Since the start of the war in Gaza and the failed Iranian attack on Israel, there has been increasing interest in Israeli security companies from candidates, some of whom work for large technology companies and want to contribute to the war effort. Some people are.
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Elbit system production line
(Photo: Elbit Systems)
Some people are looking for stable employment, while others want to join a security company after seeing its advanced technology for the first time. More and more engineers and programmers are preferring meaning over money when choosing between a salary, the possibility of a life-changing exit, or the option of “defending the country.”
For example, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, a software engineer and project manager for air defense who requested anonymity, left the company in 2022 to work for Intel. In March he returned to Rafael.
“There was never a military operation in which I did not participate. I served for nine years in the elite units of the Air Force, and then for 24 years in Rafael. On October 8th, I called my former subordinates. Rafael’s manager asked me for help, but I knew it would be almost impossible, but I really liked working at Intel, being exposed to new things and learning. , I felt that I had contributed a lot and was valued. I also made money, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I wasn’t part of the war,” he says.
In March, he received an offer to come back and lead the project he is currently working on. “My son is in combat and is a soldier in an elite force in Gaza. When I received the offer, I couldn’t refuse because I knew it was a system that would protect his son.” he added.
Candidate referral rates to Israeli security companies and candidate responses to approaches from companies have been on the rise since the start of the war. Rafael says his initial inquiries have increased by 40%. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has been running an aggressive campaign to recruit engineers, and the number of resumes submitted has increased by 200%, with thousands of resumes being received each month. At Elbit Systems, he saw an increase in the number of inquiries and, more importantly, a 30% reduction in the time needed to fill positions.
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Serra Gar mountain
(Photo: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)
“Some employees leave for startups and come back because they want to do something meaningful, and this trend continues. At Elbit, we hire a lot of people in a very wide variety of roles. “We’re seeing a lot of voluntary inquiries. We’re also seeing a lot of interest and motivation from candidates and a desire to be a part of something meaningful.” Elbit Systems HR said Dr. Sherry Gordon, Executive Vice President.
“I think there are two main reasons for this. The first is that the war revealed some very innovative technologies in important ways. And the second is that… A desire to do something meaningful.”
Nir Rees, deputy chief human resources officer for Israel Aerospace Industries, said people working for other technology companies are interested in joining the industry because of the war.
“Some of them may not have considered going from technology to aerospace without the changes caused by the war. For others, it’s a continuation of the Reserves. We are actively working on it.”
“We believe that people returning from the Reserves need to be able to find a good place in the job market. This is an opportunity to recruit someone who is willing to come back, give us solid ground and be patient during a long reserve stint.”
Rafael attributes the increase in inquiries to people seeking meaning, technical challenges, and career advancement. Since the war began, people have approached the company primarily because they wanted to feel meaningful about working on something that really mattered during this time.
“People want to be part of a success story. Everything we’ve done since October 7th is also motivating people to want to work for meaningful organizations. , we are the largest employer in northern Israel and people want to be part of the fabric of the region,” said Sajit Serra Gul, Rafael’s executive vice president of human resources. says Mr.
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Rafael employs 9,000 people, most of whom are from northern Israel, and the company plans to hire an additional 2,200 employees this year. Elbit plans to hire nearly 2,000 people this year, with over 800 positions currently open. The company employs more than 13,000 employees. Also, IAI employs 7,000 engineers and is expected to hire 1,500 in 2024.
Recruitment agencies are also noticing a 20-25% increase in employee recruitment for security companies compared to other companies in the market. “These hiring rates are peaking because we’re dealing with an extraordinary backlog that requires a lot of production workers to do some of that work, and of course in parallel with them. It also requires a large number of technical workers to train and develop the system and maintain its real-world functionality and accuracy,” says Chaim Geron, co-CEO and co-founder of Infinity Labs R&D.
“The most popular positions are development roles in various aspects. In addition, as the challenges of war emerge as the fighting continues, small security companies provide solutions that address operational needs. We are also seeing growth,” he added.
