Digital workflow company ServiceNow is to create 400 jobs at its Irish office, doubling its current staff numbers over the next three years to more than 800.
The new jobs will be primarily across digital sales, engineering, research and development, and are part of the company’s wider growth plan for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“We think that Ireland has really become the gateway to the European Union. There’s so many things that US companies gain from their relationship with Ireland, and what we think we can do to digitise business in Ireland is pretty dramatic,” said chief executive Bill McDermott. “That’s why we’re going to need the engineers, customer service people, sales people, we’re going to need the supporting functions to make sure the customers are happy. It’s an exciting time.”
ServiceNow offers a cloud-based platform for automating workflows, using a variety of different technologies that simplify how businesses work, making them more efficient. That includes using artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotic process automation. The company recently signed a partnership deal with Nvidia to develop generative AI tools for its business.
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Ireland is one of ServiceNow’s largest locations, opening in Dublin in 2018. In June last year, it signed a 12-year lease for four floors of a new development at 60 Dawson Street, giving it room to expand. That office is expected to open early next year, bringing a number of teams under one roof including global cloud services, technical support, global sales development and digital sales.
“Our flag is in Ireland and we have good executive leadership. We have lots of innovation going on here. Lots of customer service orientation going on here,” Mr McDermott said. “‘I’m really proud, especially with a name like McDermott, to have a flag in Ireland.”
The company has expanded significantly in Ireland in the past few years, and has not been hit by the job cuts that have plagued the tech sector.
ServiceNow will be hiring for roles at all levels, with a focus on early-in-career opportunities, and some of the new roles will offer hybrid working, where possible.
“We lean into a hybrid work environment, with a bias towards being together, especially in functions that are highly collaborative and highly innovative,” said Mr McDermott. “There’s no doubt in an innovation-led business people innovate better and work more collaboratively, when they’re in person. It’s just a fact. But you still have to recognise that you want to enable productivity to take place wherever the human is doing their work.”
The news of the expansion was welcomed by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, who described it as a massive endorsement of Irish talent and a boost to the tech sector. “Across the private and public sectors, we are embracing the power of technology to improve how we live and work. ServiceNow is committed to the making the world of work, work better for people,” he said. “I am proud to see so many Irish hands and minds helping bring that to fruition. The future is digital and we look forward to many jobs, opportunities and investments.”
