Pros
At Sandbox, hiring focuses on bringing in respectful, passionate, and solution-oriented people, and it shows. I'm someone new to the solar industry and the trades, overall; I started as a freelance web designer and SEO specialist for sandboxsolar.com. Now, I design solar plansets and help manage the shop. Producing quality work, driving oneself to learn, and valuing collaboration and others' opinions go a long way at Sandbox. I wasn't anything -- remotely -- like a standard candidate for a technical role in the trades, but management saw those qualities in me and gave me a chance. One thing that speaks to the team culture at Sandbox is the prominence of the installer. The installers are always part of the conversation, as they are, functionally, the most important part of company. Period. For example, I'm routinely asking the installers their opinion on the materials I'm sourcing - because they know how the rubber meets the road. The sales & marketing teams are constantly asking installers/crew leads/electricians feasibility questions, as well. It does your company culture wonders when all opinions matter. This is in stark contrast to pharmacy, my previous career --- where my technicians labored tirelessly and were treated as a voiceless, disposable work force by upper management. Complete 180° from the corporate culture I'll never miss. I'll end with some proof. Sandbox Solar has a 4.9 star rating average on Google, spanning a sample of 156. Here's how that happened: Hire motivated, collaborative, friendly people --> Let them be themselves, facilitate inter-team collaboration, and provide social events that don't suck (Recently, we went to Dacono to see Sandbox's sponsored stock car race at the National Speedway; had a blast) --> Set a high standard for work, but always be willing to provide ample resources/time to facilitate said work --> Employees at all levels feel valued and are happy (to the extent that this blazing sun allows) --> Teams produce excellent work --> Customers overwhelmingly thrilled and the five star reviews pour in
Cons
If I had to gripe about anything, benefits could be more extensive and there could be a more diverse workplace. Then again, that's a direct outcome of the tradesmen demographic. Everyone is treated well & respected, however.