For Women’s History Month, Toyota is happy to rejoice 4 inspiring girls who work in numerous roles inside the firm. From upkeep to expertise acquisition positions, these girls share what it means to be a girl working at Toyota.
In Good Company
For Amanda Young, environmental engineer at Toyota Motor Manufacturing West Virginia (TMMWV), life at Toyota has been nice because of her friends and optimistic community.
“My experience is that women at Toyota are extremely supportive of each other,” she says. “I was nominated to attend a women’s conference last year and met some amazing women who are still my friends to this day. We want to see each other succeed and be role models for others.”
Young, who’s labored at TMMWV since 2021, says no two days are alike and that’s how she likes it.
“My team and I are working every day to make sure Toyota West Virginia is always in compliance and meeting our goals,” she stated. “We physically inspect equipment, write reports, and mitigate any issues as they arise. I’m also part of the Region 1 team that assists non-manufacturing sites with their environmental compliance. This requires physically traveling to their sites to support them through audits as well as supporting [them] remotely.”
Young additionally works with the sustainability workforce via the biodiversity working group. Her duties throughout Toyota North America (TNA) embrace defending native species and serving to construct native habitat.
Young says she knew only a few girls within the business the place she beforehand labored. However, when she got here to Toyota and attended her first Wildlife Habitat Council convention, she was pleasantly stunned.
“My entire table was women from Toyota, and they were all environmental engineers,” she says. “It made me so proud to sit among such a group of smart, supportive, innovative women. These women inspire me to be better and work harder. Women who are innovative are crucial to the future of any company.”
When Colleagues Become Family
Candice Nash, a Toyota D+I advisor based mostly in Plano, has labored on the firm for the previous 20 years. The key to her longevity? Doing what she loves.
“I have the honor and pleasure of turning my passion into a paycheck in my current role,” she says. “I collaborate with senior leaders of Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) to design and execute customized diversity and inclusion strategies.”
Nash says that her work provides her pleasure. It’s the objective of the D+I workforce to foster an surroundings the place all staff might be their genuine selves and be celebrated for who they’re.
“It makes me happy to have the privilege to be a part of something so special,” she says.
Cultivating a way of belonging is a driving pressure for Nash. She nurtures and gives staff with assist, consideration, and care — an embodiment of Toyota’s Mendomi strategy, which suggests caring for employees like they’re household.
“I’ve made many invaluable relationships over the years,” she says. “Many of those who have gone on to their next chapter — retirement — keep in touch and still visit each other. I’m grateful for the power of connecting with people and making lifelong friends at work who’ve become family.”
Nash holds these sturdy bonds and rules near coronary heart. The former East Coast resident shares her success with those that instilled these values in her from the start: her household.
“I’ve been blessed to share this journey with my roomies, also known as my parents,” she says. “I built a Next Gen home for them. My parents and my Nana moved here from New Jersey. We haven’t looked back and thoroughly enjoy our new home here, where the stars at night are big and bright!”
Be Confident in Your Own Lane
Surprisingly for Kayla Ledbetter, a workforce chief in upkeep at Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Alabama (TMMAL), working in a male-dominated business hasn’t been too tough.
“I personally have not faced too many issues,” she says. “I enjoy empowering other females and answering questions about how they could get in this field as well.”
She believes girls have a lot to supply in STEM areas.
“Women are usually detail-oriented and observant,” she says. “It’s also important to break stereotypes and show that women can do just about anything they set their minds to.”
Ledbetter is proof of that. She’s a professional at fixing issues and even constructed a truck when she was simply 14.
The daughter of a mechanic, she grew up observing the ins and outs of automobiles.
“I love working on vehicles in my spare time,” she says. “My most prized possession is a 1982 Toyota pickup I restored myself.”
Ledbetter, who’s labored at TMMAL for greater than two years, is grateful that her day-to-day work life is in a pleasant surroundings that’s supportive.
“My job is so rewarding, and I’m happy I can work for a company that allows me to succeed,” she says.
She encourages different girls to pursue positions that meet their skilled requirements and align with their passions no matter exterior perceptions.
“Don’t be afraid to go for what you want, no matter the opinion of others,” she says. “Your happiness is all that matters. Prove it to yourself, and don’t let anything stop you from achieving your goals.”
Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders
When it involves bringing in Toyota’s new crop of expertise, Sherry McCaskill is on the entrance strains. As the HR Talent Acquisition supervisor, College Programs, Diversity & Employment Branding at TMNA, she’s the primary entry level for a lot of searching for a profession on the firm.
“My team and I are responsible for attracting and recruiting great diverse talent, and mentoring the next generation of talent at Toyota,” she says. “We recruit, source, manage and hire over 500 interns/co-ops and trainees across North America.”
She additionally oversees the corporate’s multi-year acquisition technique, which faucets into sturdy group partnerships and leverages Toyota’s exterior social media technique to attach and appeal to the perfect and most numerous expertise.
“Because Talent Acquisition touches every business unit across North America, producing happiness is key to my role,” she says. “We need the right talent in the pipeline to meet our current and future needs — people who are engaged, skilled and ready to help support Toyota’s mobility vision. In my role, that means finding incredible talent and then helping them connect to purposeful and meaningful work across Toyota.”
Identifying future leaders after which inserting them on a path that aligns with their very own profession targets is one factor, however making certain their contentment and success is one other — it’s what makes McCaskill’s position so gratifying and significant.
“Happiness is a given if our team members are connected, heard, engaged and purposed,” says McCaskill, who’s had a number of roles throughout her 23 years at Toyota. “Team members are the heart and the soul of the organization. Without them, we can’t function in unity or bring about innovative change.”
In addition to main her workforce, she’s additionally a proud member of enterprise partnering teams (BPGs) like African American Collaborative (AAC) and Women Influencing and Impacting Toyota (WIIT).
“I enjoy collaborating when I can,” she says. “Our people are what I like about working for Toyota — that and the fact that Toyota’s philosophies are in our DNA. During my time with Toyota, I’ve built and nurtured some great relationships across the enterprise. I feel fortunate to have been given many wonderful opportunities to develop and grow, professionally and personally.”