Caylin Bursch is a Process Improvement Manager for Schneider Electric’s Customer Care Center. She is a mechanical engineering graduate of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Caylin welcomes the idea of challenging the day-to-day way things are done. One of Schneider Electric’s leadership expectations is “dare to disrupt”, and since she has never really been afraid to upset the status quo, she likes the fact that this is one of the values Schneider Electric abides by and expects employees to pursue. "Daring to disrupt is about figuring out a more creative, effective way to do something and continually asking is there a better way to do this?" she adds.
Caylin shares how she has been empowered to move around and grow in different areas as much as possible throughout her career at Schneider Electric.
Seeing the potential
When Caylin first interviewed with Schneider Electric, the recruiter actually redirected her to another role based on the vision she had for herself in five years. They recommended her for a development program which seemed more in line with what she wanted to pursue. It seemed like a perfect fit and was aligned with her interests in energy efficiency and energy management.
Caylin is a person that likes to move around, try new things, and grow in different areas as much as possible. After graduating from the development program, she was eager to see where her future would take her. She was approached about a leadership role for one of the programs, which at the time wasn’t on her radar at all. The company saw in her the potential for a people management role, and her manager believed she was well-suited for the position. "He encouraged me to go for it, which was good, because I’m not sure I would have done that without him putting the idea in my head in the first place," she adds.
"That first leadership role allowed me to move up in the company, and as a result, I was coached as a brand-new leader on people management and leadership expectations. Since then, I have been able to move into different roles every year or two at Schneider Electric."
Continuously improving
Caylin is so grateful for the many paths and opportunities Schneider Electric places before employees for professional and personal growth, as well as for managers that recognize and value their potential.
A few years into her career, Caylin became interested in continuous improvement but had no relevant experience at the time. She mentioned this interest to her manager, and he helped her make the right connections to learn more and interview for a position in that area. "Based on my experience, skill set and background, I was hired for the job and it sparked a new passion for me," she adds.
Caylin became certified in continuous improvement, gained experience leading several projects, and now she's managing a continuous improvement team. She is responsible for ensuring her team is aligned with the overall strategy and are set up to successfully lead projects that will drive efficiency for the business while reducing complexity for customers.
Leaders helping others lead
Caylin believes it's nice to be able to explore different paths for your future, as there are so many possible directions a person's career can take. "The opportunities to do that here at Schneider are unique and so varied," she says. Whatever Caylin has wanted to do or has been interested in, she has been able to pursue. Just by bringing up an interest in a particular area or segment of the business to her different managers and mentors, she has been encouraged to explore and learn more about it. "They’ve connected me with the right people so I could further explore those avenues, and I believe that has been a key factor in my success in the company," she adds.
"I’ve had multiple mentors give me advice along the way, and I appreciate that they’re always there to help me navigate a path when I need it. In fact, it seems like everyone here wants to help you and goes out of their way to do it," Caylin explains.
Setting a higher bar
Caylin feels like the work she does every day is very meaningful. The problems she gets to solve daily are exciting and challenging, which keeps her days interesting. However, it’s the people she gets to work with that make her most excited about going to work every day.
"Schneider Electric is a great place to work. Their values are very much in line with my own, and I have such a deep appreciation for the culture and how we’re encouraged to look at new ways of working," she says. "I like that they are so open to change, always prioritizing new ideas and fresh perspectives while empowering us to be self-motivated. I also appreciate and am thankful for their strong leadership expectations. They believe in me, and it makes me rise up to what they know I can be. The company has such high standards, and because of that, we set high standards for ourselves."
"It’s not hard to exceed expectations when you’ve got that kind of support and belief behind you. Particularly when the company itself exceeds expectations at every turn."
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