IDC survey validates the benefits of ServiceNow certification

Time after time, customers tell us how investing in ServiceNow certification helps them deliver better business outcomes, accelerate time to value, and drive innovation. The benefits for individual ServiceNow professionals are equally clear: skills that power team success, increase credibility, and enhance career prospects.

An IDC survey provides independent confirmation of these benefits. In a survey of 400 ServiceNow professionals, the analyst firm found that ServiceNow certification made ServiceNow professionals more productive, influential, and valuable to their organization when compared to noncertified staff.

Organizational benefits of ServiceNow certification

The survey breaks down the organizational benefits of ServiceNow certification into five key areas:

1. Improved productivity
   Certified ServiceNow professionals are 38% more productive overall, with this number rising to 80% for certified implementers. The IDC InfoBrief1 notes essential activities get completed more quickly and with fewer errors.
   
   It also highlights that those essential activities are more likely to conform to leading ServiceNow practices that accelerate user adoption, remove typical implementation barriers, and reduce the likelihood of project failure.

2. Greater contribution
   According to IDC, certified ServiceNow professionals are prepared to make the most of the Now Platform and contribute to their organization’s success. For example, certified implementers typically have worked on 80% more projects in their career and are 80% more likely to include a knowledge transfer step when completing a project.
   
   IDC also notes that because certified staff are more efficient when performing essential activities, they have more time and energy to drive improvements rather than maintaining systems.

3. Smarter working
   Certified ServiceNow professionals leverage their skills to help organizations get control over IT costs, scale support more easily, and deliver superior experiences. For instance, certified administrators are 58% less likely to escalate ServiceNow incidents due to a lack of knowledge, and certified developers are 40% more likely to use the ServiceNow Automated Test Framework.

4. Increased professional influence
   Certified individuals maximize their influence on how their organization performs, carrying out high-value tasks and taking on responsibilities beyond their official role. For instance, certified developers are 30% more influential than their noncertified counterparts. Certified implementers are 70% more likely to have brokered communication between executive stakeholders.

5. Loyalty
   ServiceNow-certified professionals typically stay in their role 25% longer. IDC notes certified individuals are more satisfied due to their role, recognition, and responsibilities. IDC says that in an era where IT professionals move quickly from employer to employer, retaining this expertise avoids the need to replace well-trained, experienced employees and allows them to leverage that expertise to expand ServiceNow into other solution areas.
   
   

Individual benefits of ServiceNow certification

The IDC InfoBrief² also highlights the benefits for individual ServiceNow professionals. In addition to greater contribution, increased professional influence, and enhanced job satisfaction noted above, certified ServiceNow professionals benefit from:

• Enhanced career prospects: 69% of certified survey respondents said ServiceNow certification has made a positive difference in their career.

• Faster promotion: Overall, ServiceNow certification accelerated promotion by three to 12 months for certified survey respondents, with 23% saying ServiceNow certification helped them get a promotion.

• Increased pay: 31% of all certified respondents said ServiceNow certification has impacted their salary. Of those who were sure certification helped, ServiceNow certification increased total compensation by an average of 23%.

IDC summarizes the benefits of certification: “High-performing IT organizations need high-performing IT professionals. There is simply no replacement for people with the right skills.” IDC further states IT organizations should leverage ServiceNow certification for the IT professionals who administer, develop, and implement ServiceNow solutions.

Learn more in the full IDC InfoBriefs on the benefits of ServiceNow certification for organizations, and for individual ServiceNow professionals.

¹ IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by ServiceNow, The Value of ServiceNow certification to the IT organization, #US47917121, August 2021

² IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by ServiceNow, The Value of ServiceNow certification to your career, #US47917021, August 2021

© 2021 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved. ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.