Hiring for Core Values Matters More Than Hiring for Experience in Solar
Our Hiring Process
Sandbox+ puts our culture and core values first, every day, on and off the roof. At the end of the day, culture will outperform a resume every time. Our solar company in Northern Colorado trusts that our core values are the driver of our success and the best customer experience, which is why our hiring process is intentionally built to evaluate for culture fit. Experience can be listed on a resume, but their identity is truly shown throughout our extensive interview process.
Step 1: Identity Not Credentials
Using a recorded video platform, candidates introduce themselves, share their professional DNA, explain why they want to work at Sandbox+, and even describe themselves using a simile. Through this process, we can identify if there is alignment between who they are and who we are.
Step 2: The Phone Interview
During the initial phone interview, we are not just looking for the candidate to regurgitate their resume and experience; we are evaluating their communication style, problem-solving approach, and how they respond in real time. We listen for ownership, accountability, and most importantly, coachability. It is not always about what they know or what they have done but how they think and who they are.
Step 3: Values Assessment
Before we move forward in the interview process, solar candidates complete a values assessment designed to deep-dive into what truly drives them to their core. Then, we take the results from the values assessment and compare them to our solar company’s core values, as long-term success depends on shared principles. Our values are: solution-oriented, self-sufficiency, convergent teamwork, and living life to its fullest. No matter what we do, we will always embody our core principles.
Step 4: The Working Interview
Culture cannot be fully understood in a conference room, but it has to be experienced. The final step of our interview process is what we call a working interview. This gives the candidate the opportunity to experience the pace, collaboration, expectations, and environment where they would be working. This is a full workday that the candidate comes in for, meets the team, and really lives a day in the life of the position they are applying for. Whether it’s for a solar installer, a project manager, panel designer, or anything in between, it gives us and the candidate a solid look to evaluate if they would be a good fit at our solar company.
Dedicated to Alignment
Built for Growth, Not Just Placement
We have built an organization where someone with years of solar experience is not locked into one path. Our team has the opportunity to grow into multiple roles such as solar, construction management, electrical, and HVAC, as we work cohesively as one unit. Team members can move, expand, and develop based on their strengths, interests, and values, while not being locked into their original job title.
Our process allows each department at our solar company to draw from a strong internal pool of candidates when new opportunities arise within the organization. Since we hire for character, teamwork, and ownership, we don’t create silos; we create mobility. We have trust between departments and are dedicated to creating long-term growth. Experience helps someone perform a job. Values allow them to grow beyond it.
Grow Your Solar Career With Us
As we continue to grow, each employee plays a role in protecting the culture and values that make Sandbox+ stand out. Whether we are participating in interviews, mentoring a new hire, or referring a candidate to join our team, we always hold strong that we are not just hiring for skill, but for cultural alignment. Our long-term success depends on continuing to choose people who reflect core values and want to grow with us. We stay committed to that standard, and with that we don’t just grow in size, but in strength.
