10 Frequently Asked Questions About How to Hire ServiceNow Developers

Enterprises of all sizes, from multinational powerhouses to rising stars, are adopting  ServiceNow to benefit from its transformative powers. The cloud-based service, providing IT service management (ITSM) and business process automation (BPA) solutions, has more than 7,700 global enterprise clients today, while around 85% of them belong to the Fortune 500.

Due to the growing number of enterprises using ServiceNow, the demand for experts who can manage the platform infrastructure, as well as code, design, and troubleshoot ServiceNow-based applications, also goes up. Therefore, it might be difficult to find specialists with the required skills without having deep technical knowledge and relevant expertise. 

If you are willing to overcome the challenge of hiring a remote ServiceNow developer, as a recruitment agency with years of experience, Bridge can help you out. We’ve researched the topic of hiring ServiceNow professionals and also asked our recruiters to answer some frequently asked questions. So, it’s time to delve deeper.

Things you should know when hiring ServiceNow developers

Below we’ve summarized the most valuable information and communicated with our in-house tech talent sourcers Karina and Javier to show you all the ins and outs of hiring ServiceNow developers. Now, onto the questions.

#1. What are the specific responsibilities and roles of a ServiceNow developer?

In brief, a ServiceNow engineer is an expert in charge of developing and troubleshooting ServiceNow applications, as well as integrating them with other systems. Besides, ServiceNow developer responsibilities include performing code reviews, updating the apps, maintaining technical documentation, analyzing system performance, and more. For a better understanding, let’s look at a fragment of a job description covering the responsibilities of a ServiceNow application developer.

Source

We’ve also asked our recruiter Javier to list the basic roles and responsibilities of a ServiceNow developer. Here’s the list of tasks that are usually assigned to ServiceNow professionals: 

• Align business issues with solutions that ServiceNow offers
• Help by actively participating in governance meetings and activities 
• Work in alignment with business strategy, roadmap, and platform governance policies 
• Articulate vision and business value of building, supporting, and developing the platform 
• Create and maintain a detailed view of existing architecture 
• Align ServiceNow platform capabilities to business strategy and ServiceNow roadmap 
• Provide architectural controls and analysis of impacts for new requirements 
• Overall ownership and oversight of ServiceNow instances 
• Management and oversight of application escalations

#2. What qualifications and experience should I look for in a ServiceNow developer?

When hiring a ServiceNow-certified application developer, you should pay close attention to their technical background and previous experience. Of course, you should look for a developer matching your project needs, but a promising candidate should have a strong understanding of the ServiceNow platform, as well as deep knowledge of JavaScript and web technologies like HTML or XML.

Our recruiting manager Javier shared his experience of working with clients that searched for ServiceNow developers and here are the most common requirements for such specialists he distinguished: 

• Enterprise service management experience 
• Strong technical foundation and knowledge of the ServiceNow platform 
• Enterprise Security and Architecture experience 
• Industry business acumen 
• Ability to configure ServiceNow ITSM applications in alignment with approved design plans
• IT service management experience 
• Knowledge of ServiceNow ITSM front-end application configuration 
• Ability to rapidly identify and resolve issues  

#3. How can I assess ServiceNow developer skills?

Technical knowledge, practical expertise, and soft skills ‒ these are three things you should focus on when evaluating ServiceNow developer skills. While assessing soft skills is not a problem for a business owner, it might be challenging to test technical skills, as it requires conducting technical interviews, testing how a person understands the ServiceNow architecture and modules, checking the developer’s ability to write clean and maintainable code, and more.

Unless you are a ServiceNow expert yourself, you can’t accurately assess the candidate’s skills, which leads to wrong hiring decisions, and, potentially, project delays, increased costs, and even reputational damage. Yet, you can avoid these pitfalls when cooperating with Bridge. By using our proprietary sourcing engine, we identify an exact talent pool based on your requirements and embed technical vetting into the process. Our tech-savvy recruiters pre-screen candidates to validate the information in applicants’ CVs so that you only get qualified specialists to interview. 

