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Category: Leadership

Does remote working level out ServiceNow salaries across the UK?

Posted on by Dan Wells

Does remote working level out ServiceNow salaries across the UK?

Partly. The gap is narrowing, but it hasn’t closed, and the way it’s narrowing catches a lot of hiring plans out.

If you’re setting pay bands for ServiceNow roles, the detail matters more than the headline. Here’s what the numbers say, and what they mean for how you hire.

The London premium is still real

On paper, London still pays more. The median ServiceNow Developer salary in London sits around £78,000. Across the UK excluding London, the median is closer to £70,000. That’s a premium of roughly 10 to 15%, which fits the wider pattern: London salaries typically run 10 to 25% ahead of the rest of the country.

So if you benchmark purely on advertised salaries, the regional discount looks alive and well. The problem is that advertised salaries no longer describe how the market actually behaves.

What remote work has changed

Fully remote roles have broken the link between where someone lives and what they can earn. London-headquartered employers now hire ServiceNow talent nationally, and for fully remote positions they’re paying at or near London rates.

A concrete example. A senior ServiceNow developer in Manchester earning £65,000 at a local employer can move to £80,000 or £90,000 working remotely for a London fintech. That’s a 20 to 35% increase in real terms, before you factor in that their cost of living hasn’t moved an inch.

That candidate exists, and your local pay band is competing with the offer they just received.

Who actually benefits

Here’s the part most employers get wrong. Remote work is levelling salaries, but the benefit lands almost entirely with the regional candidate, not the employer.

Going remote doesn’t buy you cheaper ServiceNow talent. The same national market that lets you hire from anywhere lets every London employer bid for the same people. What going remote buys you is a bigger pool, and that’s worth a lot, but it’s a different thing from a saving.

Flexibility is the new London weighting

The reverse is also now priced in. Mandating three or more days in the office shrinks your pool to people within commuting distance, and those people are fielding remote offers at equal or better money. In practice, flexibility has replaced the old London weighting as part of the package. If you take the flexibility away, you pay a premium to compensate.

This is the trade most office-attendance policies never cost out. The policy gets set on culture grounds, the pay bands stay where they were, and six months later the business is asking why every senior shortlist needs a salary exception.

The caveat: location still shows up in some pay bands

It’s not total levelling, and it’s worth being precise about this. A number of employers have introduced location-based pay adjustments, cutting salaries by 10 to 20% for staff who relocate away from London. Some firms still build location into their bands and defend it.

So the honest position is this: the direction of travel is towards levelling, but the market is mixed, and you’ll find both models in play when you benchmark.

What this means for your pay bands

Three practical conclusions fall out of the data.

First, benchmark against the market your candidates are actually in, not the city your office is in. A regional candidate for a remote role is comparing you with London money, whatever your postcode says.

Second, decide what your office policy is worth and price it. If you need people in three days a week, that’s a constraint candidates will charge you for. Budget for it rather than discovering it offer by offer.

Third, treat the regional discount as a closing assumption, not a standing one. It still exists in parts of the market, but every quarter it explains less of what candidates accept.

One note on the data

The ServiceNow salary medians above come from job-advert samples that get fairly small once you split by region. Treat them as directional rather than precise. The direction, though, is consistent across every source: the gap is narrowing, the candidate is the one capturing the difference, and flexibility is now part of the price.

If you’re setting ServiceNow pay bands and want a second opinion on the numbers, book a meeting with me below

Opening a satellite office for tech talent? Pick the city for the right reason

Posted on by Dan Wells

Opening a satellite office for tech talent? Pick the city for the right reason

Somewhere in your leadership team, someone has floated a satellite office. The case usually writes itself: cheaper salaries outside London, access to a regional talent pool, a flag on the map. Two of those three reasons hold up. The one driving most decisions doesn’t.

Here’s how to think it through, with the UK’s main contenders weighed against each other.

The salary saving has mostly gone

The original logic for a regional office was arbitrage. London salaries run 10 to 25% ahead of the rest of the UK, so an office in Manchester or Leeds meant the same skills at a discount.

Remote hiring has competed most of that away. London employers now recruit nationally for remote roles and pay at or near London rates to win the candidate. A senior ServiceNow developer in Manchester fielding remote offers at £80,000 to £90,000 isn’t going to join your new regional office at the old local rate of £65,000. The market they sit in has already repriced them.

There’s still some relief on the contract side, where regional day rates run 20 to 30% below London equivalents. But for permanent senior hires, budget for near-London money wherever the desk is. If your business case for the office rests on payroll savings, rebuild the case.

What an office actually buys you

A physical anchor in a talent cluster. That’s the real product, and it’s worth paying for if you buy it deliberately.

It means local brand presence, so candidates in that city think of you before they think of a faceless remote employer. It means proximity to a community of practice: meetups, user groups, the informal network through which senior people hear about roles. And it gives a distributed team somewhere to gather, which matters more for retention than most businesses expect.

None of that shows up in a payroll line. All of it shows up in time-to-hire and attrition.

Manchester: the default answer

If the logic is “go where the most people are,” the answer is Manchester. It’s the most active UK technology market outside London, accounting for roughly 8% of national developer vacancy volume. It has more than 10,000 digital and tech businesses and the largest fintech scene outside the capital, which matters for enterprise platform work because demand tends to track ITSM, financial services and large enterprise.

Depth is the thing Manchester offers that the other contenders can’t match. Whatever the specialism, there are more of them there.

The runners-up, by use case

Edinburgh, if the work skews towards data, AI or fintech. It has built a distinct identity around data science and deep tech, with a steady supply of technically strong graduates coming out of its universities.

Birmingham, if connectivity and cost matter more than senior depth. Over 40,000 people work in digital roles there, with strength in fintech, cyber security and software, and the transport links to London and Manchester are the best of any contender. The trade-off is real though: for senior specialist roles, the local pool is still developing compared with the bigger hubs. If your hiring plan leans senior, that constraint will bite first.

