My Stantec Story: Sharon Bassom, building a collaborative team
March 04, 2022
Sharon, senior executive assistant, talks about how the culture at Stantec keeps her and her team involved and effective
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In the My Stantec Story series, our designers, engineers, marketers, project managers, and leaders come together to share how their career journeys at Stantec have shaped their lives and moved them closer to their goals.
Tell us about your role…
I lead an administration team of seven people supporting a number of directors based in Reading and Oxford alongside the South Community Business Development team.
What attracted you to a career at Stantec?
I had relocated to Reading and was looking for a new challenge when I came across the opportunity. I looked further into the Company and felt that it would be an exciting place to work… I was right, and I’m still here 16 years later.
What do you enjoy most about your role?
As my role is varied, no two days are the same. I enjoy helping others, whether it be a quick issue with Microsoft Word or a more challenging issue with large documents. The people who I work with also play an important part of the enjoyment of working at Stantec.
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How would you describe the culture at Stantec?
The culture of the company is based on its attitude, goals, values, and practices. Employees have the right attitude in their working environment, and they believe in the practices and the goals that the company is trying to achieve through the clients we work for.
How would you describe your team?
My team are all respectful of one another—they work well as a team and there is cross-working between all of them. We share our knowledge of the skills we have learnt over the years.
How has your personal and professional development been supported at Stantec?
I have attended many internal training sessions and I am a first aider and fire warden. I recently passed the Level 4 Qualification in Office and Administration Management, and I’m a fellow of the Institution of Administrative Management.
My team helps alleviate pressure from the technical teams by helping out with the admin tasks as much as we can. We’re always happy to help and no job is too big or small.
What has been your #StantecProud moment?
Being nominated and winning an Innovation Award for the creation of the Admin Forum. The group was set up for the Admin Team to be able to share knowledge and ask for help from the rest of the team around the UK offices, if and when needed. It’s brought the admin team closer together with more cross-working across offices.
What are your passions outside of work?
I try to keep fit and enjoy swimming, spin classes, and running. I love a challenge and have taken part in an Ultra White Collar Boxing event—I’ve also run many half marathons, including one in Las Vegas as well as the London Marathon in 2019.
Why should someone looking for a career in admin join the Stantec team?
The environment is friendly, everyone is happy to help, the work is varied, and there are great opportunities—no matter whether you’re part of a support functions team or a technical team.
At Stantec, we put people first, and for Sharon that means building a collaborative team locally and a professional network globally. If you want to find a role at Stantec that fits your needs and aspirations, visit Stantec.jobs to look at our available positions.