From the Community: Why this Nominee Stands Out

“Keifer Jennings is a Talent Acquisition Consultant for Stantec’s early career (new graduate) positions, responsible for hiring full-time employees with 2 or less years of experience for our Community Development practice throughout North America. Keifer joined the Talent Acquisition team as a TA Coordinator and quickly progressed to the Talent Acquisition Consultant role within 1.5 years.

In Keifer’s current role, building relationships with early career professionals comes naturally to him. He relates to them easily, having been in their position not too long ago. Keifer connects with candidates by spending time getting to know them and ensuring they have the best experience possible. If the candidate is local, it is not uncommon for Keifer to meet them in the office to continue building that relationship. 

Kiefer is currently co-chair for our Developing Professionals Group (DPG) chapter in our Calgary, AB office. The DPG is one of our employee resource groups (ERGs) and is a chapter-based peer network aimed at connecting employees across the company who are in the early stages of their career. The community offers a place for Gen Z professionals to belong, meet, and support each other. Before taking on his current leadership role with the chapter, he facilitated the New Hire Breakfast each month in the Calgary office, which he continues to do. The Breakfast event is an opportunity for recent hires to come together and meet others who are also new to the company. 

Keifer took on a lead position when we started our StanFest after pausing the event due to the pandemic. The DPG Chapter organized the event held this past fall in both our Calgary and Edmonton offices, and Keifer was on the organizing committee. With buy-in from our office leadership, the student focused event developed from there. We envisioned an opportunity to share our experiences at Stantec, build our talent brand in the local market, and identify prospective intern/early career candidates. The event had over 500 attendees across both offices, which exceeded our expectations. The event created increased engagement from students, and we ultimately hired several employees directly after the event. The success was due to Keifer’s leadership, and we will be expanding it to other office locations in the future. 

One of our HR Business Partners said it best, “Just passing kudos for Keifer. I am so amazed by the quality and timeliness of his support. He is one of the best young professionals I have worked with in years. Great customer service and amazing attention to detail.” Another stakeholder shared that his “energy and passion are contagious!” Keifer Jennings is truly deserving the Rising Star Award for his exceptional contributions and for shaping the future of recruitment for early career professionals.”