Sayaka Yoshizu
(joined in 2005)
Group Manager,
Platform System Development Group2,
Data Intelligence Platform Innovation Dept.,
InfoTech Div.
Realizing a work-life balance naturally
Career is not affected by private life
Creating a career path that includes maternity and childcare leave
The appeal of working at Toyota is that I feel the work is not only rewarding but the company also offers a diverse working style. The attitude toward taking days off is positive. To work in a flex-time system and work from home is not seen as something 'special.' When returning to work after taking maternity or childcare leave, it is possible to both work from home and work shorter hours. There are also male engineers that take childcare leave.
In my case, when I returned to work after taking around a year off for childcare leave, I go to the office about two or three times a week. Because I can organize my schedule including taking care of my child as one task, this allows me to undertake both my private and work life. In addition, after returning from leave, I became a group leader, and was delegated with the task of managing projects and team members. My career path was not impeded.
Flat Organization
I was away from daily duties for a year due to my maternity and childcare leave, but I was glad that I was able to return to work smoothly. I was worried about the technical blank due to my leave but thanks in part to the support from my team members, I did not feel as if there was any blank. Inside the company, there are vertical and horizontal relationships between departments. However, this is almost non-existent owing to the friendly atmosphere, similar to being in a university lab. The number of women in my workplace is still limited but it is easy to communicate with others so I feel comfortable.
All projects are linked to the near future
I originally wanted to be involved in system development. I picked Toyota because I especially wanted to be involved with a product with which I have an affinity. When I joined the company, Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) were in the early stages of development. Following this, I had the opportunity to participate in R&D in various fields, including AI and Human Machine Interface (HMI). I was not that well-versed in automobiles to start with but it was an area I was deeply interested in, when envisaging the background necessitating these systems and a world in which they are implemented. Recently, there has been an increase in opportunities to conduct joint research with other companies. In light of this, I have gained more inspiration and also strongly aspired to grow as an engineer. However, with regards to maintaining a balance with work and outside, I feel Toyota is a great company to work, as it does not require me to sacrifice my private life.