From Great to Terrible - Senior Curriculum Developer ServiceNow Employee Review

1.0
Oct 6, 2023
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

-Excellent colleagues -Remote work -Flexible schedules -At first, they were generous with free gifts -Fred Luddy, the founder who retired a few years ago, was the kindest, most generous, and most caring person I have ever encountered, especially professionally. He genuinely wanted his employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance and to explore and find where they fit best at the company. He did not want to lose employees. He preferred to acknowledge their talent and interests and help them find a way to combine both at ServiceNow.

Cons

Since Bill McDermott took over -Employees are overworked and underpaid. The company is hemorrhaging employees and the people who stay are drowning in work and constantly expected to work well outside of business hours. Industry recruiters admit they have been hearing that from candidates who recently left ServiceNow. -There is no employee handbook and employees must dig through layers upon layers within the employee portal to reach vague information that rarely proves to be useful. There are also very few SOPs. Those that exist are usually outdated. -What is said and what is done do not tell the same story. The business is expanding vigorously. The employees, the shareholders, and the board are told the profits are soaring, but, there has been a hiring freeze for at least 2 years and even backfilling positions is prohibited. -Receiving urgent calls or messages from managers who have not been trained on the business processes of their employees and do not have access to the systems used by employees (they have a choice) between 11pm and 3am is not uncommon. -The company advertises unlimited PTO, but limits most employees to 3 weeks. C-suite executives are granted unlimited PTO. -Advancement and pay increases are only awarded once a year. -It was recently announced that, due to new criteria, employees will be taking on significantly increased workloads for the same pay, while promotions and pay increases will be limited to the point of practically not existing. Meanwhile, a Google-esque showpiece building was just built at the headquarters site to impress customers. -C-suite staff and their direct reports have been leaving at a noticeable rate. Interpret that as you will. -Consider the parable of the emperor who has no clothes.

Explore other reviews about ServiceNow

5.0
Jun 3, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Big Tech health + vision + dental benefits

Cons

Significant change and movement in org.

2.0
Jun 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

ServiceNow had a differentiated platform and products. Early on the culture had a startup energy that was rare for a company this size collaborative teams, ownership, and a sense that people actually cared about outcomes. Working with large enterprise customers on complex workflows was interesting work.

Cons

The ServiceNow I joined was a different company. As headcount increased, so did the bureaucracy, layers, and friction that rewarded politics over execution. The layoffs of the last few years were handled poorly little transparency, inconsistent communication, and decisions that felt made far above with little thought for the people affected. The "cost optimization" messaging rang hollow against continued executive spending. For a company that sells workflow and people process tools, the irony of a chaotic RIF wasn't lost on anyone in the field or on customers. Leadership political dynamics were real. The right team, the right manager you had cover. Performance alone didn't protect you.

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