Associate Spotlight on Tracey Wall: Transferring from Sales to HR

Tracey Wall

Human Resources Planning Lead

Transferred from Toyota Sales Department to North America Human Resources

It’s been just over one year since I made my internal transfer – it’s been a good and incredibly valuable experience for me. After spending 23 years in Sales, I was ready for a change; I wanted to find a new way to add value to DENSO. Since I had requested a change to another function, it took over a year to find something, but Sales and Corporate Function management were very supportive.

Though I was looking for a change, there was some fear in such a drastic transition. I was leaving a position where I was the go-to person for the customer. I knew the job and my value/contributions to the company. What exactly will I be doing in HR? What value would I be bringing to the new position and company now? How would I show my value/contributions quickly? There were a lot of questions – I wasn’t quite sure what I was signing up for.

But that’s when I remembered that I know DENSO and the values we all hold. Despite different divisions, plants or roles, we all have common, fundamental DENSO values and way of working. Yes, I had a lot of sales knowledge and contacts within DENSO throughout my career, but I realized this was not exclusive to the sales role – it would (and has been) helpful in my new planning role.

The HR team was great – they were very welcoming and showed me the ropes. But I’m a department of one, so I had to proactively insert myself into meetings and teams across NA. In my role I get exposure to many aspects of our business – I get to hear and understand the bigger picture and how executives discuss, consider and make decisions on various issues. I’ve appreciated this new insight into our company, it has given me new understanding about why and how things are done and ultimately, reinforced my respect for and dedication to DENSO.

My transfer has been an invaluable experience for me. I definitely miss the people in Toyota Sales and certain aspects of the job, but I’m enjoying my new department, have broadened my skill set and am contributing to the company in a new way. And as it turns out, my timing was great – joining HR right before a global pandemic, now THAT has been an incredible experience!

My Advice to You:

For those thinking of making a change, I have a couple pieces of advice:

• Don’t let fear or hesitation stop you – you will overcome it. I loved my sales department and team, but knew I was going into a department with good people. No matter where you go, there’s going to be people to support you and that you’ll enjoy working with.
• Don’t underestimate yourself. Just because you are in one function and will have to learn things in a new job, the DENSO fundamentals are the same.
• Do it for the right reasons.  Don’t look to make a major transition just because you’re not happy with one aspect of your job. Remember, the grass is not always greener – it is a different texture and shade of green.

Search for Open Internal Positions

• Go to densocareers.com
• Click “DENSO Employee”
• Login with your DSC-ID and Oracle Fusion password
• Search for open positions and apply!

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