Leeds, if health tech or data is the niche. It’s building a name in both, and it’s the value option of the four.

The question that decides it

Before comparing cities, answer this: is the office there to recruit from the local pool, or to give an already-remote team somewhere to gather?

If it’s recruitment-led, follow the density. That points to Manchester, because the whole point is the number of qualified people within reach of the office.

If it’s a hub for a distributed team, the local talent pool barely matters. Transport links and cost per desk move to the top of the list, and Birmingham’s case gets much stronger.

Most location decisions go wrong because nobody answered that question first. The city gets chosen on cost per desk, and then the business wonders why the local hiring it half-expected never materialised.

The short version

The salary arbitrage is mostly gone, so stop pricing the office as a saving. Price it as a recruitment asset. Recruitment-led: Manchester on density, Edinburgh for data and AI depth. Team hub: Birmingham on connectivity and cost. And decide which of those two offices you’re actually opening before anyone books a viewing.

If you’re weighing up a location decision and want to talk through what the talent market looks like in each city, book a meeting with me below.

What the 2025 ServiceNow Salary Survey Means For Your Hiring Strategy

Posted on by Thmida Miah

What the 2025 ServiceNow Salary Survey means for your hiring strategy

Our 2025 Global ServiceNow Salary Survey gathered responses from 260 professionals across roles, regions, partners and customers. The findings paint a detailed picture of what it actually takes to hire and keep the ServiceNow talent your organisation depends on. Here are the headlines that should inform your approach this year.

75%
Would resign if required to return to the office five days a week

66%
Who accepted a counteroffer still left within the year

49%
Would look elsewhere if not promoted within 12 months

74%
Of professionals received a pay rise in the last 12 months

Benchmark your salaries or risk losing people to the market

UK average salaries in the ServiceNow space sit at £76,000 in 2025, easing back from £87,000 in 2024 after a period of rapid growth. In the USA, averages rose across every role to reach $148,000. Senior positions such as Architect (£96k) and Director (£138k) held firm, signalling that experienced professionals continue to command a premium. If your pay bands were set during a quieter period, now is the time to review them, particularly for senior and specialist roles where the talent pool is shallow.

Certifications signal capability: factor them into your compensation framework

82% of ServiceNow professionals hold at least one certification, and certified candidates are more likely to receive counteroffers when they move, meaning they are also harder to replace. Micro-certifications are growing fast, rising from 67% to 72% uptake in a single year. Professionals investing in credentials around AI tools such as Virtual Agent, or platform skills such as CMDB and Flow Designer, are raising their market value. Your compensation framework should recognise that investment, both to attract these candidates and to retain the people you already have.

The winning profile pairs a solid core certification stack with targeted micro-certifications. Employers who reward that breadth and depth will have the competitive edge.

Your flexible working policy is a retention policy

71% of professionals say they would leave if their employer limited flexible or hybrid working. 75% would leave if a five day office mandate was introduced, up from 72% in 2024. Currently, 56% of ServiceNow professionals work fully remotely and 37% work hybrid, and most say that matches their ideal. UK professionals are particularly firm on this, with 80% saying they would leave over a five day office rule. If your organisation is considering a return-to-office push, the data suggests you should expect meaningful attrition among your ServiceNow team.

Counteroffers buy time, not loyalty

22% of ServiceNow professionals received a counteroffer in 2025, up from 18% the year before. In practice, 66% of those who accepted a counteroffer still left within the year, and 63% were gone within six months. The most common reasons: the work environment had not improved, underlying issues remained unresolved, and there was no career progression on offer. A counteroffer can be a useful short-term tool, but it should never substitute for addressing what prompted the resignation in the first place.

Career progression and culture are retention levers you can control

49% of professionals say they would look for a new role if not promoted within the next 12 months. The organisations winning on retention are combining clear promotion pathways with visible recognition, investment in development and a culture where people feel their work is valued. 76% of respondents said their work is valued in 2025, and that figure correlates directly with intent to stay.

Practical actions for hiring managers in 2025

✓  Review salary bands against the 2025 benchmarks, particularly for Architect, Senior Developer and Director-level roles

✓  Factor certifications and micro-credentials into your compensation framework, not just job title and years of experience

✓  Audit your flexible working policy before your next hire cycle. A restrictive policy is a competitive disadvantage

✓  Map out visible promotion pathways for each role on your team and communicate them clearly

✓  When someone resigns, diagnose the root cause before deciding whether a counteroffer makes sense

✓  Prioritise learning and development benefits. Continuing education provision jumped from 4% to 22% of packages in a single year

Download the full survey

Detailed salary breakdowns by role and region, certification trends, contractor analysis and partner versus customer comparisons.

Download now →

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Book a discovery call with our team to discuss your hiring requirements.

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Unconscious Bias in ServiceNow Hiring: Why Your Best Candidates Might Be Slipping Through

Posted on by Dan Wells

Unconscious Bias in ServiceNow Hiring: Why Your Best Candidates Might Be Slipping Through Linking Humans

Unconscious Bias in ServiceNow Hiring: Why Your Best Candidates Might Be Slipping Through

In the competitive ServiceNow talent market, hiring managers face an invisible challenge that’s costing them top candidates: unconscious bias. While you’re focused on finding the right technical skills and platform expertise, your brain might be making snap judgments that undermine your hiring success.

The Hidden Cost of Mental Shortcuts

Research shows we make approximately 30,000 decisions daily, with the vast majority operating on autopilot. This “System One thinking,” as Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman calls it, relies on mental shortcuts that help us function efficiently. The problem? These shortcuts can sabotage your ServiceNow hiring process.

When you’re reviewing that stack of CVs or conducting back-to-back interviews, your brain defaults to fast, intuitive decision-making. That’s when bias creeps in, causing you to overlook exceptional talent who don’t fit preconceived patterns.

