Great Company hindered by Politics and Terrible Culture - Senior Product Manager ServiceNow Employee Review

2.0
Jul 20, 2020
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

1) rising stock price with quarterly vestings 2) the company and executive team have a clear vision and are driving the company to be extremely successful 3) the products are very powerful and innovative

Cons

1) the company continues to be plagued by poor hiring decisions in middle-management, where inexperienced managers are driving lower level employees away 2) the culture overall has improved over the last 5+ years, however, it is still a pretty toxic environment where most people feel the need to prove themselves in order to gain any sort of recognition/validation 3) executive decisions on the priorities of the products have changed course over the last year, which is understandable, but has caused incubation products to be killed and the hard work of many to go out the window. 4) if you come in at a low salary, good luck ever getting paid what you actually deserve in the market. they use excuses that HR can only give you a certain % increase, which would make sense, except why isn't there pay equality in the first place when you first make the hire? 5) the benefits have improved over the last 3 years since getting a new HR leader, however, it's still not close to what other similar companies are offering, and employees often feel that hard work will still go unnoticed because it is up to the specific department to promote these benefits and ensure employees are aware of them, are taking enough PTO, are getting all the perks they deserve, etc. 6) some leaders are only looking out for themselves. I have come across many Director-VP level folks that will take the credit for the successes of their department, but will never take the fall for any of the mistakes. Additionally, not giving enough recognition to the hard work of their team.

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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