Accelerated cyber talent hiring at Pentagon pushed by official

Mounting cyber workforce shortages at the U.S. Department of Defense are sought to be addressed by Pentagon Chief Information Officer Mark Gorak by shortening the hiring window from an average of 70 days to only 25 days, reports CyberScoop.

Achieving the new target hiring window, which aims to ameliorate the almost 20,000 cyber talent shortfall within the department, is hinged on skills-based hiring, with candidates to be subjected to 30-minute assessment ranges that evaluate proficiency on job-specific tasks rather than certifications, advanced degrees, and experience, noted Gorak at FedTalks.

Increasing utilization of artificial intelligence has also prompted the push to an accelerated hiring process, Gorak said.

"My number one goal is skills-based hiring in the department. I don't care what your occupational series is. I don't care what your [Military Occupational Specialty] is. I care about what you do and if you're qualified to do it," Gorak added.