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Complete evaluation framework
What to assess and how to score it
Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Track record
35% weight
Check billings by year, permanent versus contract split, average fee, and placements per quarter. Ask which sectors and job families they filled and their client win count.
Explains the market and buyer they sold to, not just the product
Distinguishes what they closed from what the team closed
Can describe a deal they lost and why
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No numbers; cannot describe what they actually sold or to whom.
2
Needs Improvement
Vague attainment; credit for team results is unclear.
3
Satisfactory
Real record with some numbers; attribution occasionally fuzzy.
4
Very Good
Clear numbers and ownership, including honest losses.
5
Excellent
Quotes annual billings, fee percentages, placement volume and sector by name, with figures that reconcile across their tenure.
02
Evaluation factor
Method and qualification
25% weight
Probe how they qualify a vacancy brief: salary benchmarking, exclusivity or PSL terms, interview process mapped, and how they screen before CV send.
Evidence to listen for
Has a repeatable approach to qualifying and progressing deals
Can walk a real deal from first contact to close
Handles objections with questions rather than scripts
Knows when to disqualify
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
No method; pitches at everyone and hopes.
2
Needs Improvement
Weak qualification; deals stall with no diagnosis.
3
Satisfactory
Workable method; inconsistent on complex or long cycles.
4
Very Good
Clear repeatable method; disqualifies early and deliberately.
5
Excellent
Describes a repeatable brief-taking process, tracks CV to interview to placement ratios, and refuses to work unqualified or unrealistic roles.
03
Evaluation factor
Relationships and trust
25% weight
Assess how they keep candidates warm through offer and counter-offer, plus evidence of repeat business, referrals, and hiring managers who followed them.
Evidence to listen for
Has clients or talent who came back or referred them
Manages a difficult conversation without damaging the relationship
Represents the client's interest, not only the commission
Builds rapport across seniority levels
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Transactional; burns relationships for a close.
2
Needs Improvement
Builds rapport but does not sustain relationships.
3
Satisfactory
Solid relationships; less tested in conflict.
4
Very Good
Repeat business and referrals; handles conflict without damage.
5
Excellent
Names long-term clients who rehired, cites referral-sourced placements, and handles counter-offers and drop-outs without burning either side.
04
Evaluation factor
Drive and resilience
15% weight
Look for daily activity discipline: call volumes, business development blocks, ATS or CRM hygiene in Bullhorn, Vincere or JobAdder, and recovery after a dry month.
Evidence to listen for
Handles rejection and a bad quarter without unravelling
Self-directed on pipeline rather than waiting for leads
Coachable on feedback
Honest in how they represent the product and themselves
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Gives up easily; blames leads, product, or market.
2
Needs Improvement
Motivation depends on momentum; resistant to coaching.
3
Satisfactory
Steady; recovers from setbacks with support.
4
Very Good
Self-motivated, coachable, and steady through bad stretches.
5
Excellent
Owns a bad quarter with specifics, sustains outbound BD alongside delivery, and logs activity consistently rather than relying on inbound applications.
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