CDW’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion goes deep, and it dates back to our founding roots. This commitment has evolved from our core values – shaping who we are, and how we work, grow and do business.
In the wake of the past few years, we’ve all experienced significant changes in our everyday professional and personal lives. As we navigated what often felt like turbulent and ever-changing seas from the pandemic, to supporting one another in the face of complex and painful conversations on racial and social justice issues, to the myriad shifts in how we work, live and engage with the world, we’ve weathered several storms. But, as we emerge, reflect and glance towards the horizon to steady ourselves, we know that DEI efforts remain as relevant and important as ever in charting the next course; one we hope is routed through steadier waters, but likely won’t be without its own unique set of opportunities and challenges.
To remain true to our commitments as we plan for an even bolder and brighter tomorrow, DEI must continue to permeate throughout and grow and flourish in meaningful ways across all aspects of our business including how we engage with and develop current coworkers, attract new talent, and support and collaborate with our customers, partners and our communities. We must be intentional in applying learnings, align internally for maximum impact and continue to make purposeful change and progress.
Deliberate and Focused
Throughout the past year, my team and I sought to be deliberate and focused in our actions and approach. One such example is our recent work collaborating with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), along with support from our technology partner community and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, to help foster digital equity and forge new pathways for diverse students towards careers and leadership opportunities in the technology industry. During the summer of 2022, we welcomed our inaugural group of sixteen CDW Legacy Excellence fellows from four different HBCUs as they joined us in Chicago for a 10-week internship and development program in various roles across CDW. The fellowship experience is one component of the program’s overall strategy which is intended to support HBCUs by investing in technology, scholarships, experiences and education. We shared with these talented and bright students that as the name of the program implies, the goal is for all program participants to be able to envision, build and grow their careers with the potential to become the next generation of coworkers and ultimately leaders in technology.
Bringing people together
In addition to our HBCU program, we’ve also continued to focus on taking actions to support DEI broadly: refining long-term plans to increase diverse representation, continuing town hall forums for listening, sharing and celebrating the voices of our coworkers, conducting leadership training and development education and an enhanced and consistent cadence of communications. We also looked to better equip leaders in the organization by providing resources and conversation guides on how to support and engage their coworkers during difficult conversations related to societal issues. CDW is also fortunate to have mature, highly active Business Resource Groups, and their accomplishments are truly inspiring.
An inclusive environment tends to produce the best ideas. That’s no surprise; when people feel free to share unique ways of looking at problems, it leads to richer collaboration and more innovative thinking. People working together to bring technology to life for our customers. That’s what makes it a pleasure to come to work every day. That experience, for everyone, is what inclusion feels like. I genuinely believe our success, both personally and professionally, depends on IT.
