Interview scorecard template

Business Development Representative interview scorecard

Evaluate Business Development Representative candidates across 4 weighted areas: track record, method and qualification, relationships and trust, and drive and resilience. Track record leads at 35%, so check quota history in concrete numbers: meetings booked per month, SQL acceptance rate by AEs, pipeline dollars sourced, and how they ranked against team targets. Use the rubric to compare role-specific evidence consistently.

See AI scoring
sales business developmentcold callingoutbound prospectingpipeline generationsdr
TL;DR
For track record, look for evidence the candidate quotes monthly meeting quota, attainment percentage, SQL acceptance rate, and pipeline value sourced, with named segments and deal sizes. For method and qualification, look for evidence the candidate describes a multi touch sequence with call, email, and LinkedIn steps, plus clear reasons they disqualify a prospect early. Apply the written 1–5 anchors to every answer, record the evidence behind each rating, and use the factor weights to reach a consistent overall assessment.
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 quota history in concrete numbers: meetings booked per month, SQL acceptance rate by AEs, pipeline dollars sourced, and how they ranked against team targets.

Evidence to listen for

  • Gives numbers: quota, attainment, deal size, client roster
  • 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 monthly meeting quota, attainment percentage, SQL acceptance rate, and pipeline value sourced, with named segments and deal sizes.

02
Evaluation factor

Method and qualification

25% weight

Probe their outbound motion: sequence structure in Outreach or Salesloft, cold call volume and connect rates, BANT or MEDDIC qualification, and disqualification criteria.

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 multi touch sequence with call, email, and LinkedIn steps, plus clear reasons they disqualify a prospect early.

03
Evaluation factor

Relationships and trust

25% weight

Assess how they earn a first conversation: research habits before a cold call, handling gatekeepers, and warm handoff quality that keeps AEs taking their meetings.

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

Gives specific pre call research sources and describes handoff notes AEs actually used, with low no show rates as proof.

04
Evaluation factor

Drive and resilience

15% weight

Test resilience against rejection volume: daily dial counts, response to a dry month, and how they used call recordings or manager coaching to fix conversion.

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

Sustains high activity through slumps and names a specific coaching change (opener, objection response) that lifted their connect or booking rate.

Evidence-led prompts

Interview questions for a Business Development Representative

Use these prompts to surface evidence for the weighted factors above and compare candidates against the same role-specific criteria.

  1. 01

    Can you give an example of a deal you helped bring in?

  2. 02

    Have you consistently met your targets in previous roles?

  3. 03

    Can you tell me about an opportunity you lost and how you handled it?

  4. 04

    How do you identify new business opportunities?

  5. 05

    Describe your experience with lead generation and prospecting.

See the complete Business Development Representative question set
Put this rubric to work

Score every candidate against the same standard

Add these weighted factors to Hirevire and let AI evaluate recorded answers against your rubric.

Explore AI Scorecards