Growing a Career: Development Made Real at Hilti

Written by the employer brand team in collaboration with Juan Godoy

Too often, starting a new role, especially with a new company, can mean figuring it out as you go. It can be a challenge daunting enough to hold people back from taking that next big career leap, shrinking the talent pool for companies and holding candidates back from earning their perfect roles.

To combat this, Hilti has made learning & development part of our DNA, a priority from day one. From the moment they join the company, team members are immersed in structured, hands-on programs that prepare them to succeed in the role they’re stepping into and well beyond.

For Juan Godoy, Hilti’s commitment to his development changed the course of his life.

“Before Hilti, I was a teacher and had no experience in sales at all. What attracted me was Hilti’s reputation as a company that invests heavily in training. During my interviews, I told them, ‘I’m passionate about learning — teach me, and I’ll become a true Hilti salesperson.’”

A Transformative Beginning: The WIN Program

Juan started his Hilti journey with the WIN Program, our flagship onboarding for sales team members. WIN is designed to take people from diverse professional backgrounds and give them the tools, knowledge, and mindset to succeed in sales.

“The program combined theory and practice… for me, everything was new — I absorbed it all,” Juan reflected.

For many new sales team members, including account managers, WIN is their first real glimpse of Hilti’s culture: intensive, supportive, and built to accelerate careers. It blends classroom sessions, product demonstrations, field exercises, and sales frameworks into an immersive experience that turns aspirational talent into confident, capable sales professionals.

Juan’s experience went beyond training. His assignment took him from Chile to Mexico — his first time traveling internationally. “It was my first time on a plane, my first hotel stay… every step was a milestone,” he says. WIN is designed to deliver exactly these transformative opportunities.

By the end of the program, Juan could confidently walk into a customer’s office, ask the right questions, and offer solutions that make a real difference.

“WIN introduced me to situational selling skills — what we call Triple S. Those tools gave me the confidence to face customers, deliver solutions, and see them respond positively. That was invaluable.”

Selling by Teaching

After completing WIN, Juan stepped into his account manager role with a fresh perspective. He approached sales as an opportunity to educate, drawing on his experience as a teacher to fuel much of his success.

“When I was with customers, I wasn’t just selling — I was teaching. I listened to their challenges and offered solutions in a way they could understand”

That approach not only helped him succeed with clients but also foreshadowed his career path with the company.

Continued Education: Part of Hilti’s DNA

“Be ready for constant learning. At Hilti, learning isn’t a phase — it’s part of our culture. You’ll always be growing, developing, and preparing for what’s next,” Juan says.

That ongoing education shows up in many forms:

• Hands-on product launches give employees deep training so they can confidently talk about new solutions with customers.
• Digital learning platforms offer on-demand courses to build skills at any pace.
• “Pit Stops” offer short, local workshops to help teams stay sharp and aligned with the latest sales techniques, customer needs, and product updates.
• Coaching and mentoring between leaders and peers play an active role in guiding careers, providing feedback, and helping employees apply what they’ve learned in real-world situations.

As Juan experienced firsthand, WIN is just the beginning. Development at Hilti is woven into every stage of a career, ensuring growth is continuous and tangible.

Advice for Advancing in a New Career

For those just starting out, Juan encourages leaning into the process and trusting the culture of growth that defines Hilti.

“Lower your guard, enjoy each stage, and embrace Hilti’s growth culture. We all have the ability to learn. If we approach each new experience with curiosity and joy, we can teach, achieve, and transform realities for ourselves and others.”

A Return to Passion: Becoming a Trainer

The impact of WIN inspired Juan to return — this time as an educator. After six years in sales, he became a regional training specialist, supporting colleagues across Chile, Peru, Colombia, and Argentina.

“From the moment I experienced my own WIN training, I knew I wanted to come back one day as a trainer. Everything I did as an account manager pointed toward that goal.”

Juan's role goes beyond product know-how. 

“Our team impacts the very heart of Hilti: our people. We don’t just provide technical training; we instill values and culture. That’s what engages employees, and when they’re engaged, customers feel it too.”

It’s this mix of technical knowledge and cultural connection that makes Hilti’s approach to development stand out. The training doesn’t just create standout account managers. It creates stronger, longer-lasting relationships between Hilti and its employees, and between our employees and our customers.

Development made real

Juan’s journey, from teacher to account manager to regional training specialist, is a testament to the power of intentional development. Programs like WIN lay the foundation to grow careers, transform potential into performance, and make a real impact every day.

At Hilti, development is made real: careers grow, people thrive, and opportunity turns into lasting impact. Juan’s story shows that when learning is made real at Hilti, lives are transformed and the results ripple far beyond the individual.