The DNA of a Bandwidth hire

It’s no secret that here at Bandwidth, we’re looking for the best of the best. But what exactly does that mean? Just because a new hire has all  the required skills or years of experience, he or she isn’t always the best candidate for a job. While someone might be a star performer at a different company, we also look to see if they will be a good candidate for our mission-focused culture.

DNA is essential for growth and development, just like it is for a company. A company’s DNA begins with its founders; what they believe in, what they value, and how they work with others. At Bandwidth, our leadership team has fostered an awesome culture, one that empowers hard-working team members. Like most companies, we look for intelligence and work ethic. But at Bandwidth, there are a few unique qualities that set us apart as we try to find candidates with what we like to call the “Bandwidth edge.”

We want people with competitive energy. This is something that is often overlooked, yet so important. If you love what you do, this will come through in everything you do. Our team members are in it to win it when it comes to their work. They bring their A-game every morning as they show up for their mission. We want new hires who will bring passion and energy to every project they work on, and we actively nurture this quality once they get here.

We want people who are honest. Even when it’s hard, our team members are empowered to confront people, ideas, projects and data with candor. Being an honest and trustworthy team member goes far in fostering a healthy workplace that nurtures creativity and innovation and supports productivity and accomplishment. It isn’t always easy to tell your boss that his or her idea could use some improvement, but you have to be able to speak up for what you believe in. At Bandwidth, the humility of being honest—even with yourself, is important. As our CEO says, everyone makes mistakes, but not everyone is willing to own up to it and learn from it. Being upfront with respectful honesty and candor from the start takes us a long way.

We want people who are curious. We are a company that is constantly looking for new ideas to put to the test, so we want team members who are always searching for a new challenge to tackle.  An aptitude for problem solving and a thirst for learning are must-haves. There’s always something new to learn, especially in our field where technology never stops evolving. Curiosity might have killed the cat, but here at Bandwidth curiosity has birthed some of our greatest ideas.

We want people who communicate. Perhaps Vanilla Ice says it best, “Stop, collaborate, and listen.” A new hire is only as good as his or her communication skills. Collaboration and clear communication help our teams thrive. Most employees at Bandwidth look forward to feedback from their peers, because it helps them know what they can improve on in their work. With an open space environment in our office, team members work together to build on new thoughts and bring their unique ideas to the table.

We want people who have demonstrated a spirit of serving others. You might be thinking, what? This is what you’re looking for? But yes, serving others is in our DNA at Bandwidth. When we talk about service, it’s not about running all the  boss’ errands. We want team members who are compassionate and empathetic; those who are willing to wholeheartedly serve our customers, their fellow team members, and the community.  Bandwidth sets a strong example to team members in this regard. Time and again the company sacrifices for the good of its customers. We serve the unique needs of our team members in their joyful times and their troubled times, even when doing the right thing by them is unconventional. To emphasize the importance of serving our community, the company started Bandwidth Cares, a giving program where team members can volunteer to give their time, talent or treasure to help the surrounding community.

There are many unique qualities we look for in our new hires at Bandwidth, but one thing is certain, our company culture had grown successfully because of the smart, hardworking and passionate employees we have accomplishing the mission every day.

Do YOU have the Bandwidth edge? Take a quick look at our open opportunities!

*This is part of our blog series written by our awesome Summer 2017 Interns.*