No one can predict when a disaster will hit, but with the right systems in place, company leaders can prepare for it.
That was the case for IT company ServiceNow, which used a predetermined business continuity and disaster recovery plan to manage both customer relationships and employee wellness during the coronavirus pandemic. The HR team at ServiceNow had already digitized manual processes for an easy transition to a totally remote workforce, which allowed employees to quickly adjust to supporting customers from their homes.
HR Manager Kay Hughes said this foresight allowed the company to continue scaling by digitally onboarding new hires and even holding virtual summer internships. Upcoming events weren’t cancelled; they were shifted to a virtual format.
Then, ServiceNow turned its gaze inward.
Hughes said employees were provided online fitness classes, digital bootcamps and childcare classes to foster a sense of community. So far, the feedback has been positive, with Hughes saying teammates have been brought closer together in the midst of a crisis that could have pulled them a part.
Tell us briefly about your team’s contingency plan pre-COVID-19.
We had all the expected and required business continuity and disaster recovery plans in place. Plus, as a digital workflow company, we had already digitized many of our manual processes.
Even so, when we thought about a one hundred percent remote workforce, there were new details that we had to consider. For instance, we started testing remote systems access for our customer support teams a couple of weeks before we issued the stay-at-home order. We had to make sure they could continue to serve customers. We told our employees in India to expense MiFi devices to ensure reliable internet outside the office.
Our facilities team got creative and found ways to move fitness classes and other formerly in-person events online so employees could continue their wellness routines.
Our entire approach for this pandemic has been people-first.”
How has that contingency plan helped you respond in the face of the recent coronavirus outbreak?
We have been fortunate to transition quickly and seamlessly to remote work.
We now conduct digital hiring, as well as digital onboarding through our ServiceNow mobile onboarding app. We host multiple weekly sessions for virtual yoga, virtual bootcamp and other classes, even for employees’ kids.
We’re one of the few companies that is welcoming a summer intern class this year. It will be digital: Interns will onboard and work remotely, along with the rest of our employees, but they will continue to learn and get critical experience on the job.
We’ve continued to support our customers with a new customer care plan that includes access to four free emergency response management apps. Plus, we’re taking our Knowledge 2020 customer and partner event digital. Instead of welcoming 25,000 people to Orlando in May as we had originally planned, we’re creating an engaging digital experience to give tens of thousands of attendees digital access to the content they need.
What's the most important lesson you’ve learned about contingency planning from recent events, and how do you plan to apply that lesson in the future?
Our entire approach for this pandemic has been people-first. Everything we’ve done starts with the impact to people: our employees and their families, our customers and partners, and our communities.
One of our company values is “embrace diversity, create belonging.” We deeply believe that our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging has brought us closer together in the midst of a crisis that could’ve pulled us apart.
