ServiceNow: employees move forward to help in the wake of the flooding in Germany

In July 2021, Germany experienced some of the worst flooding ever. Areas in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate states were hit by 148 liters of rain in 48 hours, The Guardian reported. The normal rainfall in July for the area is 80 liters.

The narrow Ahr Valley region was hit hard. With few exit points, flood waters in the district rose rapidly, reaching a height of 9 meters in some areas. The size and speed of the flooding was enormous. The rising tide has disrupted siren systems, the internet, and other equipment, making it difficult to notify those at risk and send help.

“It was like a war without bombs and troops. So many were destroyed — streets, motorways, supermarkets, everything was completely flooded. Some families lost everything, including their homes,” Jens said. K., a senior advisory solution consultant at ServiceNow and a resident of another area hit by the floods. “The areas that were hardest hit were completely destroyed.”

Jens is one of the luckier people. His home was just 400 meters from the devastation — rescued by a local dam. Because of his proximity to the scene, Jens accompanied many others on a first wave of assistance. They pumped water, brought supplies to those affected, and rescued documents from the floodwaters.

“It’s very different on earth to what you see on TV,” he said. “There’s a frightening smell in the air. You can see the look in people’s eyes when it’s all gone. It’s inexplicable.”

Taking action

Many of Jens ’colleagues at ServiceNow wanted to help. Markus M., senior principal success architect and culture leader for Germany at ServiceNow, lives an hour southwest of the flood zone. “I saw it on TV. It was like a bulldozer that broke down. We quickly issued an appeal for donations and put together a video for our teams in Central Europe to give them an idea of ​​the destruction.”

Some team members wanted to travel to the affected areas to help. It was too difficult due to urgent circumstances. “We have made a conscious decision not to rush straight to the Ahr Valley but to be part of the second wave of assistants,” explains Andreas W., head of solution consulting for Central Europe.

“The first devastation in a disaster area is not suitable for a large influx of people. Services are stretched, infrastructure is in capacity, etc. We want to wait until the structures are more organized so we can make sure. that our assistance is as effective as possible and does not impede appropriate emergency services. “

From keyboards to hammer drills

Over the next four weeks, the ServiceNow team coordinated across Germany via instant messaging to develop a solid plan. “Initially, we created a small group just to share information,” said Anett P., a business process consultant. “But very quickly, we’re all discussing how we as individuals can help personally.”

The group was divided into specific teams based on their ability to travel to the affected areas. The hard, manual labor they did on the ground was a world away from their usual ServiceNow responsibilities.

“A lot of people in the area use oil heating. When that oil escapes and mixes with water, it’s very dangerous. We work to clean all of that and safely remove the risk. So, there we are, hammer drills on hand, for eight hours a day, blasting the rubble. It’s a bit different from my day-to-day work, “explains Mathias B., a technical consultant.

The optimism of those affected in the flood areas motivated the team. “Despite everything that happened, many of the locals maintained a positive attitude throughout the trip. I spoke with a couple who recently bought a hotel that was almost completely destroyed by the floods. They lost everything, but they still kept their sense of humor. I found that wonderful, “Mathias said.

“It’s like COVID didn’t get us, and neither can these floods get us,” Jens added about the feeling he had on the ground. “Despite everything that has happened, this is a second chance for us, a chance to start again.”

Time voluntarily paid by the company

Mathias joined because it was the right thing to do. “A lot of people want to help, but they don’t have the time,” he said. “ServiceNow gives us 20 hours to devote to volunteer work of our choice, so it was a no-brainer. As for the motivation, well, just people. When Markus and Jens show the videos of the situation and I got a sense of the flood force, I just want to help. ”

Andreas felt the same way. “The kind of damage we saw is not something you can fix with just a few euros. Donations are very important, but at the end of the day, you still need people to go and get their hands dirty. Then of all, we can ‘just expect someone else to do it. We recognized that and we wanted to go in there and help. ”

The ServiceNow HR portal has made it easy for employees in the area, like Jens, to do more. “I was able to flag in our HR tool that I was based in the region, and, as a result, claimed an extra two or three days to help,” he explains.

ServiceNow also helped cover additional costs and material needs. “For every hour we donate, we get $ 10 to invest in donations to help people on the ground. As for our travel expenses, accommodation costs, it’s all covered. There’s nothing questions that the business will ensure that, ”Markus adds.

[Get paid volunteer time. Explore ServiceNow careers.]

People power

Reflecting on the experience, Anett said, “Many of us assume that people are not helpful and that they are not willing to give their time or their resources to help others. But what I have seen is that everyone is willing help. Not one has despaired. It really showed me how powerful the power of people is. ”

Markus agreed. “It’s easy nowadays to focus on horror stories because it gets attention. But I’m optimistic. Hundreds of people are helping and it’s been every day since these floods happened. We’ve all seen all the banners on along the motorway grateful. volunteers in the flood zone. And we all felt the positive energy from those in the affected area. It was all appreciated. It was a really fun experience. ”

We are proud of our team members and their volunteer efforts. The crisis in the Ahr Valley — and elsewhere — is not over. Visit www.helfer-shuttle.de to see how you can help those affected in the region. Every act, from donating to buying local wine, makes a difference.

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