21st century people and product, 19th century leadership - Anonymous employee ServiceNow Employee Review

2.0
May 15, 2014
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great pay, thriving market, happy customers, it's fun to bring a product to customers that actually works. I worked with some of the brightest people I've ever met here. Prior to the IPO, this was the best company to work for in the technology sector.

Cons

There is no culture of employee development. There are also two standards for employees - if you're tied into Slootman's team from a previous company or not. If you're in, you have the opportunity to advance, sometimes despite poor personal performance, if not, you can grind your fingers to the bone and be anchored in place or even demoted. You're either in or you're out. Gender diversity is very poor, with nearly all leadership and management roles filled by white males. The workplace itself is very sterile and tense - people don't smile. Directives are top-down with the sole goal of driving numbers. There is no vision as to what the purpose of the company is other than to make money in the short time when cloud replacements for legacy systems is still a novelty. The company does not give back to the San Jose or San Diego community in any real way. This is a great place to work if you follow orders without question and capitalize on every opportunity to stroke your manager's and director's ego. Customer focus is a formality - formerly simple, customer-friendly pricing was replaced by a complex matrix of pricing designed only to break out numbers for Wall street and position NOW with the PaaS players. The company's soul died the day of the IPO. Now it's just another EMC or Oracle. A lot of people will get rich and they will continue to sell a lot of product, but the current leadership have squandered the opportunity that Fred created to build a truly great company worthy of the fantastic technology.

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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