Introduction: That Sinking Feeling When HR Surprises You
You're just having a casual chat about opportunities. Maybe grabbing coffee with a connection. Then—bam—you're in an impromptu technical interview. Your mind goes blank on networking fundamentals you haven't touched in six months. The feedback feels disconnected from reality. And you're left wondering: why the f*ck does HR even exist in this process?
That Reddit post from the cybersecurity community captures a universal frustration. It's not just about one bad interview. It's about a system that often feels broken, where gatekeepers without technical backgrounds make decisions about technical roles. In this article, we're going to explore the real reasons HR exists in cybersecurity, why the system creates these painful experiences, and—most importantly—how you can navigate it successfully in 2026.
The Historical Context: How We Got Here
First, let's acknowledge something important: HR departments weren't created to frustrate technical professionals. They emerged from legitimate business needs. Back when companies were smaller, hiring was often done by department heads who knew exactly what they needed. But as organizations grew, consistency became a problem.
Imagine a company with 50 different hiring managers, each using their own criteria, asking different questions, and making decisions based on personal biases. Some might hire only people from their alma mater. Others might reject candidates based on irrelevant factors. The result was inconsistent hiring, potential discrimination lawsuits, and massive inefficiency.
HR stepped in to create standardized processes. They implemented structured interviews, documented hiring criteria, and ensured compliance with employment laws. In theory, this should create fairer, more consistent hiring. In practice—as our Reddit friend discovered—it often creates frustrating experiences where technical expertise gets lost in bureaucratic processes.
The Three Real Purposes of HR in Cybersecurity Hiring
Let's break down what HR actually does in technical hiring, beyond the frustration:
1. Risk Management and Compliance
This is HR's primary legal function. In 2026, employment laws have become increasingly complex. From data privacy regulations affecting how interview notes are stored to anti-discrimination laws governing what questions can be asked, HR ensures the company doesn't get sued. They're the ones making sure interview questions don't violate privacy laws or create liability.
Think about it: if a hiring manager asks about family plans, health conditions, or other protected information, that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. HR creates guardrails. The problem? Sometimes those guardrails feel like they're preventing meaningful technical conversation.
2. Process Efficiency and Scale
For large organizations, technical managers can't spend 80% of their time interviewing. HR handles scheduling, initial screenings, and administrative tasks. They filter out candidates who clearly don't meet basic requirements before they reach technical teams.
The issue arises when HR doesn't understand those requirements. I've seen job descriptions for penetration testers that require "excellent PowerPoint skills" or SOC analysts who need "five years of experience with tools that only existed for three." When HR creates filters based on misunderstood requirements, they screen out qualified candidates and let through unqualified ones.
3. Cultural and Organizational Fit
Here's where HR adds genuine value—when they do it right. Technical skills can be taught. Malicious insiders, toxic personalities, or people who fundamentally don't align with company values? Those are harder to fix. HR assesses whether candidates will thrive in the organization's specific environment.
The challenge? "Cultural fit" can become code for "people like us," which reinforces homogeneity and excludes diverse perspectives that cybersecurity desperately needs. A good HR professional in 2026 should be assessing collaboration skills, ethical frameworks, and growth mindset—not whether someone shares hobbies with the hiring manager.
Where the System Breaks Down: The Technical Disconnect
Now let's address the specific pain points from that Reddit experience and countless others like it:
The Surprise Interview Problem
That "unexpected interview" scenario is more common than it should be. Some HR professionals and recruiters operate on quantity metrics—more interviews equals more productivity. But ambushing candidates serves no one. The candidate performs poorly. The interviewer gets an inaccurate assessment. Everyone wastes time.
In 2026, we should know better. Preparation is crucial for technical roles. Asking someone to discuss packet analysis without warning is like asking a surgeon to describe a procedure they haven't reviewed in months. It tests recall under pressure, not actual competence.
The Feedback Disconnect
When HR delivers feedback without technical context, it often misses the mark. "Didn't demonstrate enough knowledge about networking" could mean anything from "couldn't explain BGP" to "struggled with subnetting" to "didn't mention OSI model by name." Without specifics, the candidate can't improve.
Worse, HR might filter feedback through their own misunderstanding. I once had a candidate rejected because "they talked about red teaming when we asked about blue team." The actual conversation? The candidate was explaining how understanding attacker methodology (red team) makes you better at defense (blue team). HR heard keywords and made the wrong inference.
The Resume Black Hole
Automated tracking systems (ATS) have gotten better, but they're still imperfect. HR configures these systems with keyword filters that can reject excellent candidates. If your resume says "incident response" but the job description says "security incident management," you might not make it through.
And let's talk about the "years of experience" requirement. HR often treats this as a hard filter. But in cybersecurity, where the field evolves rapidly, two years of hands-on experience might be more valuable than five years of outdated knowledge. The system struggles with nuance.
The Cybersecurity Hiring Manager's Perspective
To understand the full picture, we need to acknowledge that hiring managers often feel just as frustrated. They're dealing with:
HR sending completely unqualified candidates: When HR doesn't understand the role, they might send candidates who have the right keywords but wrong context. A network security engineer isn't the same as a network administrator with security responsibilities.
Process delays: HR timelines can slow hiring to a crawl. By the time a great candidate gets through the process, they've accepted another offer. In 2026's competitive market, speed matters.
Compensation constraints: HR often manages salary bands that don't reflect cybersecurity market realities. They might insist a senior threat hunter fits into the same band as a senior accountant, despite radically different market rates.
One hiring manager told me: "I spend more time fighting HR about why we need to hire someone than I do actually interviewing qualified candidates. It's exhausting."
