Good product, High Stress, Poor work life balance - Anonymous employee ServiceNow Employee Review

3.0
Jul 24, 2015
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Free Friday lunch (oops that went away!), Really great product, but needs some work to be ready for the big time. The founder (Fred Luddy) is a legend. Very humble guy, father figure. The platform is a golden egg to do some explosive innovation and development, but the company culture holds people and hence innovation back CEO focused on the stock price (perhaps that is his job). Competitive pay, Quarterly bonus, Opportunity to move around and do different stuff, good mobility within the organization. Company has lots of opportunity to grow further

Cons

Stress level is just too high. Most of the times the exec staff are siting in their ivory tower (maybe counting their monthly stock sales money). HR is decent, but totally powerless - they mainly tow the line with the exec staff. Stories of abrupt firing and people disappearing one fine morning are really true. CEO's staff needs to understand that the enormous pressure they exert translates from them all the way down into the company and makes a very bad culture and one of zero loyalty. If the stock drops, people will leave so fast that you will have a stampede at the doors. Stock alone cannot build loyalty.

Explore other reviews about ServiceNow

5.0
Jun 3, 2026
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Big Tech health + vision + dental benefits

Cons

Significant change and movement in org.

2.0
Jun 17, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

ServiceNow had a differentiated platform and products. Early on the culture had a startup energy that was rare for a company this size collaborative teams, ownership, and a sense that people actually cared about outcomes. Working with large enterprise customers on complex workflows was interesting work.

Cons

The ServiceNow I joined was a different company. As headcount increased, so did the bureaucracy, layers, and friction that rewarded politics over execution. The layoffs of the last few years were handled poorly little transparency, inconsistent communication, and decisions that felt made far above with little thought for the people affected. The "cost optimization" messaging rang hollow against continued executive spending. For a company that sells workflow and people process tools, the irony of a chaotic RIF wasn't lost on anyone in the field or on customers. Leadership political dynamics were real. The right team, the right manager you had cover. Performance alone didn't protect you.

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