Four Biases Undermining Your ServiceNow Hiring

Affinity Bias: You instantly connect with a candidate who shares your background or interests. They remind you of your best ServiceNow architect, so you elevate their candidacy, even if someone else objectively has stronger credentials.

Confirmation Bias: Within 30 seconds of meeting a candidate, you form an opinion. Then you spend the rest of the interview seeking evidence that confirms your initial judgment, ignoring contradictory information.

Halo Effect: A candidate worked at a prestigious tech company or has a specific certification. That one impressive credential outshines everything else, preventing you from fairly evaluating their actual capabilities.

Conformity Bias: In panel interviews, the senior hiring manager expresses enthusiasm for a candidate. Others nod in agreement rather than voicing concerns, even if they have reservations.

Why This Matters for ServiceNow Teams

Beyond the ethical imperative, diverse teams significantly outperform homogeneous ones. When you repeatedly hire people who look, think, and act like your existing team, you create an echo chamber that stifles innovation, critical in the rapidly evolving ServiceNow ecosystem.

Diverse perspectives drive better problem-solving, improved platform implementations, and more creative solutions for complex business challenges. Your clients expect innovation, and that requires cognitive diversity on your team.

Building a Bias-Resistant Hiring Process

The solution isn’t eliminating bias; that’s impossible. Instead, create structured processes that minimise its impact:

Standardise Your Interviews: Ask all candidates the same core questions in the same order. This allows fair comparison and reduces the influence of rapport or random conversation topics.

Question Your Requirements: That list of “must-haves” in your ServiceNow job description? Challenge each one. Many requirements inadvertently exclude qualified candidates who could excel in the role.

Ban “Culture Fit” Language: Replace it with “culture add.” You need people who align with your values while bringing fresh perspectives, not clones of existing team members.

Use Objective Assessments: Supplement interviews with practical skills assessments, platform challenges, or trial projects that demonstrate actual capability rather than interview performance.

Score Systematically: Create evaluation matrices that rate candidates on specific, job-relevant criteria rather than gut feelings.

The Commercial Reality

This isn’t just about doing the right thing, though that matters. ServiceNow hiring managers who implement inclusive processes access broader talent pools, reduce time-to-hire, and improve retention rates. In a market where ServiceNow skills are scarce, can you afford to let unconscious bias eliminate qualified candidates?

Forward-thinking organisations recognise that structured, bias-aware hiring processes aren’t constraints on recruitment, they’re competitive advantages. They find talent that competitors overlook and build stronger, more innovative teams.

The question isn’t whether unconscious bias affects your ServiceNow hiring. It does. The question is: what will you do about it?

Ready to transform your ServiceNow hiring process? At Linking Humans, we help ServiceNow teams build inclusive recruitment strategies that access overlooked talent pools while improving hiring outcomes. Let’s discuss how structured processes can strengthen your team. Contact us today.

What Is Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Why You Need It for Your ServiceNow Team

Posted on by Dan Wells

What Is Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Why You Need It for Your ServiceNow Team Linking Humans

What Is Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and Why You Need It for Your ServiceNow Team

Hiring a single ServiceNow expert can be tough. Hiring double-digit numbers over months or years? That’s next level. You need a scalable, efficient, and high-quality approach to talent acquisition. That’s where Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) comes in.

This blog covers:

  • What RPO actually means
  • The full recruitment lifecycle it can manage
  • Five key benefits you should expect from RPO
  • Why RPO fits ServiceNow hiring at scale — and how to know if you need it

What Is RPO?

Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is when an external partner takes over all or part of your recruitment process, acting as your internal hiring team. This isn’t about agencies delivering individual candidates. An RPO provider handles everything: sourcing, screening, offer management, onboarding, reporting — the full life cycle of recruitment.

With RPO, your provider operates seamlessly with your business — managing vendor coordination where needed, aligning with your employer brand, and delivering a consistent, scalable hiring engine.

RPO Delivers a Full Recruitment Lifecycle

From job requisition to onboarding, a full RPO model covers:

  • Posting and sourcing (via job ads, talent pools, sourcing teams)
  • Candidate screening, assessments, interviews, background checks
  • Offer and onboarding management
  • Recruitment technology (ATS or compatible systems)
  • Metrics, reporting and continuous process improvement

For ServiceNow teams, this means your hiring partner manages the entire process, freeing you to focus on prioritising roles, defining technical requirements, and onboarding talent as part of your growth roadmap.

5 Core Benefits That RPO Brings to Your ServiceNow Hiring Strategy

1. Efficiency & Expertise

RPO gives you access to specialist recruiters and recruitment tech — including applicant tracking systems and market tools — to streamline sourcing, screening and onboarding. Organisations using RPO are 40% more likely to build effective talent pipelines. You gain expertise without upfront investment or ramp-up time.

2. Enhanced Candidate Experience

Candidates receive consistent, professional communication and a smooth hiring journey. A positive process improves employer brand and lowers drop-off or ghosting — and increases long-term retention.

3. Expanded Talent Reach

RPO partners tap established, deep networks of niche and passive candidates. That gives you access to talent that typical agencies or in-house teams may not reach — especially valuable for specialised ServiceNow roles. Clients report higher hire quality and faster access to candidates.

4. Cost Savings & Scalability

RPO often reduces cost-per-hire, thanks to efficiency, standardised processes, and economies of scale. Plus, hiring capacity scales up or down based on need — without extra overhead.

5. Full Recruitment Lifecycle

Rather than just sourcing, RPO handles the entire hiring journey — from role briefs to onboarding and reporting — giving you a ready-to-go talent engine. That’s crucial when hiring dozens of specialists across ServiceNow functions.

