4．Hitozukuri: A Global Focus In Good Times and Bad

Ana Barbosa, General Manager at DENSO Mexico’s (DNMX) Apodaca plant, says DENSO Mexico grows its talented workforce by putting a strong emphasis on training and mentorship of new associates, a concept better known as "Hitozukuri" (continuous human development) in DENSO´s culture.

And she’s a prime example of how that works.
According to Barbosa, “one of the key projects is ‘World Skills’, which is similar to a full-time internship to learn basic knowledge, while offering opportunities that newly employed workers never dreamed of having. For example, they can go to Japan and Thailand to further develop their skills with close mentoring from former World Skills competitors who were gold medalists. They compete to prove their skill level internationally, and when they come back, they have completely changed.” 

“It’s our way of investing in future talent. More than 90% of our leaders are developed internally. In testimonies I have heard, they say DENSO not only has made a positive impact on their outlook regarding ‘work’, but also on their outlook on the world. They see how DENSO is making a positive impact by investing resources in the geographic areas where we operate,” she said. 

She said that 16 years ago, when she started work at DENSO as a specialist, “I was very young, in my early 20s, and I didn’t know if I would like this structure, or the challenges put in front of me. But with time, I fell in love with DENSO’s culture, and now I understand and embrace the value of continuous challenges, logic and discipline that was so important to the various Japanese leaders I had early in my career.” 

“During these years, I had leaders who were very good at coaching and mentoring, and they taught me a lot about high-level management. I learned by watching them and listening to the reasoning behind their decisions and actions. Most importantly, they taught me the value of trust, which is one of my core philosophies now as a leader,” Barbosa said. 

That type of leadership appealed to her, and she says it worked well when Mexico faced challenges throughout the years, such as economic downturns and even COVID-19. 

“I was on the HR side when we were helping people cope through these crisis events. In Mexico, in general, some companies were closing and laying off employees, but DENSO never did. Yes, we tried to cope using measures to compensate for the cost impact, such as stopping the use of air conditioning or eliminating any unnecessary cost, but everyone was very committed to keeping the work going,” she said. 

Barbosa said during the COVID-19 pandemic that commitment paid off when DNMX prioritized associates’ wellbeing by paying their salaries during the regional government shutdown, and then recovering that working time after the crisis. “DENSO management’s attitude was clear: we must protect our people and keep associates safe. And in turn, when they came back, our associates were very, very committed to their jobs,” she explained. 

She said the company’s attitude toward its workforce is nothing short of empowering, “partly because it inspires associates to give more to society, while having peace of mind when doing your job.
“That’s the DENSO way.”