New Year’s resolutions often include career change goals. As a result, our recruitment practice typically sees an increase in candidate activity at the start of the year. Security practitioners are quick to approach us about shifting positions. They want to know what the job market looks like for the coming year and what they should take into consideration if they decide to make a move.

This year will be especially interesting. The migration we usually see in January began mid-year 2021 and has been steadily picking up steam since. It was not uncommon for us to receive upwards of 600 applications for each of our recruitment projects the latter half of 2021.

“The Great Resignation” has been an impossible-to-ignore phenomenon over the past six months, and the security industry has not been immune to its effects. The uncertainty of working conditions incented some to retire early. Others found themselves in conflict with their organization’s new policies and looked to move elsewhere. Overwhelmingly, most were reevaluating their quality of life at that current point in their careers and decided a change was in order.

From the client side of our business, we saw employers realizing the importance of being an attractive place to work on multiple fronts. They wanted to hire candidates who were in concert with enterprise goals while still prioritizing flexibility, career growth and support for a balanced lifestyle in ever-changing conditions. Companies also strove to be more firmly committed to hiring teams reflective of their communities and their customers.

Some of our projects were open to indefinite remote work. While the companies realized savings associated with reduced relocation costs, the overwhelmingly positive benefit was the ability to hire qualified candidates they might otherwise not have had access to if remotely located teams were not an option.

We don’t expect these trends to shift at the start of the new year. Pandemic uncertainties continue to persist globally. Employers and job seekers will continue to adjust.

Career advancement opportunities will be in good supply as security professionals recalibrate what their perfect job looks like and change positions. Companies will continue working to solve hiring challenges and attract top talent by adapting to changing candidate market conditions.

If one of your 2022 goals is to change jobs and advance your security career, dive right into the search. Cast a wide net with the thought that companies can be more flexible than they may have been in the past. Negotiate with the thought that while your salary is important, quality of life is equally so.