If you think the current cybersecurity crisis is concerning, it could be getting even worse.

In Gartner’s recently published report, Predicts 2023: Cybersecurity Industry Focuses on the Human Deal, the research firm shares some worrisome statistics on the state of staffing and leadership in the sector.

Left unchecked, the research suggests talent shortfalls could continue to widen if organizations fail to prioritize human factors. 

At first glance, the headlines are frightening. Virtually all of the world’s top tech companies have announced significant layoffs in recent months. Some, like Meta and Amazon, have even done so twice – as they pull back from a pandemic-fed hiring boom.

It’s enough to give pause to human resources professionals charged with ensuring available talent matches business need. After all, if companies like Alphabet, Microsoft, Salesforce, Spotify, Shopify, Dell, and others are sharpening the knife, it’s easy to assume it’s an indication of a broader trend.

The good news is the clouds aren’t as dark as they seem. And while mass layoffs are indeed chaotic for anyone involved in them, they also hide opportunity to improve long-term talent management. 

Three years after the COVID-19 pandemic sent millions of knowledge workers home, employers are gradually reopening their offices and carefully filling long-empty cubicles and meeting rooms.

But they’re returning to a permanently changed workplace. Straight-up return-to-office (RTO) is out. Hybrid work styles encompassing varying degrees of in-office and remote work are in. The strategy of choice is increasingly just that, choice, and employees are demanding the ability to choose the locations and work arrangements that make the most sense for them.

And as you’ve likely guessed by now, some organizations get the hybrid thing right. Others, not so much. 

Note: This article is the second in an ongoing series on Staff Augmentation. Check out our first article, Staff Augmentation 101 – what you need to know, to learn what you need to know to get started. We’ll share additional details here as new articles in the series are published.

NOTE: This article is the first in a planned series on Staff Augmentation. This first article explores what it is and why it matters. Future articles will cover off how you can leverage it to drive your business forward.

It isn’t just you: tech industry layoffs are trending.

While the ominous headlines seem to have started at Twitter – as Elon Musk eliminated about half of all permanent employees barely a week after taking the helm – the microblogging service is hardly the only Big Tech company sharpening the layoff knife.

The hottest business buzzword of the year is actually two words: quiet quitting. And while most buzzwords are little more than easily ignored hype, this is one we shouldn’t be quiet about.