New admins joining our team

[Edward Rosario]

What are the most effective methods for onboarding and training new ServiceNow admins to ensure they have a solid foundation of knowledge and skills?

[Amit Gujarathi]

HI @Edward Rosario ,
I trust you are doing great.

1. Orientation and Familiarization:

   • Begin by introducing new admins to the ServiceNow platform, its features, and its key components.
   • Provide an overview of ServiceNow's architecture and its various modules.
   • Familiarize them with the ServiceNow community and available resources like documentation, forums, and training materials.

2. Hands-On Training:

   • Offer practical, hands-on training sessions where new admins can interact with the platform.
   • Provide step-by-step guidance on common administrative tasks, such as creating and modifying forms, workflows, and reports.
   • Encourage them to explore different modules and functionalities, allowing them to gain practical experience.

3. Mentorship and Shadowing:

   • Assign a mentor or experienced ServiceNow admin to guide and support new admins during their initial period.
   • Encourage shadowing opportunities, where new admins can observe experienced admins in action and learn from their best practices.
   • Foster an environment where questions are welcomed and encourage regular knowledge-sharing sessions.

4. Certification Programs:

   • Encourage new admins to pursue ServiceNow certifications, which validate their expertise and understanding of the platform.
   • Provide resources and guidance to help them prepare for certification exams.
   • Recognize and reward their achievement upon successful completion of certifications.

5. Continuous Learning:

   • Emphasize the importance of continuous learning and staying updated with new ServiceNow features and releases.
   • Encourage admins to participate in webinars, workshops, and user groups to expand their knowledge.
   • Support their attendance at ServiceNow events and conferences to network with other professionals and gain insights.

[BiancaK]

Hi @Edward Rosario 

Thank you for your question. Onboarding and training a new ServiceNow admin is crucial. 

Speaking from experience my first recommendation would be to introduce the new ServiceNow admin to the team that he or she will join. Followed by introducing them to as many individuals within your organization.

A great method to ensure that the new ServiceNow admin is able to connect with fellow colleagues is to have a meet and greet session. At this session the new ServiceNow admins are able to meet current employees and are able to connect and quickly adapt and become familiar with the new work environment and new colleagues.  You could also have regular checkin sessions with the new ServiceNow admins, for example a weekly checkin session. It is also important to have a dedicated team or individual who is able to ensure these checkin sessions take place and that the new ServiceNow admins do not feel neglected and all on their own. 

Also very important is to pair up the new ServiceNow admins with a senior ServiceNow employee so that knowledge transfers can take place. Based on my own experience, yes it is great to do all the learning material that ServiceNow offers but is even better if you are able to work alongside someone that is senior. Start by giving the new ServiceNow admins small tasks on customer projects as this will reinforce all the theory that they are covering on NowLearning. Or else all the learning will be in vain and by the time the new ServiceNow admin receives actual tasks they would of forgotten most of the training that they have initially completed. 

In terms of training, ServiceNow has a System Administrator Career Journey that new System Admins can sign up to on NowLearning platform : https://nowlearning.servicenow.com/lxpid=journey_overview&journey_id=55f79b4a1b96add013f9a6c1b24bcb3...

Making use of the NowLearning platform is important and a good way to start becoming familiar with the ServiceNow Platform as there are lots of  basic / introductory courses all in one place. 

Hope the above is useful. 

Best of luck. 

[Edward Rosario]

Thanks Bianca,  I definately agree with pairing up the new ServiceNow admins with a senior ServiceNow employee as well as some of our Sr. Developers