From BDR to Business Operations Leader
Last updated
3 min read
Miguel’s Journey We caught up with Miguel Sanchez recently to find a little bit more about him and his journey with Workhuman over the last 10 years from a BDR to Manager of Business Operations.
Hey there! I'm excited to share a little bit about myself with you. I’m the oldest of six children, so I guess you could say I’m pretty good at managing chaos and keeping things in order. I'm a huge sports enthusiast, especially when it comes to Boston sports. Fun fact: When I was five, I won five Red Sox tickets in a coloring contest from a grocery store! That was definitely one of my earliest victories. I married my childhood sweetheart and we now have two children together.
I made my way to Workhuman thanks to an ex-colleague who reached out to let me know about the incredible culture and the supportive environment urging me to apply. Finally, after two years of persistent “encouragement”, I finally grasped the significance of their message. The more I learned, the more I realized that Workhuman was a perfect fit. So, I made the leap, and it’s been one of the best decisions of my career.
I began my career in a Business Development Role and found it invigorating to navigate through the various challenges in the field. Over time, working with sales operations teams made me increasingly curious about the inner workings of the sales process and how to support sales professionals effectively. This curiosity had started during my stints at previous companies and blossomed at Workhuman. Despite being successful in my BDR role I found that my interests were elsewhere and I was looking for something that would stretch me and encourage me to learn more.
Workhuman is always a firm believer of promoting team members within the organization as well as encouraging internal mobility. I decided to approach my own manager about the possibility of making a career move to the Sales Operations team. We discussed a plan and I decided to use our own product, Conversations to contact people within the organization to give me feedback based on my skills and what I could do to work towards a career in Sales Operations.
Upon speaking to the Sales Operations manager, Jess Rose, my addition to the team was considered a major advantage. With her background in marketing, she understood their processes. Bringing me on board provided our team with insights into the BDR and sales processes. This became instrumental when creating new fields, automation, and sales strategies. As a result, when requests came in from that group, I could effectively explain their reasons.
Between meeting with Jess, as well as members of the HX team and my BDR manager, the support I received was instrumental in making this internal move happen and I am so grateful. It has marked a significant turning point in my career journey. Embracing the operations role has allowed me to leverage my skills in a new capacity and contribute to the organization's success. I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue my evolving interests and continue to grow professionally.
In my role now, I have taken on the responsibility for the bonus or compensation payout for the BDRs. Therefore, when they have questions, I can provide answers based on my experience and offer guidance. Additionally, I can help with territory management and lead assignment rules for the BDRs.
Transitioning from BDR to Business Operations has been a wonderful experience. The most fulfilling part of this switch has been seeing the positive impact of my work. Whether making changes, updates, troubleshooting, or resolving issues, knowing that it immediately benefits my colleagues and helps them carry out their tasks more smoothly is incredibly rewarding. If anyone in the organization is considering moving to a different department, my advice would be to start by having conversations with various people within the organization to explore your interests and see if your skills align with a different role. It may not happen right away, but the organization can support you in progressing towards your desired career path.
I’m excited for the future, while our company continues to help other organizations leverage the potential of their most valuable assets – their people. With this approach, we aim to assist companies in creating top-notch cultures, similar to the one we have at Workhuman that initially attracted me to this organization. I envision my team collaborating with department heads to expedite and streamline the market introduction of our products and innovations. The team actively engages in discussions with Marketing, Sales, Customer Success, and Finance to identify the most effective tools and processes for implementation within the organization, ensuring the continued success of our products and our clients.
For my team, this will involve integrating tools into Salesforce to enhance the quality of data provided. This could be achieved through reports, dashboards, and the use of AI. With access to such data, we can make better-informed decisions to support our sales team, and ultimately make an even bigger impact on organizations around the world.
Without our humans, it’s just work.Opens in a new tab