#4. What are the best ways to find and hire a ServiceNow developer?

We are not going to reinvent the wheel here ‒ if you are looking for a ServiceNow developer (or any other tech expert), here are the most popular ways to do it:

• Job boards. By posting job openings on platforms like LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and Indeed, you get access to the large talent pool and attract active job seekers, which increases the chances of finding the right talent.
• Freelance platforms. Finding freelancers on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr is a cost-effective method to fill the talent gap. Freelancers’ rates might greatly differ so you can find a specialist satisfying your project requirements and budget. Yet, be careful when cooperating with freelancers since they usually work on multiple projects, which can lead to delays and project failures. 
• Recruitment companies. If two previous methods require you to assess candidates’ technical skills on your own, recruitment agencies will take this burden off your shoulders. If you partner with a company like Bridge, we will validate each candidate before recommending them for an interview and run additional high-level screening when needed.

#5. What is the average salary for a ServiceNow developer?

We addressed this question to our recruiter Karina, and here is how salaries differ across various countries and locations:

“Let’s start with the USA. A junior ServiceNow developer salary ranges from $50,000 to $75,000, while a mid-level engineer makes around $75,000 to $120,000. A senior developer can expect to earn an average annual salary ranging from $100,000 to $150,000 or more.

In Latin America, it all depends on the level of seniority and location. For instance, a junior ServiceNow developer typically earns an average annual salary ranging from $15,000 to $25,000. However, this can vary depending on the country and city. Some countries with higher living costs, such as Brazil or Argentina, may offer higher salaries for junior engineers compared to others. 

When it comes to a mid-level specialist, the average annual salary in Latin America ranges from $40,000 to $80,000. Again, this can vary based on factors such as experience, location, and the specific company. A senior ServiceNow engineer in Latin America can expect to earn an average annual salary ranging from $80,000 to $120,000 or more. Highly skilled senior developers with extensive experience and expertise may command higher salaries, particularly in larger cities or tech hubs”.

IT Outsourcing in Latin America – Discovering the Opportunities

#6. What are some common challenges of searching for ServiceNow developers?

The competition for skilled engineers combined with a small number of developers proficient in ServiceNow technologies make the pool of potential candidates very limited. Besides, there are some other factors that may complicate and slow down the search for ServiceNow developers. Here are some of them.

• Limited talent pool. As ServiceNow is a specialized platform, it might be difficult to find and hire experienced engineers with the required skill set. What’s more, the platform is evolving all the time, requiring new and new skills from developers to obtain.
• High demand. Many companies across various industries are willing to build their solutions with ServiceNow, creating a high demand for skilled developers. As a result, attracting and retaining top ServiceNow specialists is not that easy.
• Technical skills assessment. If you are not well-versed in ServiceNow platform capabilities, you won’t be able to evaluate the candidate and see if they’re the right fit. 
• High cost. Due to the high competition for ServiceNow talent, the hiring process can be quite costly. A high salary combined with benefits for attracting skilled experts might significantly impact your project resources.

To overcome these challenges, consider working with professional recruitment managers at Bridge. We have access to the global talent pool and source for candidates on three continents ‒ Latin America, Europe, and North America, so that you don’t miss the right expert. 

#7. Why is it a good idea to hire a ServiceNow developer remotely? What are the best countries for this?

Here is what Karina says in this regard:

“When hiring remote ServiceNow developers, benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Here are some perks you get when hiring globally:

• Access to a global talent pool
• Cost savings
• Flexibility and scalability
• Faster recruitment process
• Diverse perspectives and cultural exchange

The best hiring destinations are the United States, Europe, and Latin American countries. Yet, the best country for remote hiring depends on your specific needs and preferences.” 

#8. What is the typical hiring process for a ServiceNow developer?