For example, government security company Tomer, which develops missile propulsion systems for missile interceptors, among others, is currently hiring 60 new people, including researchers, engineers, and development and manufacturing workers. Since the war began, the company has hired an additional 65 people.
“Israel has always been regarded as a highly capable technological leader, but Iran’s attack, in which more than 300 missiles, including about 100 ballistic missiles, were fired at our country is a serious threat to other countries and other countries. “This has never happened before, and this practical understanding of Israel’s superiority in these aspects is reverberating around the world,” he says.
“It is important to understand that behind all these systems there are talented and dedicated individuals who have developed and refined the systems over the years in response to evolving threats, and they are critical to the current and future dangers.” It’s important to understand that we continue to do so in response to the current situation,” says Gillon.
Employees of many start-up companies have also joined Elbit since the war began. Part of the reason is that today’s security industry provides job security that is severely lacking in high-tech fields. So he was an algorithm engineer who wished to remain anonymous, but at WISENS he worked for two years and he joined three months later.
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Chaim Geron
(Photo: Infinity Labs)
“Our estimates are that the demand for employees among Israeli security companies has increased by 25% since the war began. We see that security companies are attracting employees from the technology industry. One reason is that many security companies are drawing employees from the technology industry. “Due to the downturn in the industry, employees are being laid off,” said Dana, CEO of Danell Group Human Resources. Levy said.
“Secondly, security companies that currently provide job security are often providing job security for years to come, so the risk of unemployment is decreasing, in contrast to the technology industry. During this time, job security is very important, sometimes even more important than the options and bonuses offered by technology companies. Security companies also offer a variety of benefits and attractive terms to their employees. We offer: competitive salaries, advanced assignments, health insurance and medical services, professional training and promotions, pension plans and generous compensation, especially for engineers and professionals.
Base salaries for engineers in the security industry can’t compete with the salaries offered by companies like Google and Microsoft. For example, an electronics engineer with 10 years of experience earns between 30,000 and 35,000 shekels per month, a mechanical engineer with 5 to 10 years of experience earns around 25,000 to 30,000 shekels per month, and an algorithm engineer with 5 years of experience earns around 25,000 to 30,000 shekels per month, according to Danell’s data. It is said that the amount is similar. However, this is a base salary, and security companies have many ways to reward their employees, including bonuses and long-term incentive plans.
“Our average experience is 10 to 12 years. Unlike organizations like Microsoft or Nvidia, Elbit has a wide range of products and many different divisions, so employees can move around within the organization and work in different departments. There’s a huge range of career development opportunities because you can work on a set of products, you can engage with completely different clients, you can simulate the experience of working for a new company in a completely different world of content, and that’s a big advantage.” Gordon says Mr.
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Dr. Sherry Gordon
(Photo: Elbit Systems)
Another factor that attracts engineers specifically to work at Elbit is our investment in research and development. Elbit has invested $503 million in this area, the highest amount in the industry.
Despite attractive salaries, bonuses and the possibility of exit from the high-tech market, the security industry offers meaning and job security. “You won’t get out of Rafael. On the other hand, you have job security. The high-tech industry is very volatile,” Serra-Gal says.
“Our salaries have not decreased. We are just not listed on the stock exchange, but our salaries are fair compared to the market. We are just not affected by stock prices. Our For employees, some days the stock price goes up and some days it goes down.”For us, the work has been consistent over the years,” she added.
Today, it does not take much persuasion to convince employees, since the technology developed by the leading companies in the security industry is obvious and its efficiency has been repeatedly proven in wars.
Despite this, IAI is still actively recruiting employees with the slogan “We Don’t Stop,” ensuring that its employees support Israel’s security systems and fulfill orders. He emphasizes that he is making an effort.
“We believe IAI is a great place to work. While not the top-notch pay of a technology company, we offer a decent salary and show consistent growth. Why stay here? We offer work that is meaningful, actionable and understood ‘in-house,’ says Rees.