Why RPO Makes Sense for ServiceNow Hiring at Scale

When you’re scaling to 10, 20, or more hires over the year — across ServiceNow modules like ITSM, HRSD, CSM, GRC, or technical architecture — traditional recruitment becomes inefficient:

  • Multiple agencies create duplicate touchpoints and inconsistent messaging
  • CVs arrive in varying formats with buried skills
  • Hiring processes lack transparency and predictability

With RPO, you get:

  • One partner owning the end-to-end hiring process
  • Higher quality, formatted, skill-highlighted CVs and consistent touchpoints
  • Access to niche talent pools (e.g. specific module expertise, geographic skillsets)
  • Scalable, cost-effective, efficient recruitment infrastructure aligned to your roadmap

In essence, RPO empowers ambitious ServiceNow leaders to scale faster, with higher quality, and with more control.

Is RPO Right for You?

Here’s a quick rule:

  • Hiring just one or two ServiceNow hires? A trusted agency may suffice.
  • Building double-digit hiring over 6–18 months? RPO becomes highly valuable — perhaps essential.

If you aim to scale your ServiceNow team consistently and minimise hiring complexity, RPO delivers efficiency, expertise, candidate experience, expanded reach, cost savings, and full-cycle management.

ServiceNow in Saudi Arabia: Navigating Saudisation and Workforce Localisation

Posted on by Thmida Miah

ServiceNow in Saudi Arabia: Navigating Saudisation and Workforce Localisation Linking Humans

ServiceNow in Saudi Arabia: Navigating Saudisation and Workforce Localisation

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presents tremendous opportunities for ServiceNow partners and end users looking to establish operations in the Middle East. However, success in this market requires careful navigation of the country’s comprehensive nationalisation programme for its workforce, known as Saudisation or the Nitaqat system. Understanding these requirements is crucial for any organisation planning to build a ServiceNow practice in the region.

Understanding Saudisation and the Nitaqat Programme

Saudisation is Saudi Arabia’s strategic initiative to increase employment opportunities for Saudi nationals whilst reducing dependence on foreign workers. The programme, formally known as Nitaqat, mandates that private sector companies employ specific percentages of Saudi nationals based on their industry sector and company size.

The system has evolved significantly since its inception, with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development recently announcing expanded Saudisation requirements across 269 professions in 2025. This expansion demonstrates the government’s commitment to its Vision 2030 objectives, which aim to reduce unemployment to 7% by 2030.

The Current Regulatory Landscape for Technology Consulting

For ServiceNow partners and end users, the regulatory environment has become increasingly complex. The sector now faces a phased Saudisation requirement of 40%, up from the previous 35%. This increase affects consulting specialists, business consulting specialists, and project management roles – all critical positions within ServiceNow implementations.

Companies operating in the technology consulting space must also contend with the new 2025 amendments to the KSA Labour Law, which introduce enhanced worker rights protections and modernised employment practices. These changes reflect Saudi Arabia’s commitment to aligning with international employment standards whilst supporting its economic diversification goals.

The Classification System and Its Implications

The Nitaqat programme operates through a colour-coded classification system that directly impacts a company’s ability to operate effectively. Companies are categorised as Platinum, Green (High, Medium, Low), or Red based on their Saudisation compliance rates.

Benefits and Restrictions by Classification

Platinum and Green Companies enjoy preferential treatment, including:

  • Rapid visa processing capabilities

  • Unrestricted hiring from global talent pools

  • Priority access to government tenders

  • Ability to recruit from lower-tier companies

Red Zone Companies face significant operational restrictions:

  • Prohibition on issuing new work visas

  • Inability to renew work permits for expatriate staff

  • Exclusion from government contract bidding

  • Potential business closure for persistent non-compliance.

The consequences of non-compliance extend beyond administrative inconvenience. Companies in the Red zone may experience blockages on Ministry of Human Resources services, inability to renew critical documents such as commercial registrations, and restrictions on issuing Saudisation certificates.

Sector-Specific Requirements for Technology Firms

The technology sector, including ServiceNow consulting, faces unique challenges under the current Saudisation framework. Saudi Arabia’s IT consulting sector, valued at $24.5 billion in 2023, continues to experience rapid growth driven by demand for AI, cloud services, and cybersecurity solutions.

ServiceNow’s own expansion in the region exemplifies the opportunities available. The company announced a $500 million investment in Saudi Arabia, including plans for regional headquarters in Riyadh and two dedicated data centres. This investment aligns with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives and demonstrates the potential for technology firms willing to navigate the regulatory requirements.

Compliance Costs and Administrative Burden

Operating within the Saudisation framework involves substantial administrative overhead and compliance costs. Companies must maintain detailed records of their workforce composition, regularly report to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development, and ensure adherence to minimum wage requirements for Saudi employees.

The minimum wage for Saudi nationals included in Saudisation calculations has been increased to SAR 4,000 (approximately £800) monthly. Additionally, companies must factor in the costs of training programmes, as new labour regulations require employers to create skills development initiatives for Saudi employees.

Recent regulatory changes have introduced updated fees for visa services and residency permits, with exit and re-entry visa extensions now costing 103.5 Saudi riyals and Iqama renewals priced at 51.75 Saudi riyals. These costs accumulate quickly for firms managing substantial expatriate workforces.

The Parallel Saudisation Programme: An Alternative Compliance Route

For companies struggling to meet Saudisation quotas directly, the Parallel Saudisation Programme offers an alternative compliance pathway. This scheme allows companies to pay monthly fees for each Saudi national they fail to employ, whilst maintaining their Nitaqat ranking and accessing ministry services.

The fee structure is calculated based on the percentage of additional Saudi employees needed relative to the current Saudi workforce. Companies with higher existing Saudi employment ratios benefit from reduced fees, creating incentives for gradual workforce localisation.

Recruitment and Talent Acquisition Challenges

Finding qualified Saudi nationals for specialised ServiceNow roles presents significant challenges. The Kingdom’s focus on developing local talent has led to increased investment in digital skills training, with initiatives like the Saudi Digital Academy providing ServiceNow-specific education.

