Kate Spencer and Ewan Sharp, Workforce Transformation Experts at PA Consulting, discuss the future of talent in counter-terrorism.
The UK counter-terrorism police recently described the threat level against the UK as “smouldering” as the threat picture becomes more digital, complex and globally interconnected.
Against this backdrop, counter-terror organisations are grappling with a critical workforce challenge: Facing the urgent need to plug skills gaps and attract new generations of talent with digital capabilities.
Gen Z, a cohort raised in a highly digital environment, offers a prime pool of candidates with the technical skills required to meet evolving demands.
However, as evidenced by recent research from PA Consulting, this generation of 13-27-year-olds can be notoriously hard to reach.
We surveyed 2,000 UK citizens across a range of backgrounds and found a lack of awareness and openness to security roles among Gen Z, with around half reporting little or no interest to working in the sector.
Despite the growing need for digital skills, several barriers hinder Gen Z’s recruitment into counter-terrorism, ranging from a lack of awareness about career pathways to complex vetting processes and a perceived conflict with their values.
Competing industries are often seen to offer higher salaries, greater workplace flexibility, faster career progression and a culture that prioritises employee wellbeing.
Without targeted, strategic intervention, this will continue to limit the counter-terrorism sector’s capacity to engage and retain a critical talent pool.
So, how can counter-terrorism develop a compelling employee value proposition that aligns with the younger generation’s priorities?
To attract and retain talent, the sector must modernise its approach, promoting diverse career pathways, embedding flexible working models, strengthening value-driven narratives and prioritising employee wellbeing.
If not, counter-terrorism risks falling behind in the competition for Gen Z talent – ultimately hindering its capacity to keep pace with emerging technology and effectively mitigate new threats.
Career aspirations are evolving and individuals are increasingly seeking multi-faceted career paths rather than a single, linear trajectory.
But, crucially, almost half (48%) of Gen Z respondents don’t know about the breadth of roles available in the security sector. When they do, they’re twice as open to stepping into one of those roles. What does this tell us?
The first priority for counter-terrorism organisations is to effectively communicate the full spectrum of roles available.
There’s an obvious opportunity to tap into the skills of digital natives, as the contested space isn’t just physical anymore; it’s coded in ones and zeros. But these aren’t the only roles that need filling.
Demonstrating the diversity of opportunities, both technical and non-technical, as well as the breadth across capabilities and geographies, is important to attract talent.
For example, the counter-terrorism ecosystem can often appear London-centric, when in fact it has a national and international footprint, with Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) alone having eleven regional Counter Terrorism Units (CTUs) and intelligence units (CTIUs) that collaborate across all police force areas in the UK.
Likewise, there’s a stereotype that counter-terror is all about intelligence officers and Counter Terrorist Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFOs), with many overlooking digital forensics specialists, data scientists, analysts, financial intelligence officers, technical operations specialists, lawyers, human rights experts, behavioural psychologists and more.
Alongside educating young people of the diversity of careers available, counter-terror organisations can also focus on actively recruiting Gen Z talent from regions where there’s a wellspring of talent.
Just look at the North West Partnership for Security and Trust (NWPST), a GCHQ-led programme involving four leading UK universities.
The initiative is driving research in cybersecurity and security innovation and provides a highly skilled talent pipeline that organisations could engage with early.
Gen Z places a high value on flexibility and a good work-life balance. This is reflected in a Microsoft Work Trend Index Special Report, which uncovered that Gen Z are 77% more likely to stay at a job for longer if it offers flexibility.
Yet in our research, only a fifth (22%) of Gen Z respondents thought that the defence and security sector offered flexible working hours and a healthy work-life balance.
Roles like frontline policing may have relatively fixed working patterns, but since COVID-19, there has been growing flexibility across the wider counter-terrorism ecosystem.
Building more choice and control into careers and offering, where possible, flexible hours, remote work options and policies that support a good work-life balance, will pay dividends when trying to recruit younger talent.
Beyond this, it’s worth rethinking vetting processes as a critical enabler to talent acquisition.
Complex and slow vetting procedures are a known issue, with many candidates dropping out for roles with guaranteed start dates.
Increasingly stringent security checks, coupled with limited resources for processing applications, often lead to delays that frustrate candidates and hinder recruitment.
A recent Cabinet Office investigation into UK Security Vetting found that delivering timely clearances continues to be a challenge, reporting an increase in individuals undergoing vetting, only to drop out after securing alternative jobs.
By accelerating timelines through digital and AI-enabled vetting solutions – and re-designing work so individuals can contribute meaningfully whilst undergoing clearance – organisations can improve efficiency, reduce drop-outs and maintain security standards.
Purpose-driven, meaningful work is one of the sector’s greatest strengths, particularly as public interest in social impact and global security continues to grow.
Counter-terrorism organisations must articulate their role in tackling global threats to create a safer, more sustainable future.
Around a third of Gen Z strongly agree that the sector offers meaningful work (37%) and feel it provides a sense of purpose (34%) – but only a quarter really think that its values align with their own (24%).
To bridge this gap, organisations must proactively communicate the real-world impact of counter-terrorism professionals in safeguarding society in a way that resonates with potential recruits.
Sharing first-hand accounts and success stories from staff can effectively demonstrate the critical role of individuals and teams across the counter-terrorism ecosystem.
Counter-terrorism organisations should look to leverage digital platforms like TikTok to showcase their purpose, values and career opportunities in a way that resonates with future talent.
For example, Counter Terrorism Policing’s recent podcast mini-series, where they interviewed several female employees on their work in counter terrorism, is a good example of moving with the times and using a popular digital platform to connect with people in an authentic, personable way.
Mental health and wellbeing are key priorities for prospective employees, but only 27% of Gen Z respondents believe that the defence and security sector prioritises employee mental health.
This presents an opportunity for the counter-terrorism ecosystem to reinforce its commitment to staff wellbeing, particularly as resilience, cultural change and equality and inclusion become central to UK modern workforce strategies.
By actively showcasing progress in these areas – such as mental health support frameworks, peer-led wellbeing initiatives and structured resilience training – counter-terrorism organisations can better align with Gen Z expectations and enhance perceptions of the sector as an employer of choice.
Digitally fluent, mission-driven talent is essential to tackling the evolving and technology-fuelled nature of terrorist threats.
This requires a strong and articulated employee value proposition (EVP) that resonates with Gen Z’s priorities: Career variety and development, flexibility, purpose-driven work and a culture of support and inclusivity.
Beyond formal recruitment efforts, organisations must also ensure that existing employees are engaged advocates, equipped to communicate the EVP effectively and support organic, word-of-mouth outreach.
The message for counter-terrorism organisations is clear – shed hierarchical career pathways in favour of dynamic, fluid career trajectories, communicate the sheer range of roles on offer and show the tangible impact on a local and global level.
In doing so, counter-terrorism organisations can build a strong workforce capable of addressing the rapidly evolving security challenges of the future.
This article was originally published in the June edition of Security Journal UK. To read your FREE digital edition, click here.
