Great People, Outdated Tech - Senior Software Engineer ServiceNow Employee Review

4.0
Sep 13, 2025
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

The company is a stable and prominent global player with a highly popular product, which provides a sense of security. There haven't been any layoffs in the engineering organizations for a long time, which is a huge plus. The technical challenges are genuinely interesting, and I've had the opportunity to work on some complex problems. The best part, however, is the people. My coworkers are some of the smartest and most hardworking engineers I've ever collaborated with.

Cons

The tech stack is outdated and heavily proprietary, which means the skills you gain aren't easily transferable to other jobs. The code and architecture are extremely complex and convoluted, making it a painful and slow process to fix bugs and build new features. This leads to a lot of defects and impacts development speed. We operate on a long waterfall release cycle, and the company as a whole lacks agility due to its size. Teams often work in silos. Upward mobility can be a real challenge; it seems to be more about politics and appearances than technical merit.

Explore other reviews about ServiceNow

5.0
Jun 21, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Nice people, great pay, substantive projects, builds presentation and networking skills.

Cons

All virtual unless you are in a state with an active office, like California.

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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