However, the supply of experienced Saudi ServiceNow professionals remains limited compared to demand. Companies must often invest substantially in training programmes to develop local talent, requiring both time and financial resources that many organisations struggle to provide internally.

The recruitment landscape has also become more regulated, with new guidelines introduced in 2023 requiring recruitment agencies to meet higher performance standards and transparency requirements. These changes aim to improve the quality of recruitment services but add complexity for companies seeking to build their teams.

Potential Solutions to Increase the Number of Saudis in Your Workforce

Establishing a successful ServiceNow practice in Saudi Arabia requires careful strategic planning beyond simple compliance with Saudisation quotas. Companies must consider the long-term sustainability of their operations, particularly given the increasing Saudisation rates and evolving regulatory environment.

The technology sector’s rapid growth creates opportunities, but also intensifies competition for qualified Saudi talent. Firms entering the market must develop comprehensive talent development strategies. For most organisations, achieving compliance requires a sustained, multi-layered approach that touches nearly every aspect of business operations:

  • Comprehensive Training and Development: Building a pipeline of skilled Saudi professionals often means designing and delivering tailored training programmes, partnering with local universities, and investing in ongoing skills development. This process can be time-intensive, requiring careful planning, dedicated resources, and a long-term commitment to upskilling talent
  • Expanding Recruitment Efforts: Attracting Saudi nationals may involve broadening recruitment strategies to include underrepresented groups such as women, students, and people with disabilities. This not only means adapting your outreach and employer branding, but also ensuring your HR processes are inclusive enough to support a diverse workforce
  • Engaging with Government Schemes: Making the most of national initiatives like Hafiz and Jadarah can help connect you with Saudi job seekers, but it also requires staying updated on evolving government programmes, navigating administrative requirements, and integrating these schemes into your wider talent strategy
  • Managing Compliance via the Parallel Saudisation Programme: For those finding it difficult to meet targets immediately, the Parallel Saudisation Programme allows companies to pay a monthly fee per missing Saudi employee. While this offers a degree of flexibility, it also introduces additional financial planning, regular monitoring, and ongoing engagement with government portals
  • Focusing on Retention and Workplace Culture: Attracting Saudi talent is just the beginning. Creating an environment where employees are motivated to stay, through competitive salaries, clear career progression, and supportive policies, demands continuous attention and regular review of your HR practices

Each of these steps, while essential, can be resource-heavy and requires a coordinated effort across multiple teams and departments. For many organisations, the process of increasing the number of Saudis in the workforce is not just a compliance exercise but an ongoing transformation that touches recruitment, training, HR, and business strategy as a whole.

How Linking Humans Can Streamline Your Entry

Given the complexity of Saudi Arabia’s regulatory environment and the challenges of finding qualified local talent, partnering with a specialist recruitment agency can significantly reduce the administrative burden and accelerate your market entry.

At Linking Humans, we understand the intricacies of establishing ServiceNow practices in the Saudi market. Our extensive network of Saudi ServiceNow professionals, combined with our deep understanding of the Nitaqat compliance requirements, enables us to provide comprehensive solutions that save you time and effort.

We can help you navigate the complex classification system, ensure compliance with evolving regulations, and connect you with the qualified Saudi talent needed to build a successful ServiceNow practice in the Kingdom. Rather than managing the recruitment process internally whilst juggling compliance requirements, let our expertise guide your expansion into this dynamic market.

Contact us today to learn how we can support your ServiceNow practice establishment in Saudi Arabia and ensure your success in this rapidly growing market.

Redefining the Workplace for the ServiceNow Return to the Office

Posted on by Thmida Miah

Redefining the Workplace for the ServiceNow Return to the Office Linking Humans

Redefining Returning to The Office For ServiceNow Hires

The world of work is going through a period of seismic change. Prompted by the pandemic, employees have begun to reconsider their relationship with work and their employers. We are now seeing a trend of companies wanting employees to return to the office. 

The return to the office promises to be a complex and diverse experience for most businesses. Our global salary survey found that 72% would leave if their current employer decides to introduce office working 5 days a week.  At the same time, employers are dealing with a slew of new demands, from hybrid work to the rise of the four-day workweek. 

To retain the existing workforce, attract new talent, and sidestep the impact of the Great Resignation, every ServiceNow business will need a clear plan for what happens next. 

The following steps will help to ensure you align with the needs of your team.

Step 1: Redefine Working Structures

As ServiceNow companies look forward to life after the pandemic, they’ll consider various employee working structures. The standard 9-to-5 workday where everyone is present in the same office building is no longer the norm. However, not every company will be able to transition instantly to an all-remote ecosystem. 

Employers will need to rethink the options available to their team members for working in a “hybrid” environment. This could mean allowing some people to work from home more often than others, depending on their daily tasks and roles. According to our UK salary survey, 66% of respondents have flexible working arrangements and want to remain in these structures.

Business leaders in the ServiceNow industry will need to consider the individual “employee personas” in their workforce and determine how each transition back into the office can be tailored to each person. The more flexible you can be, the less likely employees will need to seek new roles. 

Step 2: Invest in the Right Technology

The emergence of new working structures and environments has also prompted a greater need for technology in the ServiceNow space. We now rely on digital tools for collaboration, communication, employee engagement and productivity. 

According to a 2021 report from the World Economic Forum, most companies are now seeking additional technology to assist with the transition to post-pandemic work. Cloud computing tools are particularly popular, alongside apps for video communication. 

Around half of CEOs are already planning on increasing their investment in digital transformation by 10% or more. However, ensuring you’re investing in the right technology is important. For instance, 16% of employers use digital methods to monitor employee performance, while many others focus on tools to improve team relationships, like messaging apps.

Step 3: Invest in Inclusion 

The rise of flexible work in the ServiceNow industry can boost Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategies by allowing companies to hire staff from anywhere. However, the right policies must be implemented to ensure the right results. 75% of managers still say on-site employees are more likely to receive promotions than remote workers. 

