No company can escape the fatigue that creeps in during a long meeting. But at ServiceNow for enterprise software, there’s a secret weapon to fight it.
“We have a very successful consultant who is part of our sales organization but is also an expert in yoga,” explained Christine Ehrenberger-Stigmeyer, Vice President of AMS Solutions Consulting. So when we have a long meeting and people are exhausted, we’ll say, ‘Hey Barbara, can you get to the top of the screen? “And we’ll have a five-minute yoga break for the whole organization.”
Barbara’s extended prowess is incidental to her job, but ServiceNow takes time to celebrate it anyway—and she’s not the only one.
“We have people in the company who are amateur photographers who carry their cameras around when sales kick off, and take pictures because it’s fun for them and others — and we use those pictures in our posters and social content,” said Ehrenberger-Stigmeier. “It feeds their souls – it’s part of who they are.”
In the end, this is what ServiceNow’s “Live Your Best Life” means: making sure employees feed all parts of their souls. Dedication to this adage is what allows company employees to be as comfortable as their true selves at work – in a way that many of them have not experienced in previous jobs.
“I introduced my daughter to a woman in our solutions consulting team in Washington who came from one of the largest consulting firms,” said Ehrenberger-Stigmeier. “And I told my daughter, ‘I can really be myself here.’ We assigned her a new, innovative client and showed her to a new job training and she takes it down—just a bundle of contagious energy.”
Incredibly, this enthusiastic salesperson was asked to slow down and cool off at her previous company – they thought her enthusiasm was almost unprofessional. At ServiceNow, her enthusiasm is recognized as a positive, and when displayed, it is seen as magic.
If you are not satisfied, how will you be able to contribute to your company culture? “
“The culture in this company is to take people’s uniqueness, their superpowers – who they are at their core – and knowing how to raise them for their own good and that of the company,” said Ehrenberger-Steigmeier.
With dedicated company-wide Wellness Days, employee engagement team efforts and a culture that encourages people to engage in what makes them happy and healthy, ServiceNow strives to help its employees live their best lives, both in and out of the workplace. This, in turn, makes them more involved in their jobs.
“If you are not satisfied, and do not feel empowered to enjoy your life, how will you be able to contribute to your company culture?” said Angela Brownlee, Senior Director of Digital Sales. This translates to the client. Everything is interconnected – you are a direct representation of your company, so you have to take care of yourself and that will be reflected in your work.”
time is over
Brownlee and Ehrenberger-Stegmeyer cited ServiceNow’s well-being days as a way the company enables employees to better live their lives. These are vacation days for the entire company, and are strategically placed to extend the weekend or give breaks at the most efficient times.
“I can’t even tell you how much I appreciate having a Friday off and having a nice long weekend. Sometimes, you just need to unplug and have a four-day work week,” Brownlee said. A life that comes first in the mind brings positivity and increased productivity.”
“This is different from a day off,” added Ehrenberger-Stigmeier. “Don’t feel pressured to be online, because others are down too. You can get to that project you’ve been planning or take the four-day trip you want without guilt.”
In the former luxury days, some ServiceNow employees enjoyed hobbies or took trips, while others got together and played a round of golf. Brownlee’s day was a lot quieter though.
“My little rescue dog Sadie is about 13 years old, loves to go to bed late and then lie in the sun after breakfast,” Brownlee said. “Instead of waking her up early to go for a walk, as I normally would on a normal work day, Sadie was able to get up in her spare time, and then sunbathe in our backyard while I sip my morning coffee and enjoy some sunshine myself.”
While her friends and family started other jobs their days off, Brownlee relaxed comfortably in her yard, appreciating the good extra time that her and Sadie’s day of well-being afforded her. With a Friday morning like this, knowing that the whole long weekend is still ahead, it’s hard to imagine Brownlee not feeling fresh come Monday.
it is time
However, nourishing one’s soul does not stop when the working hour begins. In fact, ServiceNow’s employee engagement team is completely dedicated to making sure its employees have opportunities to participate in group activities with co-workers who share their passion. More recently, this has involved a movement challenge across the sales organisation.
“The leadership team got the entire organization moving together, following in everyone’s steps and goals,” said Ehrenberger-Stegmeier. “And they had a teams channel online called Live Your Best Life that allows us to create a community around it – we can see what people are doing to stay healthy.”
At the end of the challenge, the leadership proudly presented the results in a series of slides. Whimsical graphics showed that ServiceNow employees walked almost en masse around the circumference of the Earth and burned more than a thousand calories from Big Macs. “Isn’t that hysterical?” asked Ehrenberger-Stegmeier. There was a slide filled with pictures of smiling employees on bikes or hiking trips, screenshots of maps tracing incredible distances, and breathtaking views.
If an employee enjoys a variety of activities, whether they are physically attractive or more mentally focused, and anything in between, there are all sorts of options to choose from. ServiceNow has indoor games, book clubs, and outdoor events such as charity golf tournaments. There are also ways to get involved in the community, including volunteer efforts at the office level and team-specific activities. Individuals are also empowered to apply company approved volunteer hours to their preferred method of giving back to the community.
“We realize there are a number of ways to engage others, so we always find creative ways to give a little bit of everything,” Brownlee said. “When speaking with candidates, it is always exciting to see what they include on their resume that reflects their personal interests as well as software sales. We can all contribute different ideas and efforts that help create a dynamic employee experience.”
As someone with a passion for health and wellness, Brownlee is ready to sign up for the next wellness event to be announced.
Service through software:
- Brownlee: “In a previous position at a tech company I worked for previously, I’ve been working with ServiceNow customers — and the talk has always been about how to make things work with ServiceNow, rather than replacing it. Doing everything with the customer in mind has always been important to me, so Being part of a company with this pillar is very satisfying.”
- Ehrenberger-Stegmeyer: “If you work for a car company and make cars, that’s great – but maybe not as great as helping soldiers stay connected with their families through workflows, or connecting patients with their nurses in hospital rooms and saving lives. Our program is doing well in the world. It’s what feeds me every day. We make people’s everyday lives better and more efficient. It’s beyond what any other software company can do — it’s crazy sauce.”
happy times
Ehrenberger-Stegmeyer has worked for a number of large technology companies with decades of experience, so you can see the difference ServiceNow culture makes in their employees’ attitude toward work.
“Take for example our early-career consultant. They sell just as much software as any more experienced consultant. Not only did we put it in front of clients because we know that’s their strength, but we also put it in our new training camp to encourage them to work and the new company.” It fuels her passion in a way that doubles the power of the entire organization.”
This new bootcamp is part of ServiceNow’s robust onboarding program. The company’s own software is used to track every step in the onboarding process, and effective training and mentorship means new employees can quickly gain knowledge of the software and build community. Because this knowledge can be learned, ServiceNow can focus its hiring on motivated people with unique strengths and help them find their voice in the work.
Life comes first, then action follows.
“We affect people’s lives in many different ways,” Brownlee said. “Our CEO talks about how many ways we impact business today, but how we also work to make an impact on our employees and their experiences.”
Living your best life can be seen in many ways and places, but every aspect of them serves the same goal. Whether you’re leading a yoga session during a meeting, performing a song about your training or sitting outside with a hot coffee and a happy pet, the ServiceNow team wants you to feed your soul.
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