2021 in review: How our DPG helps cultivate our employee’s careers
March 08, 2022
There’s always room for growth and career development—and the Developing Professionals Group is here to help you do just that
The Stantec Developing Professionals Group (DPG) gives employees the chance to develop both technically and professionally by connecting our professionals with their peers and leadership and creating opportunities to really be part of our global organization. Our DPG plans events, meetings, and opportunities around the group’s four pillars. The pillars connect developing professionals to:
- Their peers
- Senior Leadership
- Development opportunities
- With our communities
The past few years have been tough with the ongoing pandemic, keeping us physically apart from one another. Understanding the importance of connectivity, creativity, and perseverance, the DPG has been moving forward virtually with educational webinars, career development opportunities, and workshops. In the below article, have a look at some of the many ways our DPG created virtual learning and growing opportunities for thousands of professionals across our global organization, helping them stay engaged and growing throughout 2021.
Personal Productivity series
The DPG kicked off the new year by leading a successful Personal Productivity series, where hundreds of our Stantec Developing Professionals (DPs) tuned in to learn how to maximize their efforts and bring their best selves forward, both at work and in their everyday lives.
During these workshop sessions, the DPG dove into the tools we use every day to teach participants how to take control of their productivity and accountability. Sessions included: Processing email and managing our calendar, driving team engagement through interactive meetings and efficient collaborating, and note taking, planning, and brainstorming. This initiative was geared at satisfying the need and want that many of us have to be more productive and efficient, and helped our employees take first steps.
“The Personal Productivity Series was a huge success in our region. These sessions provided our employees with knowledge to utilize the tools available to them to enhance their efficiency and productivity,” Megan Tonn, HSSE Advisor & DPG Lead for Atlantic Canada said. “This has been a great opportunity for employees to grow both personally and professionally. It’s wonderful that we have the knowledge and resources within Stantec to deliver these excellent programs to our staff.”
After such a successful turnout, the initiative was revived again in 2022 to build on the lessons learned and give our DPG greater tips and tools to support their productivity and accountability.
Untapping Potential series
The DPG launched a second virtual series, called Untapping Potential (UP!), which aimed to build our employee’s business acumen and offer new insights that could be applied both in professional and personal life. Lessons shared built off our corporate account management program and provided front end selling strategies, tactics, and equipped staff with sales responsibility. This DPG series also weaved in a focus on cultivating skills and broadening attendees’ potential in ways that could help employees build their professional toolkit to take the next step in their career.
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Let’s Talk Strategy
To help developing professionals see the bigger picture of what Stantec stands for, the DPG organized a global series where our C-Suite was invited in to share more about Stantec’s corporate strategy and inform attendees about what role they believed they could play towards it. The Let’s Talk Strategy webinar series was designed to show the direction Stantec is moving in and to hone in on each of our four value creators: people, innovation, excellence, and growth. Next to these, each session also highlighted top areas of focus within the company, such as our Inclusion & Diversity strategy, how we are investing in innovation, and where people can have their ideas heard. They also discussed how we refine our organization to be engaged with client and project work, and how we focus on growth initiatives with our clients, markets, business lines, and geographies.
“The Let’s Talk Strategy webinar series helped me better understand the motivations, passions, and direction of Stantec’s highest levels of leadership,” Reinaldo Soto-Santiago, Associate, Buildings Group & DPG Regional Lead for US Pacific said. “It’s a great way to learn about what’s possible for me and how I may craft a unique, yet meaningful career. These talks make me feel more connected to the company and that my contributions truly matter.”
Monthly call – North America
Finally, the DPG continues to organize a North America Monthly Call where developing professionals connect, share best practices, and learn about opportunities to advance their careers. Each session invites a senior Stantec geographical leader to share local news and events, which gives exposure to budding initiatives, and allows DPs across Canada and the United States to connect and take part.
“The North America calls series that I hosted for over a year acted as a bridge between the skills I had, and the ones I was working to develop.” Gustavo Cadar, Senior Graphic Designer, & DPG Regional Lead for Ontario, Canada said. “I did my best to use those sessions to connect our developing professionals to new opportunities, resources and initiatives that are available within Stantec.”
The meeting discussions highlight unconventional career streams, opportunities for professional growth, and valuable advice from other professionals advancing their own careers in Stantec.
Additional topics discussed on these calls include:
- Career paths
- Mentorship moments
- Internal and external networking
- Training
- Professional associations
- Opportunities for growth
- Mental health
- Anything that relates to the DPG four pillars or foundational elements
An employee-engagement recipe for success
Not only has the DPG kept up with the business end of developing professionals at Stantec, the group has also gotten together for more of a personal touch as well through online coffee chats, joining forces for volunteer opportunities, starting book clubs, and celebrating World Kindness Day—spreading our culture of appreciation.
This employee-led program has been making moves throughout the organization to be advocates for the development of our staff who are earlier in their careers, and our Stantec professionals continue to be better for it.
Learn more about Stantec’s Developing Professionals Group and how they’re improving the Stantec workplace.