As employees focus more heavily on seeking employee empathy and respect, it will be crucial to ensure the right DEI strategies are in place. According to the CBI, SMEs focusing on diversity attract more clients, improve staff commitment, and boost productivity. 

To support all employees in a hybrid future, you’ll need to ensure you’re reaching out to minority groups, make your business more accessible to disabled people, and showcase D&I initiatives in your job descriptions. This should help to retain existing talent and attract new candidates. 

Step 4: Adjust Hiring and Recruitment Strategies

There’s a significant shortage of ServiceNow talent today, enhanced by the effects of the Great Resignation. To fill skill gaps, companies will need to broaden and optimise their approach to recruitment and hiring. This means working with specialist recruiters to highlight your EVP (Employee value proposition) to potential candidates. 

It’s also important to consider how you can make your company more appealing to all kinds of workers, offering everything from remote opportunities to four-day work weeks. Turnover is likely to increase in the years ahead, so having a talent pipeline in place could be critical.

A strong talent pipeline full of people ready to embrace all forms of hybrid and remote working opportunities with your business will ensure you never run out of critical skills. Working with a specialist recruiter will help you to ensure you’re concentrating on the benefits most likely to bring new people into your workforce.

Step 4: Invest in Management Training

The numerous changes happening in the ServiceNow landscape mean the roles of leadership professionals are evolving. These team members need to be able to monitor and support employees from a distance, and they need to show higher levels of empathy too. 

Managers need to be more intentional in developing relationships with team members and making them feel like a crucial part of the organisation. Business leaders will need to think carefully about the leadership strategies and techniques taught to other supervisors. 

Specifically, managers will need to be aware of the clear issues that could negatively impact their teams. For instance, around 55% of leaders in a PwC report said they believe delivering better support to burned-out workers and boosting engagement would be crucial to future growth. 

Be Ready to Evolve and Adapt

We’re still in the early stages of the work revolution for the ServiceNow industry, and new trends are always emerging. To stay ahead of the curve, business leaders will need to ensure they’re collecting the right data about their teams and candidates and working with the correct partners.

Starting a relationship with a specialist recruitment company could be the key to ensuring you can stay one step ahead of the complex hiring landscape. 

 

Here at Linking Humans, we have been helping companies deliver permanent and freelance technology experts to ServiceNow partners and End Users across the UK, Europe, and North America. We take pride in providing the best possible people to take your business forward. 

If you would like to speak to us, then use the “Request Call back’’ at the top of this page or find more ways to contact us here.

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How to Increase Staff Retention in Your ServiceNow Organisation

Posted on by Thmida Miah

How to Increase Staff Retention in Your ServiceNow Organisation Linking Humans

As we navigate the evolving landscape of work, your employee retention strategy must be stronger than ever.

Hiring for replacement team members is not something any ServiceNow organisation wants to be doing right now, so an excellent employee retention strategy is essential.

The following 8 strategies will help.

  • Discover Who You’re Overlooking

To ensure you are providing excellent leadership for your entire team and making them feel valued, first, you must find out if you are overlooking anyone in your team.

ServiceNow teams will naturally include individuals with all manner of skills, experience and personality types.

But in most ServiceNow teams, there will also be team members who shine brighter than others – extroverts tend to get noticed more than introverts, some team members are more likely to speak up if they have a problem whereas others will try to work through challenges on their own.

As a leader, it is essential that everyone is getting the right amount of support that they need and that you are not overlooking anyone.

ServiceNow leaders will naturally look to middle managers and other higher-profile employees, but to be a great leader, you must ensure the highest level of employee retention – remember that every team member must feel valued and supported.

  • Create Unlimited Opportunities for Growth

According to a recent LinkedIn Workforce Learning Report, 93% of employees would stay longer with their employer if they invested more in developing their careers.

Many ServiceNow employers will get to the point where they have a great team in place and think that their job is ‘done’. 

However continual training and development is a key part of every employee retention strategy, and we find that talented candidates who look for new ServiceNow roles often cite a desire to develop themselves and their career further as a reason for leaving.

No one wants to be stuck in a role where they feel as though progression is an unlikely possibility.

So invest in training and development for your team – it can be anything from personal development training to allowing them time to learn new ServiceNow skills.

  • Demonstrate Excellent Values and Ethics

The most desirable ServiceNow employees are looking for employers with impressive values and ethics.

We are all thinking much more about what is really important to us, and working for a company they believe in is high on every ServiceNow employee’s list of priorities.  

ServiceNow employees are more empowered than ever, with social media and online review culture creating an environment where the need to be honest and transparent is more crucial than ever.

How active is your company at demonstrating your values and ethics? Do you champion diversity and inclusion? Are you financially transparent?

Fail to demonstrate excellent values, and you risk losing your employees to a more ethical company.

  • Give Employees a Purpose

It is not enough to give employees a fair remuneration package – employees are increasingly looking for a greater sense of purpose in their work. 

The best way to find out if your employees feel a sense of meaning and purpose in their work is to talk to them.

Ask them what is important to them in their roles, and make any alterations you can to help them feel a greater sense of purpose. This could involve introducing tools to make their jobs easier, and thus, more valued, or working together to improve your products or services to give greater customer satisfaction. 

And create a mission statement which helps employees to understand how their work positively impacts the world. 

  • Enhance Your Employer Brand 

Your employer brand is the thread that links employees to the organisation – all employees want to work for a company with which they feel aligned.

Look closely at what your competitors are doing – if you slip in terms of promoting and maintaining an excellent employer brand, this allows employees to look elsewhere and be tempted to leave to work for a brand with a better reputation and culture.

Your digital footprint is key to creating a strong employer brand which your employees will feel proud to be a part of.

