At the core of this computer distributor's culture is "The CDW Way." The CDW Way places great value on treating all coworkers ( as employees are called) with respect, and describes the standard of behavior expected of all individuals.

As a company, CDW acts in ways that are consistent with these goals - for example, through its considerable investment in supporting coworkers' professional lives. Despite the downturn in the computer industry, their investment in employee training and development has recently increased. CDW University, the centerpiece of CDW's training program, provides five colleges covering general business, technical and sales training: including the College of Leadership, College of Sales, College of Knowledge Management, and College of Performance Excellence. All coworkers must complete a minimum amount of training each year, both in instructor-led and online classes. These training programs don't represent one-time events: for example, even after sales account managers participate in their 11-week College of Sales training, an expanded program continues to provide regular training for the following three years. It teaches advanced selling skills and also revisits important lessons on a just-in-time basis: at the time account managers are going to put these lessons to use.

Mandated courses in CDW University that support the CDW Way include "The Inclusion Workshop" and "Managing Inclusion" which teach coworkers and managers how to create a work environment where everyone feels included, respected, valued and challenged. Additionally, for the past four years, CDW has offered an English as a Second Language program in conjunction with a local community college, and offers it both to coworkers and their families. Providing such customized classes conveys a deep respect for the individual; needs of CDW's coworkers, and supports them both in and outside the workplace. In addition, CDW also offers Spanish as a Second Language classes, which several supervisors have taken so they may better communicate with their teams.

Training programs are also used to facilitate collaboration across departments. The College of Performance Excellence course "A Day in the Life" gives coworkers a forum to learn about the realities other departments face directly from their peers and gain a better understanding of how the company operates as a whole. As part of coworkers' professional development, CDW regularly creates Task Forces that are cross-functional teams of coworkers at all levels which address critical business issues. Coworkers meet on a regular basis over several months and then deliver their recommendations to the Executive Committee, which decides on implementing the plan of action.

To help coworkers make the most of their personal time, CDW offers time-saving benefits like an onsite childcare and fitness center, onsite dry cleaning, and bagels and doughnuts every Tuesday and Thursday morning. The company also offers a coworker assistance program, a free service available to coworkers and their families to provide counseling, support and information about topics ranging from apartment shopping or purchasing a car to finding elder care. Rather than pass on increased costs on to coworkers, the company absorbed a $1.4 million increase in health insurance premiums. In order to expand other benefits in tough economic times, CDW's benefits team solicits local businesses to offer discounts to coworkers, and this has resulted in a broad range of discounts in everything from home mortgages and car loans to beauty services and clothes.

Respect is not just a matter of perks here. CDW coworkers can point to countless examples of basic, human respect shown to each other. This example is modeled from the top as when John Edwardson shows his appreciation for people's hard work by writing personal notes to each peer-nominated Coworker of the Month; or when he shows solidarity with his staff by skipping the company golf outing to bring breakfast to and spend time with CDW's IT and finance team who worked through a weekend to update internal systems as the final step in a two-year process. It's the CDW Way.