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Cane Creek exists and excels because of its people. And those people make up the all important culture at the company. So what does it take to make sure we have the right people and those people have what they need to succeed? We sat down with our own Courtney Smith to find out just that.
Name, rank & serial number?
Courtney Smith, Director of People & Culture
How did you land at Cane Creek?
Persistence. My husband and I relocated to Asheville and I wanted to get a job in the outdoor/cycling industry. I just started searching companies in the area and luckily Cane Creek was hiring an HR Manager.
In a nutshell, what is a “Director of People & Culture?”
The Director of People & Culture serves as the liaison between the company and the employees. I make sure that the company is taking care of the employees and providing the best possible work environment for everyone here and likewise I make sure that the employees are taking care of the company. People are our most important asset. Cane Creek can’t function without our employees and most people need to work so I try to make sure that our employees enjoy their jobs and are helping to make Cane Creek as successful as possible.
“Culture” is not just a word thrown around at Cane Creek, is it? What makes culture such an important part of the company?
Culture is a flexible concept. Companies are constantly changing and adapting and so should the culture. As a company, we recognize and understand that so our culture is always adapting. We adapt to new trends, new passions, new benefits, new employees, new products, etc. etc. We are a company made up of 44 different personalities but we all share the same goal and similar interests so we use those similarities and common goals to build our culture. We want all of our employees to enjoy coming to work everyday so we strive to make sure that this is a place that people don’t mind coming back to on a Monday morning.
It also doesn’t hurt that everyone here is pretty passionate about what they do and the products that we make. With the right people, the culture just kind of falls into place.
How, in your role as Director of People & Culture, do you help maintain and foster that all important culture?
Our culture plays a role in the type of people that we hire and the people that we hire play a role in our culture. So it is important that when we add people to our team we are looking for people that already fit into our existing culture and will add value and help our culture continue to grow and evolve. I maintain and foster that culture by making sure that we have the best possible people here. Everything else, all of the “traditional” culture things are just fun enhancers. We have free coffee, an on-site gym, excellent benefits, competitive wages, generous time off policies, flexibility, lunch rides, on-site bike shop, pump track, industry discounts, dog-friendly, and much more!!!!!!
So this isn’t just some marketing department mumbo jumbo?
I assume most things the marketing department does equates to some kind of mumbo jumbo. That’s why I don’t answer to them. Except for this Q&A. But no, the people and culture here at Cane Creek goes way beyond any marketing slogan.
Speaking of the marketing department, what’s it like sharing an office wall with Cane Creek Marketing Coordinator Extraordinaire Andrew Slowey?
It’s like sharing a wall with a lost puppy. Sometimes he’s cute and sweet and other times he comes in dirty and lost. Most of the time he’s begging for food but at the end of the day somehow you always just want to pat him on the head and tell him that he’s a good boy.