Think about what you post and how often. ServiceNow employees like to see that their employer is actively engaged in current ServiceNow topics, is invested in the wellbeing of the team and is a transparent and communicative employer.

Get your employees involved in team-strengthening events, and use your social media to champion your current employees – celebrate birthdays, life events and little wins within the organisation. 

And finally, let’s look at how a great recruitment strategy is always essential when it comes to employee retention.  

  • Get Your Recruitment Strategy Right 

Employee retention all starts with your recruitment process.

When you start your ServiceNow employees off on the right foot with an excellent recruitment and onboarding process, this sets the tone for a mutually beneficial employer-employee relationship.

Onboarding is part of the recruitment process, and yet many ServiceNow employers believe that recruitment stops the moment the candidate accepts the job offer. 

Invest in your recruitment and onboarding process, and you will start to see a higher rate of employee retention. 

Finally

A certain amount of staff turnover is unavoidable.

But follow the steps in this guide to improve unnecessary employee turnover in your ServiceNow organisation. 

It’s never easy to lose a great employee, but when you work with a specialist ServiceNow recruiter, they can help you create the right recruitment and onboarding process to ensure your retention rates remain high, increasing employee engagement and lowering your overall costs of recruitment. 

 

To find out how we can help you find your next ServiceNow talent, get in touch with us at +44 (0) 2381 542542 or email us here.

Here at Linking Humans, we have been helping companies deliver permanent and freelance technology experts to ServiceNow partners and End Users across the UK, Europe, and North America. We take pride in providing the best possible people to take your business forward. 

If you would like to speak to us, then use the “Request Call back’’ at the top of this page or find more ways to contact us here.

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The Complete Guide to ServiceNow Onboarding

Posted on by Thmida Miah

The Complete Guide to ServiceNow Onboarding Linking Humans

The Complete Guide to ServiceNow Onboarding


A successful onboarding strategy could be the key to providing your new team member with all the support, guidance, and insights they need to thrive in your company. 

The ServiceNow landscape has changed drastically in the last couple of years. Job opportunities are becoming more flexible with the rise of remote or hybrid work and the four-day work week.

Even the way companies find and assess new candidates for roles has evolved, with an increasing number of virtual and video interviews. 

On top of all these changes, hiring managers and employers are also facing new challenges in employee retention, with the “Great Resignation” now causing significant talent turnover. 

In a skills-short ServiceNow environment, it’s important to ensure you’re taking every precaution to not only find the right new employee but also prepare them for long-term success. 

Here are the onboarding strategies you can use to empower your ServiceNow hires.

1. Start with Preboarding

Employee “preboarding” is essentially an introductory step before the more intensive onboarding process begins. Today, as the competition for ServiceNow talent continues to grow, talented candidates are increasingly looking to work with employers who make them feel valued. 

Just as your new team member will be working hard to prove you made the right choice by bringing them on board, you want to demonstrate they’ve made a good choice by deciding to work for you. An introduction email as soon as your candidate accepts your job offer can set you off on the right track. You can even use this email to give your new employee some useful information. 

Start by welcoming your candidate onto the team, and let them know the names of some of the people they will be working with. Next, include valuable information your employee might need, such as videos showcasing information about your brand identity. 

2. Adjust the Onboarding Process for Different Roles

Certain parts of the ServiceNow onboarding process will be the same for all employees. You’ll need to introduce every new team member to the company culture in your business and the kind of values you expect them to adhere to. However, this doesn’t mean an onboarding process should be entirely one-size-fits-all. 

Adjust the steps you take in the onboarding process based on your new employee’s needs. For instance, ask yourself what kind of software and tools the team member will be using from day one, and provide them with video guidance on setting up new accounts. 

Think about the specific members of staff your new employee is going to be working with, and arrange for a video or group meeting where you can all get to know each other in an informal and friendly setting. 

Creating a streamlined and personalised process for each employee will ensure your new candidates aren’t overwhelmed by information that may not be pertinent to them when starting their new role. 

3. Focus on Inclusion

The needs of today’s ServiceNow employees are beginning to change. While all team members want access to great development opportunities, a good salary, and fair benefits, they’re also looking for an immersive company culture and a sense of inclusion within their teams. 

Today, 64% of employees say diversity and inclusion is a crucial consideration in their decision to take a job offer. As soon as a new candidate agrees to join your team, start focusing on how you include them. 

Ask new hires about their preferred pronouns and names, and introduce them immediately to the people they will be working with. Allow your employees to sit in on video meetings even before their role officially starts if you’re not going to be sharing sensitive information, and add them to your group messaging boards.

Make sure every team member feels like a crucial part of the team, regardless of whether they’re working in the office, remotely, or on a hybrid schedule.

4. Build a Plan for Development

Great onboarding isn’t just about welcoming a new ServiceNow employee into your team and ensuring they have all the information they need about your business. You should also be looking for ways to build a foundation for a long professional relationship between your company and your hires.

Around 93% of employees say they would happily stay with a company for longer if they felt their managers were investing in their careers with training and development. During the onboarding process, you can begin helping your employee see a future with your brand by working on a professional development plan together.

Set up a one-on-one meeting where you discuss what the future might look like for your new team member and what kind of goals they’d like to achieve. Discuss how you can help your employee reach new heights in their career and what your training opportunities look like.

5. Collect Feedback Regularly

Finally, the only way to ensure your onboarding process is having the right impact on your ServiceNow employees is to ask them about it. Collecting feedback is an excellent way to determine whether you’re giving your new team members all the support and guidance they need. 

Ask your new hires what they feel you did well in the onboarding process and what they would like to change if given a chance. Pay attention to productivity levels after your employees start their new role, and look at how they might change when you add further steps to the onboarding process. 

The feedback you get should guide your future onboarding strategies, helping you build a more comprehensive experience for every new hire. 

