The Complete Guide to ServiceNow Onboarding

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Thmida Miah

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.

If you want to find out more call us on 02381 542542.

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.

5 Signs Your ServiceNow Consultant is Thinking About Leaving

Posted on December 6, 2023December 7, 2023 by Dan Wells

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.

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.

Top tips for Moving into your first ServiceNow Management Position

Posted on May 16, 2023May 23, 2023 by Dan Wells

All great ServiceNow careers need to start somewhere. For most employees, the path to progression begins with an entry-level position. Over time, as you develop your skills and knowledge, you can apply for promotions and higher-paid roles.

After a while in the ServiceNow industry, you may feel you have the leadership skills, knowledge, and expertise to thrive in a managerial role. A position as a manager can be an excellent way to increase your earning potential, showcase your knowledge, and unlock greater job satisfaction.

However, figuring out how to move into your first management position can be challenging.

Here are some of the top tips you can use to improve your chances of a new leader-level job.

Step 1: Excel in Your Current Role and Do Your Research

To achieve any promotion in the ServiceNow landscape, you first need to show your manager how great you are at what you do. Managers need significant expertise and experience in the field they’re going to be supervising. Showing your leaders, you’re a capable, and accomplished member of the team will make them more likely to see your potential as a manager.

While you’re working on demonstrating your value in your current position, it’s worth doing some research. Find out what kind of skills the current managers in your company have, and determine whether there are any gaps you’ll need to fill in your own abilities.

It can also be helpful to look at how your company handles internal movement and promotions. Are there certain times of year when your employers make decisions about who should be moved into leadership roles? Finding out in advance will help you to decide when to approach your employer about any management opportunities.

Step 2: Develop Your Managerial Skills

There’s more to thriving in a managerial position than being an expert in the ServiceNow industry. There’s a good chance you’ll need to develop some crucial new skills to prove you can succeed in a managerial role.

The research you’ve done into the other managers in your company should help you to determine which talents matter most to your business. However, some of the most common managerial skills you may need to develop include:

Leadership skills: Learn how to motivate, inspire, and engage other employees by taking on the leader position in group tasks and volunteering for opportunities to take charge.
Decision making skills: You’ll need to be able to effectively analyse situations and respond to different scenarios with confidence.
Organisational skills: Demonstrate your organisational skills by ensuring you always meet with deadlines, and deliver punctual work.
Interpersonal skills: Work on your emotional intelligence and communicate regularly with leaders and other colleagues in your ServiceNow business.
Problem-solving skills: Show your ability to respond creatively to problems by suggesting solutions to issues in team meetings.

It’s also helpful to invest in your continued ServiceNow education. Earning new certifications and accreditation will demonstrate your expertise in your industry, and help to differentiate you as a potential leader.

Step 3: Show Initiative

Often, proving you’re ready for a management job means making sure you take advantage of every opportunity to showcase your expertise and abilities. This means you’re going to need to take initiative if you want to stand out.

Volunteer for tasks a manager might normally do, like taking charge of a team project, or helping your boss with a challenge most people would rather avoid. Rather than waiting for your supervisors to offer you training and development opportunities, seek out your own educational strategies to develop the skills you know are crucial to your company.

You can even demonstrate your leadership capabilities outside of your current role, by taking on leadership positions in non-profit organisations, and sharing your volunteering experiences with your company leaders.

Step 4: Ask for the Position

Once you’ve had a chance to demonstrate your abilities, build your skillsets and connect with the supervisors in your workplace, it’s time to ask for your new role. Arrange a time to meet with your boss face-to-face or over video so you can discuss your career progression opportunities.

During this meeting, you’ll need to be prepared to explain why you’re ready for this new challenge, and provide as much evidence as possible. Highlighting your recent accomplishments, and drawing attention to the managerial skills you’ve developed will be useful here. If possible, it’s always a good idea to have relationships with other ServiceNow managers in your team who can vouch for you.

If your employer doesn’t think you’re ready for a manager role yet, or there isn’t a space available for you to move into, ask what the next step is. Work with your boss to figure out what you need to do to transition into your ideal role.

Step 5: Be Prepared to Switch Companies

Finally, if you’re committed to becoming a manager, it’s important to be flexible. The reality is, even if you do all the work and prove yourself to your existing employer, there may not be a leadership opportunity available in your current company.

Unless your boss is looking for a manager to fill a role after another team member has left, there’s a good chance they won’t be able to find the budget to create a new position just for you. With this in mind, you may need to look elsewhere for your management job.

Work with a ServiceNow recruitment agency to track down positions relevant to your expertise and experience. Your recruitment team will be able to help you find a new job that not only offers you the manager responsibilities you want, but the company culture and benefits you need too.

Linking Humans partners with organisations from all over the world looking for talented individuals to meet their ServiceNow-related needs. Whether you’re a ServiceNow Developer, Project Manager, or Architect, or you have other specialist skills related to ServiceNow, we’ll get you into your perfect role quickly and efficiently.

