An exclusive interview with Jayney Howson, SVP of global learning and development at ServiceNow
How do you expect AI—especially agentic AI—to transform the workforce over the next three to four years?
We expect it to transform work significantly. All the data tells us it’s going to change the workforce to an extreme degree, at very high levels. We already knew that generative AI was making a big impact, and now agentic AI is accelerating that.
I don’t have all the data in front of me right now, but we’ll make sure to share it. We did a recent report with Pearson—we do it annually—so we can track how generative AI has been changing roles. And now, with the addition of agentic AI, that impact has increased even more.
Essentially, what the report shows—especially within tech—is that pretty much no job will go untouched. We’re seeing around 90% of individuals needing to reskill by 2030. And about 38% of roles will undergo such fundamental shifts in core skills that the jobs themselves will change within the next five years—if not sooner.
But what the data also tells us is this: while the disruption is significant, jobs are continuing to grow. A common concern is that AI will reduce the number of jobs, but actually, the data suggests the opposite—job numbers will increase. We’re already seeing that growth, particularly in regions like the UAE and India.
So which roles—technical or non-technical—do you think are most vulnerable to this transformation?
We try to frame this in terms of opportunity, but if we’re looking at where the biggest shifts will happen, it’s definitely in technical roles. There’s a big need for upskilling in those areas, particularly with the arrival of agentic AI.
Any roles involving high levels of repetition or process—like contact centers or support centers—are seeing significant changes. These are the kinds of jobs that generative and now agentic AI can impact most immediately.
Tell us a bit about ServiceNow University. You’re aiming to reach 3 million learners in three years. Is it completely free?
Yes, it’s completely free. ServiceNow University isn’t entirely new—we unveiled the new brand and promise at Knowledge [our event], but we’ve had “Now Learning” before that. We already have over a million learners, and hundreds of thousands have earned certifications. Think of it like a funnel: the most advanced learners are those who are certified.
Our goal is to keep growing the ecosystem to meet the rapid expansion of the ServiceNow platform. Without that, we can’t unlock the full power of what we offer. So ServiceNow University’s purpose is to provide free, on-demand learning—to completely democratize access.
We’re focused on a few key audiences. First, people already using the platform—we want to keep them current on releases and help them stay hands-on. Second, people from technical backgrounds who may not yet be familiar with the ServiceNow ecosystem. And third, people from non-technical backgrounds—we need them too, to scale the ecosystem. Our curriculum supports all of these paths.
You could be in a less technical role, like a system admin, or aiming to become an architect. Someone with a basic tech background could move up through our courses and transition into these higher-level roles.
And this is all personalized learning, right?
Yes—it’s all powered by AI and built on the Now Platform. We use millions of data points, both from the individual and from the broader ecosystem. When someone joins, they tell us about their background and goals. Then we learn from their activity—what courses they take, how they interact—and recommend content accordingly.
Do you support people who are looking to pursue a career in AI, as opposed to just upskilling in their current roles?
100%, yes. Our curriculum is very much platform-focused—we stay true to the ServiceNow ecosystem. It’s designed to help people be successful with ServiceNow, but we also address adjacent and transferable skills.
So, it’s not just about technical data or platform-specific content. For example, we also focus on topics like how to drive transformation with AI. We’re running several AI Learning Days that go beyond just self-guided learning. While ServiceNow University is the core learning platform, we also offer a full range of experiences around it—including internal programs and external events.
In fact, we have over 10,000 people registered for upcoming AI Learning Days, which cover broader skills around AI transformation, not just technical ones.
How does this align with your RiseUp initiative, especially for the underrepresented community?
RiseUp is powered by ServiceNow University, and it’s at the heart of our community programs. While RiseUp includes more than just education, learning is a core component. All RiseUp participants access the ServiceNow University platform, and their certifications are issued through it. So, ServiceNow University plays a key role, serving a small but very important segment of our overall audience.
How should HR or L&D leaders incorporate ServiceNow University into their employee development strategies?
That’s a great question. There are a couple of key ways. Of course, leaders can use the curriculum directly—it’s free to access and can be integrated however it suits their organization. But they can also learn from our approach, and we’re more than happy to share our playbook on how we train individuals.
From a learning professional’s perspective, there are two important takeaways:
Relevance is everything. Courses must be topical and timely. Our agentic AI courses are currently the most popular on the platform—it’s clearly a rising area of interest, and learners are eager to dive in.
Microlearning works. Our course format has evolved from 30-minute sessions to shorter modules—typically around 8–15 minutes. We’ve seen the average time spent per session drop, but total course consumption continues to grow. This reinforces that learners prefer bite-sized, flexible content.
So, HR and L&D teams can benefit both from the content itself and from adopting some of the strategies we’ve used to keep learning accessible, engaging, and scalable.
