As a ServiceNow professional, it’s essential that you hire individuals into your team who will thrive. Which in turn allows your business to grow.

The ‘right’ hire can make all the difference. Just as hiring someone who isn’t exactly what you’re looking for can be harmful to your team and ultimately your success.

The Recruitment and Employee Confederation (REC) estimate that the cost of making the wrong hire at management level (with an approximate salary of £42,000) can be as high as £132,000 – yes, you have read that right.

No business wants to spend any more time, resources or revenue than is necessary on their recruitment process.

In an ideal world, you could make the best hire the first time around – every time. Unfortunately, in real life, it’s not as simple as that.

But as a ServiceNow leader, there are ways that you can mitigate hiring problems and challenges in your organisation. High on the list is only hiring individuals with certain high-performing skills.

Today, we share the 7 top qualities to look out for in your recruitment process. Hire employees with these attributes to attract the success you want for your business.

1. A Great Communicator

Communication is the number one attribute all great ServiceNow employees have; possessing great skills is one thing though not being able to communicate effectively with your team stops everything in its tracks.

In any organisation, no matter how small, the way employees interact with each other is the key to a successful team. This has only been increased in our new physically distanced world.

Since the rise in remote working, possessing excellent communication skills has never been more critical. Sending an unclear email or miscommunicating a message over messenger bots or on the phone can cause all manner of problems for the entire team.

The most successful teams are full of great communicators. You should look for this attribute as something which is just as essential as ServiceNow skills in your recruitment process.

2. Autonomy

In a busy ServiceNow organisation, you need a team who can work independently outside of the initial onboarding period.

Your employees need to be able to manage time effectively, balance their workload and ensure that deadlines are met.

Additionally, autonomy is a contributing factor to high engagement, productivity and work satisfaction. So when you employ and encourage autonomy in your team, both you and your employees will benefit.

To find out if candidates have high levels of autonomy during the recruitment process, ask them how they feel working independently. Also, ask them if they have experience of working on their own – particularly from home – and look out for how confidently they talk about being self-driven.

3. Leadership Skills

Another key trait to look out for is their leadership potential.

In our ever-changing world, you must know that your team can step up when needed. Additionally, when you recruit ServiceNow talent with leadership potential, this is a long-sighted growth strategy which can save you time and money in the future.

Leadership qualities involve a variety of soft skills including communication, confidence, delegation and being able to give and receive feedback.

4. A Positive Mindset

A positive mindset is essential in ServiceNow organisations, and unfortunately, it’s not something that can be taught easily.

Some individuals approach challenges with a ‘can-do’ attitude, are always able to look at the positive in a situation and can consistently bolster others. Are these the type of people you need in your ServiceNow organisation?

Individuals with a negative mindset will find it harder to thrive and move forward. As they find it challenging to see past obstacles. Unfortunately, their negativity can quickly spread and bring other members of the team down too.

Additionally, positive individuals have an ability to adapt to change with ease. Which is going to be essential in ServiceNow organisations moving forward.

5. A Team Player

As with a positive mindset, being a team player is a crucial trait for ServiceNow employees to have in our post-Covid world.

Be on the lookout for employees who have plenty of experience of working as part of diverse teams. As working with lots of different people and personalities is a great way to develop the skills needed to be an excellent team player.

Team players contribute by listening to their colleagues, offering a different perspective, they help to strengthen bonds and trust within the team, and they are essential when things get tough.

6. Emotional Intelligence

Emotionally intelligent individuals possess the interpersonal skills needed to help your ServiceNow organisation to thrive, and they do this in a few ways.

Building on the great soft skills we have already mentioned in this article, emotional intelligence allows ServiceNow employees to exhibit the following:

• Self-awareness – the ability to prioritise, manage time and resilience to stress and anxiety during busy times.
• Self-regulatory behaviours – they are always in control of their emotions, and they are good at resolving conflict.
• Empathy – they can understand different members of the team, which allows them to work well with everyone.
• They can take feedback constructively – they don’t let it affect them personally, and they learn and grow from the experience.

An ideal ServiceNow team is full of people with high emotional intelligence, and it is such a necessary trait it ranked sixth in the World Economic Forum’s list of the top 10 skills that employees will need to thrive in workplaces of the future.

7. Agility

And finally, since the enormous changes that have happened to our world due to the pandemic, flexibility is essential.

Never before has the skill of being able to work outside of our comfort zones been necessary. It is now essential for all ServiceNow employers to be sure that their team are able to pivot to the ever-changing needs of a post-pandemic world.

Some people are great and adapting to change, whereas others find it more challenging, and some are unwilling to try.

How have employees coped with the recent changes to our world? Have they been happy to embrace new ways of working and living? Agility comes with a growth mindset. One where employees are always looking to develop and to grow. This is the only way continued future success is possible.

Finally

If you are looking to employ new talent into your ServiceNow organisation, these are the skills that you should be on the lookout for.

If you need help finding great ServiceNow talent for your business, we can help.

For more information on how we can help you recruit the high-performing individuals you need, get in touch with us on 02381542542.

In our post-Covid world, having a strong ServiceNow talent pipeline is more crucial than ever.

And the skills shortage that was present in almost every industry pre-Covid is still threatening organisational growth.

When you’re recruiting, it’s not about the number of people you can attract to your ServiceNow organisation; it’s about the quality of these candidates.

Even with the perceived increase of candidates in the post-Covid job market, there are still skills shortages across most industries. In the U.K., the Prime Minister addressed how the pandemic has highlighted skills shortages in many sectors, emphasising an urgent need for a focus on improving skills to protect the economy.

Depending on the ServiceNow  role you are trying to fill, recruitment can be a lengthy and involved process.