Practical Strategies: Navigating the HR System Successfully
Okay, so the system has problems. But you still need to navigate it. Here's how to work with HR effectively:
1. Speak Their Language
HR professionals aren't technical, but they are professional. Frame your experience in terms they understand. Instead of just "performed network penetration testing," add "reduced organizational risk by identifying critical vulnerabilities before attackers could exploit them." Connect technical work to business outcomes.
When preparing your resume, research shows that mirroring language from the job description helps with ATS systems. But don't just copy-paste—integrate their terminology naturally. If they say "cloud security posture management" and you usually say "cloud security monitoring," use their phrase.
2. Prepare for the Unexpected
That Reddit poster was caught off guard because they hadn't reviewed fundamentals in six months. In 2026's job market, you should always be somewhat interview-ready. Keep a "cheat sheet" of key concepts you can review quickly. I maintain a simple document with:
- OSI model layers and examples
- Common ports and protocols
- Recent CVEs I've worked with
- My go-to explanations of complex concepts
Even 15 minutes of review before any professional meeting can make a difference. And if you're truly ambushed? It's okay to say: "I'd love to discuss that in detail, but I'd like a few minutes to gather my thoughts to give you the best answer." Most professionals will respect that.
3. Bridge the Communication Gap
During interviews with HR or non-technical screeners, ask clarifying questions: "When you ask about my experience with firewalls, are you interested in specific vendors, deployment scenarios, or policy management?" This helps them ask better questions and gets you more relevant information.
After technical interviews, if you're getting feedback through HR, ask for specifics: "Could you clarify which networking concepts they felt were weak? Was it practical implementation, theoretical knowledge, or specific protocols?" Sometimes HR will go back to the technical interviewer for clarification.
4. Use Multiple Channels
Don't rely solely on HR processes. In 2026, most cybersecurity hiring happens through networks. Engage with:
- Professional communities (like that Reddit forum)
- Conference connections
- Open source project collaborations
- Technical meetups (virtual or in-person)
When you come through a referral, you often bypass the initial HR screening. The hiring manager says "I want to talk to this person," and HR makes it happen.
What Good HR Looks Like in 2026
The best organizations have evolved their HR approach. Here's what effective cybersecurity hiring looks like today:
Technical HR partners: Some companies now have HR professionals who specialize in technical hiring. They understand the difference between SIEM and SOAR, know which certifications matter, and can have meaningful initial conversations.
Structured technical evaluations: Instead of surprise interviews, candidates get take-home challenges, lab environments, or scheduled technical discussions. These are designed to assess actual skills, not just recall under pressure.
Collaborative hiring: HR and technical teams work together throughout the process. HR handles compliance, scheduling, and candidate experience. Technical teams assess skills. Both contribute to the final decision.
Continuous feedback loops: When candidates fail, HR collects specific technical feedback to improve future screening. When hires succeed or fail, they analyze what predicted that outcome to refine their process.
One CISO told me: "Our HR partner sits in on our team meetings. She doesn't understand the technical details, but she understands our challenges, our culture, and what makes someone successful here. She's become invaluable."
Common Mistakes Candidates Make with HR
Let's flip the perspective. Here's what not to do:
Being condescending about their lack of technical knowledge: HR professionals are experts in their domain. Dismissing them because they don't understand DNS makes you look arrogant, not smart.
Over-explaining technical concepts: When an HR person asks about your experience, they want the high-level business impact, not a detailed explanation of how buffer overflows work. Read the room.
Ignoring the human element: HR assesses whether you'll be a good colleague. Technical brilliance matters, but if you come across as difficult to work with, you might not get hired. Cybersecurity is a team sport.
Not following up properly: HR manages the process. If they ask for references, provide them promptly. If they schedule an interview, confirm quickly. Being difficult to coordinate with is a red flag.
FAQs: Your HR Questions Answered
"Why do I have to talk to HR if they don't understand my work?"
Because they're assessing different things. The technical team evaluates your skills. HR evaluates whether you'll fit the organization, comply with policies, and represent the company appropriately. Both perspectives matter.
"How do I deal with obviously wrong technical requirements in a job description?"
Apply anyway if you're close. In your cover letter or initial conversation, politely note: "I noticed the description mentions ten years of experience with Tool X, which was released in 2022. I have four years with similar tools and would be excited to learn Tool X specifically." This shows attention to detail without being confrontational.
"What if HR rejects me for a stupid reason?"
Sometimes you can request clarification or reconsideration, especially if you have a connection to the hiring manager. But often, a company with fundamentally broken HR processes isn't somewhere you want to work. The hiring process reflects the company culture.
"Should I try to bypass HR entirely?"
Not entirely—they serve important functions. But building relationships with technical team members can ensure your application gets proper attention. A referral from someone inside often gets your resume to the right person.
Conclusion: Working With the System While Pushing for Change
That frustrating interview experience? It's a symptom of a system that needs improvement, not evidence that HR has no value. The reality is that as cybersecurity becomes more critical to every organization, we need both technical excellence and professional hiring processes.
HR exists for reasons that matter: preventing discrimination, ensuring consistency, managing risk, and assessing organizational fit. The problems arise when technical understanding gets lost in translation, when processes become more important than outcomes, and when surprise interviews replace thoughtful evaluation.
Your best approach in 2026? Understand HR's legitimate functions while developing strategies to navigate their limitations. Prepare even for casual professional meetings. Learn to translate technical experience into business impact. Build networks that can help you bypass broken filters. And when you're in a position to influence hiring processes, advocate for systems that actually identify talent rather than just filtering resumes.
The cybersecurity field needs skilled professionals. HR needs to help find them, not get in the way. By understanding both perspectives, you can navigate the system more effectively—and maybe even help fix it from the inside.
