Cristina Magdaleno Galdona
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria EFE).- The National Intelligence Center (CNI), like many other public and private organizations, is currently facing the challenge of generational change: many “baby boomers” (born between 1949 and 1968) It is time for them to retire and a generational gap begins to appear with the younger profiles that will put their ability to transfer knowledge and their organizational culture to the test.
Do young Spaniards of the zeta generation with university studies want to access the CNI? What profiles exactly? This is the question asked of 1,361 university students by researchers Antonio Díaz, professor of Criminology and Security at the University of Cádiz, and Cristina del Real, associate professor specializing in Cybersecurity at the University of Leiden (Netherlands).
More letters than science
In his study, “Who wants to be the next James Bond or Anna Chapman? Exploring the factors associated with the willingness to enter the CNI among Spanish university students”, published in the magazine “Intelligence and National Security”, they conclude that university students of legal disciplines, international relations and criminology show a greater willingness to be the future Spanish “spies”.
Those Zetas with greater satisfaction with democracy and greater confidence in the institutions are also closer, at the same time that it is usually more common to find that young people with a more conservative ideological profile are more predisposed.
“If the process was much more transparent, like the diplomatic corps, specifying functions and jobs, it would be a more attractive job. I don’t think it puts national security at risk to know what types of employment there are, although it is true that there is already more information than before, but the more transparency, the more interesting,” says Antonio Díaz in an interview with EFE.
In his opinion, for the intelligence services to “open up” is an important challenge that all the agencies in the world have and that not all are approaching in the same way, because these organizations start from a very strong structure and culture of secrecy, as well that it is not in their DNA to be “especially open”.
This contrasts with the spirit of the zeta generation, which demands “a lot of transparency, a lot of agility and a lot of tiktok”. “That can clash a bit with the culture of intelligence. It is a challenge that all the services have, almost all of them are trying to do something and the CNI is interested in knowing how to get closer and better to future members”, asserts the researcher.
ideological variety
Asked about the ideological variety of those who already work at the Center, and in view of the results of his study, Díaz points out that despite the fact that there is a greater predisposition in those conservative students who trust State institutions, “within the CNI there are people of all types and all spectrums”.
“It is true that it is a hierarchical and disciplined organization, something that is related to the fact that for a long time there was a large military presence. That makes the organizational culture the way it is, but there is everything and from all walks of life, ”he highlights.
Technological profiles, most coveted, but more difficult
Díaz also points out that it is a frequent problem for the Center to be able to attract technological profiles, which is of most interest at this time, since they usually enjoy better economic conditions in the private sector.
“It is very difficult to compete with private companies that can triple or quadruple your salary. Yes, people are coming who have been in private companies for a while and want to work for a very professional and technical structure such as the CNI or the National Cryptological Center ”, says the professor.
He further adds that it is common for those who have already made a little money in the private sector to want to “get the hang of it” from working in intelligence, even if it means losing some income.
Inbreeding and clichés about espionage
“Inbreeding exists in many organizations and the CNI does not escape it, but I don’t think it is as strong as it is published. Something exists, because there is a human process of recruiting or selecting those individuals closest to you, but the important thing is to draw up specific strategies that help diversify profiles and represent all sectors of society”, argues Díaz.
Regarding how popular culture impacts the ability to attract new members, Díaz believes that there is no correlation between students who think that being a spy “is like jumping out of a plane” and those who want to join the Center. “That is anecdotal and does not represent even 5% of the profiles,” she says.
Likewise, it points out that the fact that it is such an “adventurous” job, because the most adventurous part tends to be told, from the outside alienates women in a certain way, who, however, tend to work to a greater extent for the sector public.
“When people think of a spy, they think of someone jumping out of a window or jumping out of a moving plane. He is very adventurous, more than masculinized ”, he adds, although he understands that this image is predominant because “it would be a little more boring ”if a series or movie talked about people “analyzing reports, listening or programming algorithms ”