November 3, 2023

A survey of over 14,000 cybersecurity professionals found that the proportion of workers reporting low job satisfaction has increased sharply over the past year.

The survey, conducted by ISC2, found that 36.9% of respondents fell into the “low employee experience” bracket, up from 31.4% last year. This represents a more than 5% increase in the number of cybersecurity workers who are unhappy at work.

The survey also found that the proportion of workers who reported medium and high employee satisfaction has decreased, suggesting that overall workplace happiness is falling across the board.

ISC2 said that the key factors contributing to the decline in job satisfaction appear to be cultural, with issues such as departmental cutbacks, the ever-looming threat of layoffs, and lack of managerial support being cited as the main reasons.

The survey also found that the threat of layoffs may have a more profound impact on a cybersecurity pro’s job happiness than the layoffs that have already happened. Those who expected job losses in the next 12 months reported a happiness score of just 38.9, compared to those who didn’t expect any layoffs, who scored 59.5.

In addition to worrying about job security, cybersecurity workers are also facing increased workloads due to cross-industry downsizing. The majority of respondents (71%) reported a heavier workload in the past year, with the most commonly cited pain points being excessive emails and tasks, lack of resources to do the job effectively, and staffing and skills-related issues.

The sources for this piece include an article in TheRegister.