There is a commonly held belief in the business world that we are in the midst of a global skills shortage. In fact, 80% of CEOs are still reporting skills gaps as a major threat to their organization’s growth. But there is good news to be found in this current climate; because, as ServiceNow’s Sarah Tilley simply puts it, “While there is a very real skills shortage, there isn’t a global people shortage.”
For Tilley’s team, that means approaching talent acquisition and development on a multipronged level that takes external recruitment, internal mobility, learning and talent planning into consideration to support ServiceNow’s overall talent strategy and business priorities to ensure a seamless and quality employee experience.
“Our integrated approach allows us to be more transparent and establish clear expectations for candidates and employees,” Tilley explains. “Through a unified approach, we can also better understand and respond to employee needs, which drives higher engagement, performance and retention.”
But bringing the right candidates into your team is only the first step. Having worked at The Walt Disney Company for nearly two decades, Tilley understands what keeps great talent– creating an environment where they feel both valued and supported. That support doesn’t just come from above though: they have to believe in their colleagues just as much as their managers believe in them. “You can’t underestimate the power of a great culture and working alongside quality people,” she adds.
This is why ServiceNow is shifting to a skills-based talent strategy, one that will help keep employees engaged by allowing them to lead the way when it comes to skill development and growth. “We built our own solution on the Now Platform, called Employee Growth and Development (EGD), underpinned by AI,” Tilley says. “It helps us effectively break down everything into a set of skills, and then uses AI and GenAI to match skills to roles, training, and opportunities. It lets us customize learning and career journeys, so every employee can build the best career of their life! That’s a compelling work environment for a potential candidate to consider.”
Because EGD is AI-powered, it is also constantly learning and thus able to adapt to fit employee’s evolving needs. “They [employees] can use EGD to track their skills and aspirations and build personalized learning plans to reach their goals,” she adds. “EGD can recommend relevant training, mentors, and mobility opportunities, while recommending roles and development opportunities for employees to help build the skills they need today, while also planning for the future.” The solution is also available to ServiceNow’s customers.
ServiceNow has put just as much emphasis on becoming a Great Place To Work (GPTW). No seriously. They’ve earned a certificate to prove that they are, with GPTW taking into consideration employees’ anonymous responses to a survey about company culture as part of the certification process. In other words, the organization constantly keeps its finger on the pulse of employee culture to adapt and adjust where needed.
That approach has already paid off. Over the last couple of years, ServiceNow has earned several accolades as a direct result of a concerted effort to cultivate the type of company culture that’s centered around equity and inclusivity, that employees at all levels can be proud of. ServiceNow was recently ranked no. 5 overall and no. 1 in the software category, on the American Opportunity Index, which studies what really happens to employees at America’s largest companies over time. The company was also named one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2024 by Newsweek. And in 2023, ServiceNow was named one of Fortune’s Best Workplaces for Women for the second year in a row, jumping from no. 73 to no. 48.
“We are proud of this recognition and share awards in marketing campaigns, employee storytelling, social media, job postings, internal communications and external signage,” the company said in a statement. This allows ServiceNow to foster a sense of pride and greater connection for current employees, while attracting candidates for whom that sense of employee satisfaction is a key factor in their job search.
As the co-sponsor of The Women at ServiceNow employee belonging group, Tilley sees the nod from Fortune as further proof of the great work that the group has done to foster an inclusive culture. Currently at 4500 members, Women at ServiceNow has seen membership continually grow at a rate of 27% per year.
“We aim to create a work environment in which all women determine the course of their lives and reach their full potential,” Tilley states proudly. “We are doing this by providing resources and information for empowerment and educating our allies on the challenges women face in the workforce and how to support them in their careers.”
In 2023, that meant empowering women to feel equity with their peers; providing tools and resources to support women and career growth; wellness education; and offering guidance for women on building their brand and how to position themselves professionally, so other colleagues recognize their value.
In other words: ServiceNow keeps great employees by empowering their people with everything they might need to thrive in any environment imaginable.
