Skills-Based Hiring for InfoSec Roles: Why It Works in 2025

Introduction: Why InfoSec Hiring Is Broken (And Costly)

The demand for Information Security (InfoSec) professionals has never been higher. With rising threats, evolving compliance standards, and frequent breaches, companies in the US, UK, and EU are racing to secure their digital infrastructure. Yet most of them are doing it wrong.

Traditional hiring practices in cybersecurity — like relying on degrees, certifications, or big-name past employers — no longer guarantee competence. In 2025, skills-based hiring isn’t just an alternative; it’s the smarter, faster, and fairer way to build high-performance InfoSec teams.

At Behoof, we help companies hire vetted, test-proven InfoSec talent in 7–10 days using flat-fee, skills-first recruitment. Here’s why it works — and how to do it right.

The Current InfoSec Talent Crisis

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, there will be 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs globally in 2025. Yet companies still struggle to find qualified candidates.

What’s going wrong?

• Over-reliance on degrees or certifications like CISSP, CEH, or OSCP — which don’t always reflect real-world ability.

• Inconsistent interviews that miss core skills like incident response or threat modeling.

• Lengthy hiring timelines where top candidates being snatched up by more agile competitors.

• Bias in hiring that limits diversity and innovation in InfoSec teams.
  

You don’t need another resume. You need proof of skill.

What Is Skills-Based Hiring?

Skills-based hiring means prioritizing what a candidate can actually do, rather than what their CV says. It removes fluff from the process and puts capability front and center.

In InfoSec roles, this includes testing for:

• Risk assessment and mitigation

• Cloud security protocols (e.g., AWS IAM, Azure Security Center)

• Incident detection and response

• Security architecture planning

• SIEM analysis and log correlation

• Threat intelligence interpretation

• GRC knowledge (Governance, Risk, Compliance)
  

Skills-based hiring gives you concrete evidence of a candidate’s ability to do these things — before you make an offer.

Why Skills-Based Hiring Works So Well in Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is a high-stakes, constantly changing domain. You can’t afford to guess.

Here’s why skills-based hiring is especially powerful for InfoSec roles:

✅ 1. Certifications Aren’t Enough

Some candidates ace certifications but struggle in real-world pressure situations. Others may not have flashy credentials — but can navigate a breach with clarity and speed. Assessments uncover that hidden talent.

✅ 2. Faster Time to Hire

On average, InfoSec roles take 6–10 weeks to fill using traditional recruiters. At Behoof, we cut that to 7–10 days because we send only candidates who’ve already passed role-relevant assessments.

✅ 3. You Reduce Bias

Many hiring managers unconsciously favor candidates from certain schools or companies. Our structured assessments create a level playing field — letting skills speak louder than LinkedIn logos.

✅ 4. Stronger Retention Rates

Candidates hired through skills-based processes tend to perform better and stay longer, because their roles are aligned with their real abilities.

✅ 5. It Helps You Hire Globally

If you’re hiring remote InfoSec professionals from outside your headquarters country, skills-first hiring gives you a global edge. You’re no longer constrained by geography or school name.

How Behoof Hires InfoSec Talent: Our 4-Step Assessment Process

We specialize in hiring for mid-to-senior InfoSec roles — quickly and without compromise. Here’s how our system works:

 Step 1: Cognitive & Personality Screening

We use psychometric tools to assess how a candidate thinks, solves problems, and fits with your existing team culture. This includes decision-making under stress — critical in InfoSec.

 Step 2: Role-Specific Security Assessments

We simulate real-world security challenges based on the role. Examples include:

• Reviewing logs and identifying suspicious patterns

• Writing a cloud security policy for an AWS architecture

• Responding to a ransomware scenario

• Running a quick security audit on a mock SaaS platform

• Threat modeling exercise for an e-commerce website
  

Every test is customized to reflect your specific needs and risk profile.

 Step 3: Communication & Collaboration Checks

Security is a team sport. We assess how candidates:

• Write incident reports

• Communicate findings to non-technical stakeholders

• Handle pushback from product or engineering teams

This ensures they’re not just technical — but cross-functional.

 Step 4: Culture Add Evaluation

We look beyond “culture fit” and ask: how will this person improve your team? We evaluate based on values alignment, communication style, and growth mindset — not just familiarity.

Real-World Example: Hiring a GRC Lead in 8 Days

A US-based fintech client came to us after spending 2 months trying to hire a GRC Lead. They had interviewed 11 candidates through traditional recruiters — none passed their internal screening.

We delivered 3 shortlisted candidates within 5 business days — all of whom passed the hiring manager’s bar. The client made a successful offer by Day 8. The Competitive Advantage of Going Skills-First in InfoSec

In 2025, top InfoSec talent is increasingly looking for evidence-based, transparent, and bias-free hiring processes. The companies that adapt and showcase their skills-first approach will attract better talent and stand out as forward-thinking employers.

Here’s what going skills-first signals to candidates:

•  You care about competence, not credentials. Candidates without elite degrees or FAANG experience now have a fair shot — and that builds trust.

•  You value their time. Instead of endless interviews and vague questions, they get a structured, focused assessment process.

• You invest in high-quality teams. The best InfoSec professionals want to work with peers who are equally vetted and capable. Your process becomes a hiring advantage in itself.
  

Companies that embrace skills-based hiring are seen as more modern, inclusive, and meritocratic. That doesn’t just help you fill roles — it strengthens your employer brand in a highly competitive cybersecurity talent market.

Cost Efficiency: Skills-Based Hiring Saves Real Money

Time-to-hire matters. So does bad-hire cost.

In the US, the average cost of a mis-hire for a mid-level InfoSec role is estimated at $25,000 to $50,000. This includes:

• Salary paid before realizing underperformance

• Risk from poor security practices

• Time lost interviewing and onboarding the wrong person

• Additional costs to rehire
  

At Behoof, our flat-fee model (starting at $5000 USD) helps you:

• Avoid overpaying for traditional recruiters

• Prevent expensive mis-hires

• Get hires right the first time — faster
  

Final Thoughts: InfoSec Hiring in 2025 Requires Proof, Not Promises

The future of cybersecurity hiring is about what you can prove, not what you can claim. Resumes and degrees are optional. Skills are not.

If you want to build a high-performance, diverse, and resilient InfoSec team — start with assessments, not assumptions.

At Behoof, we help security-conscious companies make hires based on skill, not guesswork. Ready to build a bulletproof team?

👉 Book a Free Consultation and let’s talk about your next critical hire.