Will ServiceNow’s “layer reduction” actually mean fewer managers?
With the recent discussions around reducing organizational layers, flatter teams, and keeping headcount disciplined, I’m trying to understand what this means practically for the organization.
At the same time, we’re seeing leadership promotions while promotion opportunities for ICs seem much more limited.
For people currently working at ServiceNow:
- Does “layer reduction” mean some existing manager roles will actually be removed?
- Are teams expected to have fewer people managers / managers with larger teams?
- Is the intention to eliminate certain management layers, or mainly to reduce overall headcount?
- What does this mean for the typical IC → Senior IC → Staff/Principal → Manager career paths?
I’m particularly interested in understanding whether managers will still be a normal part of the org structure going forward, or whether ServiceNow is moving toward significantly more IC-heavy teams.
Would appreciate perspectives from people who have visibility into recent org changes/restructuring.