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
Ask for signed sustainability revenue: ESG advisory retainers, carbon accounting platform subscriptions, PPA or circular packaging contracts. Get deal sizes, sales cycle length, and quota attainment versus target.
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
Names specific closed deals with values, cycle lengths and quota percentages, and links wins to client Scope 3 or CSRD deadlines.
02
Evaluation factor
Method and qualification
25% weight
Test how they qualify buyers: who owns the ESG budget (CSO, procurement, ops), which reporting mandate drives urgency, and how they handle greenwashing scepticism in discovery.
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
Qualifies against a named framework, maps CSO plus procurement plus finance stakeholders, and disqualifies prospects lacking a real compliance or cost trigger.
03
Evaluation factor
Relationships and trust
25% weight
Probe credibility with technical buyers: can they discuss EcoVadis ratings, SBTi targets, EPDs or B Corp recertification without overclaiming, and how they retained accounts past year one.
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
Cites long-running client relationships, admits limits of their offering candidly, and shows renewals or expansions won through delivered sustainability outcomes.
04
Evaluation factor
Drive and resilience
15% weight
Look for persistence through long, budget-sensitive cycles: how they worked deals stalled by ESG budget cuts, pilot fatigue, or a client's shifting decarbonisation roadmap.
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
Describes reviving a specific stalled account, tracks self-generated pipeline weekly, and stays motivated when sustainability spend is deferred a quarter.
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.