The process of hiring a ServiceNow developer doesn’t differ much from that of hiring any other technical expert. First, you create a job description where you list skills and qualifications you are interested in, advertise it through various channels, like job boards and freelance platforms, and source for potential hires. Once you screened applicants’ CVs, you narrow down the pool and give shortlisted candidates a practical coding task or ServiceNow-specific questions to pick engineers for an interview. 

Everything seems simple on paper, true, but in reality, you have to roll up your sleeves and get engaged as much as you can. Yet, there is one more way out ‒ team up with Bridge and we will do the job for you. Depending on your current needs and budget, we offer two types of services ‒ sourcing-as-a-service and IT staffing. 

• Sourcing-as-a-service allows you to save recruitment costs since you pay only a monthly fee which is cheaper than a full-time researcher would cost. Our sourcing-as-a-service includes the following stages:

✅You specify the ServiceNow developer’s skills and qualifications and we strategically plan the recruitment campaign.

✅Using a proprietary sourcing engine, we create an exact pool of relevant candidates that fit your project requirements.

✅Bridge’s sourcers validate candidate’s CVs and reach out to them.

✅You get a list of qualified pre-screened candidates in your queue.  

• IT staffing is a great solution when you need to add ServiceNow talent to your team fast and hassle-free. With Bridge, you pay only for the actual developer’s work eliminating recruitment fees, software licenses, employee benefits, payroll increments, and any additional expenses. Here is how it works:

✅You create a job requisition on our platform and we start looking for candidates.

✅We screen candidates and recommend the best ones for an interview.

✅You interview applicants, approve those fitting your requirements, and we hire them.

✅We cover employee onboarding, team setup, tax administration, and more, while you remain in full control over the hiring process.

#9. Are there any specific tips for searching and hiring ServiceNow developers?

In case you are a newbie in the recruitment process, some recommendations won’t do any harm. Here are some tips for hiring a ServiceNow developer from our recruiter Karina:

• Clearly define requirements for the position. When you describe in detail what skills and expertise you are looking for, it helps narrow the search filtering out candidates lacking the required skills.
• Make a precise selection of candidates based on their skills. Thoroughly assess candidates’ skills using several rounds of interviews. This way, you are more likely to make informed decisions and improve the quality of the talent acquisition process.
• Use multiple communication channels. Utilizing several means of communication,  like social media (LinkedIn), email, or instant messages, you expand the talent pool and increase your chances of reaching qualified candidates.

#10. What are some common mistakes to avoid when hiring ServiceNow developers?

As ServiceNow developers are in demand these days, you can’t risk losing the best specialists because of simple mistakes. Here are some slip-ups to avoid when hiring ServiceNow professionals.

• Offering a non-competitive salary. To attract top candidates, you should offer a salary that aligns with the market trends. Otherwise, a qualified ServiceNow coder will bid farewell to you and take a more appealing offer.
• Focusing on your company goals only. When communicating with a potential candidate, don’t overdo describing your company values. Also, tell about future projects and challenges waiting for a developer, making a role more appealing for them. 
• Ignoring retention strategies. If you found a perfect fit, you should start thinking of how to retain the ServiceNow talent already at the interview stage. Talk about the benefits you provide for employees, offering as much flexibility as you can.
• Not involving tech experts. Being one on one with a candidate means you are in charge of all recruitment stages, including technical assessment and evaluation of practical ServiceNow skills. To make sure the candidate assessment is accurate, engage technical experts from your team or work with recruiting companies.

Hire skilled ServiceNow developers with Bridge

As you see, the procedure of hiring ServiceNow developers might take a lot of time and effort when dealing with it on your own. However, you can ensure the process is smooth and efficient working with Bridge. We have expertise in hiring talent across the globe and can help you find the person with the qualification to fit your project requirements and needs.

If you need recruiters who understand technologies, email us to discuss your recruiting strategy.