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. Together, we can find your dream ServiceNow role.

The Ultimate Guide To Productivity In The ServiceNow Workplace

Posted on May 11, 2022March 16, 2023 by Dan Wells

Productivity is one of the most important ingredients in a successful ServiceNow business. However, achieving and preserving productivity isn’t always easy.

While some teams in your workforce may consistently achieve their targets and maintain high levels of motivation, others might struggle to access the same level of focus. Fortunately, productivity is something your team can cultivate and optimise over time, like many professional skills. Even as workplace dynamics shift and teams evolve, the following productivity strategies should ensure that ServiceNow employees can accomplish their goals.

Encourage Teams to Prioritise One Task at a Time

Employees in the ServiceNow landscape can often feel like they’re constantly jumping between different tasks, trying to keep on top of an ever-increasing task list.

When your to-do list seems to be expanding, it’s tempting to try and tackle multiple things at once.

Unfortunately, studies show multitasking harms productivity, making it harder to give complete attention to any given task. What’s more, multitasking could increase the risk of employees making mistakes because they’re not focusing fully on one thing at a time.

Encourage your team to organise their schedules by focusing on one task at a time. Project management tools can allow team members to check off each task they complete as they work on them. This helps to create a sense of accomplishment, and builds motivation.

Allow Teams to Design Their Schedules

While certain tasks in a ServiceNow role will have specific deadlines that need to be considered. You may find it’s helpful to provide your teams with more autonomy over how they organise their day.

Provided the most important tasks are completed on time, you can allow your employees to arrange their to-do lists in the format that makes the most sense for them.

Some ServiceNow team members will find it easier to tackle the most challenging tasks first. This “eating the frog” method takes advantage of the focus that some employees have when they first arrive at work.

Overcoming a challenge early on in the day can also create motivation to push staff through the rest of the day.

Other employees will prefer to start their day with less complex tasks and work up to the bigger challenges when they feel the most focused. In a world of diverse employees, allowing everyone to choose their strategy can lead to better outcomes.

Train Staff to Solve Problems

Autonomy and independence in the workplace can significantly improve productivity levels. When team members feel empowered to make their own decisions and solve problems independently, they spend less time waiting for approval and guidance from others.

Giving your ServiceNow employees training on how to fix common technical issues or overcome problems they might be facing with their workflows could help boost their efficiency levels.

Offering training to your team members ensures they have the knowledge, guidance, and insight required to keep working as productively as possible in any environment.

A strong set of training opportunities can also lead to huge benefits for your team. One study from the Huffington Post found companies offering comprehensive training achieved 24% higher profit margins.

Some areas to focus on with your training tactics include:

Troubleshooting common technical issues
Communicating with colleagues
Time management

Make Time for Breaks

While it’s tempting to assume more time spent on tasks means higher productivity levels, the brain can only focus on something for so long. Every so often, we all need to take breaks to refresh our minds, so make sure your team members are scheduling breaks into their day.

The Pomodoro Technique can be an excellent strategy to teach employees who need help with time management and taking breaks. The technique involves working for 25 minutes and taking a break at the end of each working period.

Companies in the ServiceNow space can also encourage their team members to segment their days into chunks. With small breaks after each segment, so they can get ready to focus on a new task.

Remember, breaks aren’t just good for productivity; they’re also crucial to ensuring the wellbeing of employees. Breaks can help reduce stress, ensure employees find opportunities to move, and take time away from screens.

Provide the Right Equipment

Employees in any industry can only do their best work when they have access to the right tools. Providing the right resources and equipment to staff members wherever they may be working from is crucial to ensuring high productivity levels.

Think about the essential systems your ServiceNow employees use every day. What kind of hardware, networking tools, and infrastructure will they need to remain productive? Are there any specialist software tools necessary to help your teams achieve their goals?

Providing the right training, so your employees know how to use all of the tools correctly should ensure your staff can leverage resources as effectively as possible.

At the same time, it’s helpful to speak to your employees regularly and ask them if there are any additional tools or resources they feel they could benefit from.

Ensure Teams Know How to Build a Productive Environment

Finally, as the workplace continues to evolve, it’s important that team members know how to create an environment suitable for productivity, wherever they are. According to Forbes, around 70% of the workforce could be working remotely by 2025. This means your team members may need to learn how to create the perfect workspace at home.

Guide your employees to minimise distractions by turning off notifications on ServiceNow apps and smartphones when they need to focus. You can also offer advice on choosing the right room to work from when operating remotely or reducing noise exposure.

For in-office employees, getting feedback on how to make the business space more conducive to productivity may also be helpful. Ask your teams whether they’d prefer a more open office environment or more private rooms for focus work.

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 forwards. If you want to find out how we can help, call us on 02381 542 542 or email us at dan.wells@linkinghumans.com.

Category: Leadership