One of the most effective ways to ensure you can quickly fill the critical gaps in your team is to have people ready to step into your organisation at the earliest available opportunity. In other words, your talent pipeline.

This blog explains the whys and how’s of building a robust ServiceNow talent pipeline.

The Benefits of Strong Talent Pipeline in the ServiceNow Sector

Despite the pandemic, skills gaps are widening across all sectors; in fact, the pandemic has brought to light just how crucial the skills gaps are in many industries.

A 2020 LinkedIn Workplace Learning report found that globally, 51% of companies plan to implement an upskilling programme, with 47% focusing on re-skilling, highlighting the need for increased talent in a post-Covid world.

In developing a strong talent pipeline, the aim is to avoid the scenario where you have critical skills gaps and no-one lined up to fill them.

Many organisations think of recruiting only when they actively have a vacant position. A talent pipeline is a way of thinking about your team, and recruitment, in a more holistic way. You will always have an active and engaged audience. Also, the idea of working for your company is something that is always on their radar.

Let’s look at some of the main positives of building your talent pipeline now.

 

1. Identify More Candidates

When a vacancy arises in your team, wouldn’t it be ideal to already have someone in mind to take over the role?

This is where a talent pipeline comes in; it reduces the fear of having a critical vacancy open. As you have a range of potential ServiceNow candidates set up to open a dialogue with.

Your talent pipeline will speak to the 70% of candidates who aren’t actively looking for a job, the ‘passive candidates’ market. Organisations without talent pipelines are missing out on this significant portion of the workforce.

You can start to bring candidates into your talent pipeline at different stages in their careers, starting with graduates up to exec level.

When you have a talent pipeline you can rely on, you have a range of candidates ready to be invited for an interview. Rather than starting the recruitment process from scratch.

The good news is here at Linking Humans we provide this as part of our package of services. If you want to find out more call us on; 02381 542542.

 

2. Reduce the Time to Hire

I’m sure you’ll agree that in our post-Covid world, the thought of having critical vacancies in your team is an unpleasant one.

This year, teams have been stretched to breaking point, with many taking on extra roles, having to adapt to working from home and generally being busier than ever before.

To keep your entire team working cohesively, you need to know that any critical vacancies will be quickly filled, instead of being left unfilled, damaging team output and reducing morale.

 

3. Increase Your Offer Acceptance Rates

One of the most frustrating things that can happen in the recruitment process is when you think you’ve found the ideal ServiceNow candidates, but then they turn down your job offer.

The more people you have in your talent pipeline, the more they will get to know your organisation, and this relationship is what pushes great candidates over the line to say yes to your job offer.

As you can see, there are many benefits to creating a talent pipeline to make your recruiting process much easier.

Next, let’s look at how to build and develop your talent pipeline.

How to Build Your ServiceNow Talent Pipeline

Creating a talent pipeline means proactively forming long-lasting relationships with candidates who would be the right ‘fit’ with your organisation. Both in their skill set and their culture and values.

So, how do you do this?

 

1. Defining What Your Organisation Needs

The following are questions to ask when thinking about what you want from your talent pipeline –

• Who are your key employees and in what roles?
• What skills are most critical to your organisation?
• Where do you want to take your business in the next 3-5 years?
• What type of people will you need in your business for it to grow?

Drawing on your experiences with Covid can help here too. When your business was in ‘critical survival mode’ like many were during the height of the pandemic, did this highlight any areas where you were missing in vital skills?

 

2. Attracting the ‘Right’ Talent

Attracting the right candidates to your organisation is the critical part of building your talent pipeline.

Building a talent pipeline focuses on attracting both passive and active candidates. Rather than a recruitment process which focuses solely on filling a current vacancy.

Having an excellent employer brand will be essential in attracting the type of talent you want. Any prospective talent that comes into contact with you will be forming an opinion as to whether they would like to join your company, whether they’re an active or a passive candidate.

The following are the most direct ways to build your ServiceNow talent pipeline –

• Networking events – getting your name out in your industry is crucial in building a following.
• Working with a ServiceNow recruitment specialist.
• Your social media channels – are you regularly posting engaging content for your ServiceNow candidates?
• Existing contacts and referrals – do you have a robust referral scheme in place? How often do you review and reconnect with former colleagues or managers?
• Graduate campaigns – getting to know the new generation of talent coming through the ranks is an excellent way to build your talent pipeline.

 

3. Reviewing Your Application Process

A poor recruitment process is enough to put even the most interested candidates off.

Making your recruitment as seamless, engaging and professional as possible will leave even candidates who are not successful in applying for your roles, want to do so again in future.

Make sure your recruitment process is mobile-friendly; 58% of active job seekers use their smart device to search for jobs. But with many sites still not being mobile-friendly, mobile seekers complete 53% fewer applications and take 80% longer to complete each application than applicants using desktops.

A mobile-friendly application process increases the number of applicants to each role by 11.6%.

Write easy to read job descriptions with clear information; stay away from jargon.

Make sure you have the recruitment process planned out step by step. This is so applicants can be informed of the exact date by when they will be progressed to the next stage or not.

Important: Always stay in touch with candidates via email or phone throughout the entire recruitment process.

Start Building your ServiceNow Talent Pipeline

With a network of engaged potential candidates ready to join your business, you’ll ensure that you always have potential on-hand to fill essential roles.

So, now you have the premise of building your talent pipeline, it’s time to get started.

Remember that you don’t have to go it alone. Working with a dedicated ServiceNow recruiter is a great way to work on building your talent pipeline.

For more information on how we can help you build your talent pipeline, get in touch with us on 02381 542542 or email us here dan.wells@linkinghumans.com