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There’s a bit of a problem in the spy world. Governments can’t hang on to new recruits. In fact, many of today’s would be spies have snagged jobs working for large corporations such as Google and Apple. Government offers of good salaries and an adventure filled life can’t compete with the unheard of salaries and luxury vehicles handed out by corporations with billions to spend.

The director of GCHQ (British Intelligence), Iain Lobban, recently told press that the recruits he is looking at wind up “…working for Microsoft or Google or Amazon or whoever. And I can’t compete with their salaries. I can offer them a fantastic mission, but I can’t compete with their salaries.”

This is not only Britain’s problem. “Whizz kids” (as Lobban puts it) all around the globe are taking high-paying jobs instead of choosing a spy life.  Governments look for young recruits who are Internet savvy, since a great deal of spying these days takes place online.

But trying to match salaries with some of the biggest companies on the planet is a near impossible feat.

Lobban may have been speaking of Britain when he stated that his new “…internet whizzes are not going to stay… and we do have a steady drip, I am afraid,” but this sentiment rings true for all countries seeking new spy talent. This problem could, in fact, lead to the recruitment of lesser talents for the sheer sake of having someone to guard government secrets.

Article Written by Harriette Halepis