Hartford Business Journal

24 Hartford Business Journal • February 20, 2017 www.HartfordBusiness.com CDW-G 's benefits aim to earn employee loyalty CT Headquarters: Shelton Industry: Technology Website: www.cdwg.com Twitter: @CDWCorp Top CT Executive: Tara Barbieri, Director of Program Sales By Karen Sackowitz Special to the Hartford Business Journal T here's promoting family-focused ben- efits of a company, and then there's celebrating the real-life moments those benefits make possible. At CDW-G, a global technology services company with an office in Shelton, staffers are provided a multitude of benefits, including paid paternity leave and adoption assistance. When one employee took advantage of the latter, it was much more than a paperwork transaction. "We had an employee who traveled a very long distance to adopt a child internationally," says Tara Barbieri, director of program sales. "When our CDW Life — a periodical mailed to employees' homes — came out, they ran a feature on it. The company was reminding staffers that the support was there, while cel- ebrating that family's moment." CDW-G provides technology services for businesses, gov- ernment, education and healthcare orga- nizations all over the United States, Canada and the United King- dom. Founded in 1984, the company employs more than 8,700 people. Despite tre- mendous growth, the company consistently rewards its staff. "In 2003, when the company was part of a merger, they took everyone who had current employee agreements, and grandfathered in all tenure," Barbieri says. "As a result, I'm on the record as a 21-year employee. At my 20-year mark I was given a 2-week sabbatical." Barbieri adds that it's both the overarch- ing support and the smaller aspects of the company culture that strengthen that per- sonal connection. "At CDW, it's not called human resources, it's called coworker services," she says. "The idea is that there is a different attitude here. They're not here to manage people, but to serve coworkers in any way needed." Working from home is an option up to the discretion of each department. Sales team members can earn additional benefits like remote set up, linking hardwork with the reward of flexibility. Staying healthy is another priority, backed by access to low- cost fitness facilities. "Our company chose the Scinto Office Towers specifically because it has a local gym and a yoga studio," Barbieri says. "When CDW looks for space anywhere in the coun- try, access to fitness facilities is a priority." To further encourage healthy living, CDW-G employees are invited to take part in the global corporate challenge, a step- counting program in which teams try to walk "around the world" in 100 days. "The first year we did it, it was U.S. offices only. Now we have participants in the U.K. and all over," Barbieri says. "We had about 200 cowork- ers do it this past year. It's really catching on." Professional development is another focus area at CDW-G. Throughout each year, the company holds meetings as part of the talent review process. Management uses the time to discuss up-and-coming leaders, employees who should have exposure to another part of the business, and those to be nominated for the emerging leaders program. "Once in the program, employees are put on specific project teams, each led by a vice president, and given specific assignments toward end-of-year goals," explains Barbieri. "At the end of the year, they present their proj- ect to an executive committee. It's really an exciting and well-attended event." n L ARGE COMPANY CATEGORY Employee ownership gives Shawmut workers skin in game CT Headquarters: North Haven Industry: Construction Website: www.Shawmut.com Twitter: @Shawmut_Builds Top CT Executive: Ken Procino, Regional Director By Karen Sackowitz Special to the Hartford Business Journal E mployees of Shawmut Design & Con- struction in North Haven have good reason to name their company a best place to work. After all, they own it. In addition to yearly bonuses based on both performance and company profitability, and spot bonuses distributed to employees who go above and beyond, every staff member has an opportunity to be part of an employee stock ownership program (ESOP), which includes annual contributions of company shares to a personal-retirement account. That culture of ownership and forward thinking makes Shawmut a standout within the construction industry. Add to that the same level of high-value services for projects of any size — from renovations to ground-up construction — and you have a company whose own- er-employees are both loyal and driven. "Shawmut truly cares about our career path, encour- aging conversations around goals," says Jan Koch, a project manager for the com- pany. "You can talk about what you want right now to what you want to see sev- eral years out, even putting life factors into the mix, like — I see myself working at a certain job, I see myself moving to another state, that sort of thing." To further foster a worker-friendly environ- ment, the Shawmut flex program was intro- duced in early 2016 after a pilot program the previous year. Ken Procino, director of the com- pany's Connecticut office, says he developed the idea with three colleagues to address the unique needs of workers in the construction industry, where the combination of safety, deadlines, budgets and client demands can be stressful. "Employees are able to work with their managers to make personalized arrange- ments, whether it's working from home on a set schedule or being able to do it when needed," says Koch. "However they can achieve bal- ance while keeping projects in play." Other work-life policies include adhering to a "regular work hours only" policy when planning meetings and staff events. The company also brings services on-site to help employees with everything from stress man- agement to personal development. In terms of professional development, Shawmut offers CMST (Construction Management Skills Training), a rigorous 36-month program that allows recent college graduates to gain firsthand knowledge of dif- ferent elements of the construction business. "You do rotations in project management, estimating, site supervision — one year per specialty. Then you select a path," says Koch. "It gives you background on all areas so you have a thorough understanding of how it all works together." Shawmut also gives employees time dur- ing the year to volunteer. The group lends their expertise to organizations like the New England Home Recovery, a temporary residence for women and children trying to rebuild their lives. n Shawmut employees are shown volunteering. Employees lend their time to many charitable causes including New England Home Recovery and the Ronald McDonald House. # B ES T P LA C ES TO W O R K I N C T 2 S h a w m u t D e s i g n & C o n s t r u c t i o n # B ES T P LA C ES TO W O R K I N C T 3 C D W - G CDW-G employees attend the 2017 Best Places to Work in Connecticut event.

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