I actually look forward to going to work every single day at Trek. This is true even on days when I know I'll have a busy schedule and on days when I know I'll have to hold high priority, potentially difficult meetings. Trek is full of wonderful people who work hard, play hard, and support each other every single day.
I have felt respected by everyone since day 1, even though most people are older and more experienced than I. My team functions as a true team, and so does every other team with which I've worked so far. No one tries to one up each other, though there are merit based bonuses. This was not the case at the company where I worked right after college - I received a bonus, but people would cut others down in order to obtain higher rankings. Trek is not like that at all. Trek is a family, and the President even refers to employees as his family. People are very smart, fun, helpful, and kind.
HR is amazing. I never thought I'd say that about any company's HR - it's like saying you have an amazing landlord when a friend asks you how you like your apartment...it just doesn't happen too often. HR truly cares about Trek employees and constantly asks for feedback. When I started, they announced a newer, more robust vacation policy. It was enacted based on employee feedback - things like adding the day before and after Christmas, and the Friday after Thanksgiving as vacation days. This is in addition to many other holidays and "floating holidays." HR does a lot more than I just explained, but I don't want to go on forever!
My team is extremely intelligent AND calm. I really appreciate the composure engineers and others have when dealing with issues - it is a lot easier to work with calm, composed folks, as opposed to reactive folks. My role works with a lot of different teams - from Apparel to Forecasting. Everyone is very logical. Perhaps most noticeable to me is that people at Trek are good listeners - even in every day life, I encounter people who don't attempt to listen or fail to listen b/c they are so intently focusing on the next thing they're about to say. People at Trek listen when others talk, and they take the time to think before they speak. That, to me, is huge. Trek especially listens to its customers. SO many of our decisions are made to benefit the customers. As someone who grew up in a family that bought mostly Trek bikes, the care for customers makes me very happy.
Work/life balance is very important to Trek - my manager and pseudo-manager have often encouraged my team to partake in fun, onsite events (free food, beer, and of course, cycling) :) A nice thing about this culture is that it is not pushy and not everyone here is a biker. Some people come to Trek having never or rarely biked, and still enjoy it. That said, many people end up biking more after working at Trek. Regarding drinking - I barely drink but I feel very comfortable around everyone at Trek-sponsored events with alcohol. I don't feel pressured at all and people drink responsibly.
Trek incentivises carpooling and biking to work - up to $4/day for biking and $1 per person in each carpool. It's not much, but it speaks to the company's interest in sustainability, which is also evident in the building materials being used to build an extension.
My desk area is super aesthetically pleasing. It is pretty cool - I work at a desk (not a cubicle) in a lofty area with plenty of space and cabinets...handy for workout clothes. On that note, I enjoy the fact that Trek has a few free fitness classes every day - from indoor cycling to core workouts, yoga, and weight lifting. Many employees take 30+ minutes each day to workout inside, or to go out on Trek's private trails. The classes not only exist, but my boss has encouraged me to take advantage of them. It is one thing for perks to exist at a company; it is another for managers to encourage employees to take time out of the day to utilize them. Speaking of my boss - he is transparent, helpful, has a sense of humor and great ideas. I am so thankful to have a boss who I trust and can learn from.
As a Trek employee, I have access to discounts on Trek products, Trek-owned brands (Bontrager, Electra, etc), and a range of other fun brands (Patagonia, Prana, The North Face, etc). Let's just say I got my entire family snazzy SmartWool socks for Christmas...at a decent discount. I also receive a big reimbursement on fitness, acupuncture, etc via Trek's wellness program.
Trek is a fantastic place to work - I am so happy here. I am not originally from WI and for several years, I thought I'd probably leave WI to move back to my home state, closer to family. I love my family, but Trek is so great...it would be difficult to leave at this point!
