In today’s competitive job market, advancing your career often requires more than hard work and talent.
Mentorship has long been a staple of professional development, but there’s another powerful tool gaining traction in workplaces across the globe: sponsorship programs.
Unlike mentorship, which focuses on guidance and advice, sponsorship programs actively promote and advocate for employees, opening doors to new opportunities and career advancements.
Stantec’s SponsorHer Program is an excellent example of this in action. To learn more, we caught up with Branch Manager Hervey Bay and Principal Civil Engineer Megan Kraft and her sponsor, Natalie Muir, Regional Director, Environment and Geosciences, who experienced the program’s life-changing benefits firsthand.
Megan Kraft with her family on the left and Natalie Muir on the right.
Finding community
With an impressive seventeen years of civil engineering and project management experience, Megan shares that her career has seen her take on several high-profile projects. While she’s had a few different roles, she found herself rejoining Stantec to explore further progression opportunities:
“I was a boomerang back to Stantec, and returning felt so empowering. I was given the freedom to create a direction for my team’s work that aligns with Stantec‘s purpose and goals.”
A strong sense of community and the ability to give back to that community inspires Megan in her work, and she’s delighted to have found that in her role with Stantec:
“My work has a direct impact on the community I live in. It delivers essential services and improves environmental and community outcomes. I also get to work with and lead multidisciplinary teams both within Stantec, our clients, and stakeholders. These relationships are what I enjoy most about my role.”
For Megan, engineering is about so much more than the mechanics of the role – it’s about paving the way for future generations to create a better world – something she’s able to embrace at Stantec:
“I am inspired by my community and the environment I live in, as well as leaving a legacy for my children and future generations. As engineers, we have a role and responsibility to deliver outcomes that enhance the ability of future generations to meet their needs.”
Wondering how Stantec creates a diverse and equitable workplace?
Getting ahead with the SponsorHer Program
Stantec’s SponsorHer program partners high-performing, high-potential women colleagues with senior leaders to help them elevate their careers through relationships and endorsement.
This is a sponsorship program that aims to:
- Increase women in leadership.
- Create exposure and advocacy opportunities for participants.
- Empower and enable women to pursue larger, more complex roles.
- Strengthen women’s engagement by identifying and selecting development opportunities that support aspirations and enable career progression.
Participants invest 2-3 hours per month over five months. Natalie Muir, who has been in her role for nearly two years and took part in the program as a sponsor when it launched last year, advises how employees can get involved:
“For the SponsorHer program, executives were asked to nominate high-performing women to participate. Nominees were then asked to answer a few questions about their work and careers, and participants were selected from that pool. From there, participants and sponsors were matched based on their goals and who could offer the best support.”
Megan shares that the support to attend the program and similar development opportunities through Stantec have been instrumental in helping her overcome barriers and grow through challenges, especially since becoming a parent:
“Following parental leave and part-time work while my daughters were younger, I really struggled to define my purpose. I enjoyed coming to work but felt the conflict of not being home with my children. Stantec sponsored my completion of the Compass program and, recently, the SponsorHer program. Completing the Compass Program enabled me to dive deep into what I am passionate about and how my purpose can serve both my work and my family.”
As mentioned, the program connects participants with other senior leaders to help them grow their network and discover opportunities that align with their career goals. Megan cites this as a vital aspect of her own journey:
“Natalie Muir has been my mentor for a number of years and my sponsor through the program. Her advice and sponsorship over the last few years have been invaluable in my career and personal development.”
Natalie adds:
“I think our previous mentoring relationship really benefited the sponsorship relationship for Megan and myself. To be a sponsor, you need to know the person enough to know how and when to invest your own currency, so having that prior relationship really helped.”
While most people might be unsure about the role of a sponsor compared to a mentor, Natalie explains how being a sponsor has helped her own knowledge and understanding of the role of mentors and sponsors:
“It led me to my own ‘aha!’ moment. I’ve had my own advocates throughout my career who’ve really helped me grow, and this program helped me realize how they had actually been my sponsors and recognize the role and value that these roles play. Once I knew the difference, I really knew what I could do to help Megan.”
Natalie adds that the difference between a mentor and a sponsor can be significant. She experienced this herself when a manager recommended her for a career opportunity:
“There have definitely been defining moments for me. One of my male colleagues was pushing to have a seat as part of a leadership forum. Our leader acknowledged that it was an idea to support growth and development. But also felt that I was equally capable and wanted to offer the opportunity to me as well. So, we both ended up as part of the leadership forum, and further down the line, we were promoted to more senior roles as opportunities opened. It defined for me what a sponsor can and should be and how they can help you move forward by helping you to showcase your value.”
A spark to fan your career flames
It’s clear that the right sponsor and a program like SponsorHer can be not only career-changing but life-changing. Women are no strangers to imposter syndrome in the workplace – what better way to help you get clear on your purpose and keep moving forward?
Megan offers some excellent advice for why getting involved can help you find your way in the workplace.
“Being clear on your purpose and values is key to directing your energy to the tasks, roles, and projects that bring you satisfaction and pride. When facing challenges in your career or personal life, having that guiding north star will give you comfort and confidence in your decisions.”
When we ask Natalie what her advice would be to others considering a program like SponsorHer or seeking out a sponsor, she’s pretty clear on what you should do:
“Absolutely do it. My sponsor relationships have been more organic, which has been incredibly valuable, but if you don’t feel that’s happening in your sphere, seek out someone or programs like SponsorHer to help you get where you want to be. Being Megan’s sponsor has had her in front of my mind when opportunities have come up. It only takes a spark to fan the flames!”