Great Onboarding Starts with the Right Hire

Remember, a great onboarding process can be a powerful tool, capable of improving new hire retention by around 82%. However, excellent onboarding processes will always start with the right hiring decisions. Improve your chances of bringing the right people on board by working with a specialist ServiceNow recruitment team like Linking Humans. 

Here at Linking Humans, we have been helping companies deliver permanent and freelance technology experts to ServiceNow partners and End Users across the UK, Europe, and North America. We take pride in providing the best possible people to take your business forward. 

If you would like to speak to us, then use the “Request Call back’’ at the top of this page or find more ways to contact us here.

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5 Signs Your ServiceNow Consultant is Thinking About Leaving

Posted on by Dan Wells

5 Signs Your ServiceNow Consultant is Thinking About Leaving Linking Humans

It is critical to recognise the signs that your employee might be looking elsewhere. So in this post, we are going to share several signs to consider.

 

Securing the right talent for your ServiceNow team is the first stage of building a successful ServiceNow practice. Once you’ve attracted top-performing candidates to your workforce, you also need to ensure you’re taking steps to keep them around. 

In today’s skill-short landscape, employees have endless opportunities to switch between ServiceNow partners and End Users whenever they’re unsatisfied with their current employment. That means learning how to retain your top talent is more important than ever. 

Staff members can choose to leave a business for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, they feel they’re not getting enough satisfaction from their role, or they lose interest in the company’s vision for the future.

Other times, employees may feel they don’t thrive in their current position due to issues with colleagues or managers. 

While the cost of replacing a lost employee can be significant, it’s worth remembering that anywhere up to 75% of turnover can be avoided.

1. They’re Avoiding Long-Term Projects and Career Growth

When a ServiceNow employee decides they no longer want to work with a company, they often begin to reduce their involvement in long-term projects and strategies for development or growth. They stop envisioning a “future” with the business, which means they generally spend more of their time on short-term tasks and simply “checking boxes” on their to-do list.

When an employee who previously volunteered for various challenging projects no longer raises their hand in meetings or delegates long-term work to other employees. In that case, this could signify they’re not planning on being around for long.

Pay close attention to whether your staff members still invest in their future with the company by agreeing to learning and development opportunities or discussing goals during one-on-one meetings. If your employees no longer see a future with you, change their perspective by offering them insights into progression opportunities, they might miss out on if they leave.

2. They Show Visible Signs of Stress

The World Health Organisation says “burnout” is a significant occupational phenomenon that has increased dramatically in recent years. Burned-out and overwhelmed employees disengage from the workplace, show clear signs of exhaustion, and often look for alternative work opportunities. With this in mind, tracking your employee’s mental and physical health is important.

Pay attention to signs of exhaustion, like the heavy reliance on caffeine, yawning, or even a slower-than-usual pace in your team member’s workflow. 

The attitude of your ServiceNow employee might begin to change too. They may appear to be overwhelmingly negative towards other colleagues or attempt to isolate themselves from their peers, taking part in meetings less than usual. In some cases, they could even become more argumentative or aggressive. If you notice signs of burnout, speak to your staff member about how you can help them manage their workload.

3. They’re Not as Creative or Intuitive as Usual

When employees decide to leave a ServiceNow practice, they stop actively contributing to its growth. You may notice some of your top performers who used to share ideas for development in previous meetings are now quieter when you’re asking for suggestions or advice. 

Rather than trying to solve problems with out-of-the-box ideas and collaboration, your team members may simply pass difficult tasks onto other employees. They could stop taking the initiative with their work and may focus on doing just the “bare minimum” to get by.

A ServiceNow Developer who’s occasionally quiet during business meetings isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm. However, if your team members seem to have lost their passion for helping the company grow, they may no longer feel inspired by your company’s mission or values. 

A good way to address this issue is to give your team members regular feedback and let them know how much you value their input. Employees are more likely to contribute when they feel recognised and rewarded for their hard work.

4. They Attend More ServiceNow Events

Networking is important in building a thriving career in ServiceNow. It’s not unusual for dedicated employees to attend a ServiceNow event such as a World Forum or Knowledge and connect with other experts on social media. However, there may be a problem if your team members focus more on external networking than on building internal relationships. 

If you notice your team members are disconnecting from their internal peers, failing to attend meetings, or spending less time chatting with colleagues, check out their external networking efforts. If they’re heavily invested in adding new connections on LinkedIn and improving their personal brand, this could be a sign they’re looking for a way to branch into new opportunities. 

There are a few ways managers and supervisors can tackle this issue. Preventing staff from building external connections isn’t an option, but you can encourage your team to bond with their colleagues through team-building exercises and more consistent internal communication.

5. Their Performance Begins to Suffer

For ServiceNow employees to thrive in their role, they need to do a lot more than just show up and follow the instructions given by a manager. The best staff members are constantly pushing themselves to be their best. However, if your employee is disengaged and disinterested in their work, you may begin to notice performance issues. 

You might be able to notice more errors in their work, which they never used to make before. Or perhaps your customers are providing negative feedback concerning a specific employee’s behaviour. Other colleagues may even complain that one team member is no longer pulling their weight around the office. 

If your staff member is no longer reaching their targets or making the right amount of effort, the first step shouldn’t always be to engage in disciplinary action. Speak to your team members and discover what’s happening behind the scenes.

Don’t Lose Your Top Performers

In today’s changing ServiceNow landscape, issues like disengagement, burnout, and even “quiet quitting” are becoming increasingly common. Fortunately, if you can recognise these signs ahead of time, there are still things you can do to re-ignite your staff’s passion for your company and prevent them from seeking other employment options. 

Pay attention to your top performers, and make sure you’re not actively pushing them away. 

 

Here at Linking Humans, we have been helping companies with delivering permanent and freelance technology experts to ServiceNow partners across the UK. We take pride in providing the best possible people to take your business forward.

If you would like to speak to us, then use the “Request call back” at the top of this page or find more ways to contact us here.

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