reimbursement to keep employees’ skills current. HR professionals play a role in developing training programs, setting budgets, overseeing training logistics, and determining policies.
Workforce Agility
Cybersecurity threats emerge and evolve quickly. HR needs to promote cross-training within the workforce so that staff can meet rapidly changing needs.
Workplace Privacy & Ethical Use Policies
HR departments are often responsible for writing company policies and workplace handbooks. In the cybersecurity world, your HR team needs to work within the confines of sensitive systems and data access. That includes managing detailed workplace privacy protections, enforcing comprehensive ethical use policies, and setting stringent access controls. Digital monitoring may be warranted.
Succession Planning & Redundancy
Building healthy redundancy in mission-critical roles ensures continuity if key employees leave or are unavailable. HR incorporates succession planning and team redundancy to protect the company and the data it manages.
Outsourcing Your Cybersecurity HR in Europe
You can choose what kind of HR tasks you want to outsource, depending on your specific needs.
Popular options include:
- A third-party HR company manages every aspect of HR
- In-house HR handles certain tasks, and an outsourced company handles the rest
- An outsourced HR team comes on board on a short-term contract basis
At Europe HR Solutions, we work with companies of all sizes and in all industries, including cybersecurity firms. We are happy to work with businesses who want us to handle everything or those who want us to just handle a few specific tasks.
What tasks do cybersecurity firms often outsource to an HR company?
For a brand-new company, your outsourced HR team can:
- Create a comprehensive employee handbook
- Conduct an HR audit to determine the best path to full compliance with employment laws
- Recruit, hire, and onboard your first employees
- Choose the best software including HR software, payroll and benefits management software, employee engagement, data security, etc.
After getting your company set up, we can take on as many or as few additional tasks as needed. Europe HR Solutions will build a customized contract that covers exactly what you want us to do.
Payroll Process & Benefits Administration
- Make sure that employee payroll is timely and in compliance with national and EU tax regulations
- Manage benefits enrollment for employees
- Communicate with local benefits providers
- Guarantee that your payroll is fully compliant with Europe’s complex tax laws
Training & Development
- Identify training gaps and develop plans to address insufficient training for a changing cybersecurity market
- Develop programs to build specific skills that your employees need to have
- Implement training systems for successful work on an international team
Recruitment & Talent Acquisition
- Discover highly qualified applicants for open roles, even for specialized roles
- Work with a deep understanding of the local job market in the country or countries where you operate
- Speak multiple languages to communicate clearly with top-tier talent from around the world
Employee Relations & Conflict Resolution
- Resolve employee grievances and workplace issues
- Maintain cultural awareness of potential causes and implications of workplace complaints
- Resolve any tricky problems that arise between employees through mediation and conflict management
HR Compliance & Legal Support
- Reduce the risk of fines and legal trouble by ensuring that your company is in full compliance with the EU’s labor laws
- Draft legally sound employment contracts
- Consult on legal issues as needed
Employee Engagement & Retention
- Understand the causes of employee attrition
- Reduce employee turnover
- Develop strategic retention programs for the European workforce
- Create and nurture a culturally aligned workplace environment
- Design customized employee engagement initiatives that improve workplace satisfaction
HR Consulting
- Provide expert HR advice regarding the business culture of the countries where you operate
- Support your in-house HR team with data, information, and metrics
- Demonstrate expertise in consulting services
HR Reporting & Analytics
- Offer clear insights into the company’s workforce to support decision-making
- Share recommendations based on a detailed analysis of HR data
- Provide customized European HR reports
Performance Management
- Set clear objectives for performance excellence
- Provide detailed feedback and training to improve employee performance
- Implement a performance appraisal system that fits your workplace culture and the culture of the countries where you are operating
Employee Onboarding & Offboarding
- Create procedures for a streamlined onboarding process
- Provide all of the necessary onboarding documentation required by European laws
- Follow all mandatory exit procedures per EU regulations
HR Technology & Systems
- Choose HR software for your company
- Assist with the implementation of those software systems
- Make sure that all software is compliant with national and European data protection regulations
Benefits of Outsourcing HR for Cybersecurity Firms
When you consider all of these potential roles that your outsourced HR team can do for you, the benefits are clear. You get to focus on growing your business, rather than spending so much time and energy on compliance issues and employee management.
Outsourcing key HR functions to an expert provider offers numerous advantages.
Cost Savings
Rather than maintaining a large in-house HR team, outsourcing transfers personnel costs to a provider. This leads to significant cost savings on overhead expenses related to HR salaries, benefits, training, and compliance.
Access to Specialized Expertise
Experienced HR outsourcing partners possess deep knowledge of European employment legislation, security clearance processing, and other regulations. We also bring best practices for technical recruiting, training, and other areas unique to cybersecurity.
Flexibility
HR outsourcing arrangements can be customized and scaled to match changing business needs. Companies only pay for the services they need, whether that means supplementing current HR staff or fully outsourcing the function.
Risk Mitigation
Knowledgeable HR outsourcing professionals help ensure compliance with European labor laws and cybersecurity best practices, greatly reducing regulatory and data privacy risks for organizations.
Focus on Core Priorities
Once they are free from handling complex HR activities, cybersecurity leadership teams can better focus on critical priorities like developing innovative solutions, improving services, and expanding business operations.
By leveraging outside HR expertise, cybersecurity firms can improve compliance, productivity, and strategic growth.
Customize Your Cybersecurity HR with Europe HR Solutions
At Europe HR Solutions, our multilingual HR professionals understand the unique needs of European and international companies, even in complicated industries like cybersecurity.
Our team provides a seamless connection between your company’s executive leadership and your employees. We efficiently recruit, train, and manage your workforce while ensuring full compliance with all of the laws and regulations in the countries where your company operates.
Check out our track record of successful partnerships to hear from our satisfied clients across multiple industries.
When you choose to work with Europe HR Solutions, you get a dedicated team of HR professionals with a deep wealth of knowledge of international business and cybersecurity operations.
Contact Europe HR Solutions to learn more about how we can contribute to your cybersecurity firm’s growth in Europe.
