SDR interview scorecards

The scorecard should make each interviewer answer one question: what did this person do that suggests they can build pipeline here? Set the criteria and build the sheet before the first interview, ask for decisions and outcomes, write the score before the debrief, and keep the discussion tied to observed evidence. Give pipeline execution and resilience the heavier weights; a single closed deal should carry less weight in the decision.¹ This keeps the template pointed at repeatable work and gives the panel something firmer than a strong impression to discuss.

Build the scorecard

Keep the criteria practical enough to use in real time, and define the evidence that makes each score defensible.

Choose job-related competencies and record the evidence behind each score.² Set weights to match the sales motion, company stage, deal complexity, and revenue ownership.³ Tie every score to a defined competency and observable evidence.⁴ Use four dimensions for this role.⁵

Criterion	Weight	Example question	Score (1 to 4)6	Evidence
Targeting judgement5		Tell me about a time you decided who to contact and why.
Conversation quality		Walk me through a conversation you improved.
Resilience		Tell me about a rejection that changed your approach.
Tooling fluency		Which tools did you use, and what did each help you do?

Leave a short evidence note beside every score. A blank score with a long opinion underneath defeats the purpose.

Ask for evidence

Ask questions that draw out decisions, actions, and results. Give the candidate room to explain how they worked, while giving yourself something concrete to score.

Generic questions produce rehearsed answers, so ask about specific decisions instead.⁷ Keep the assessment evidence-based and look for proof of performance.^{8, 9}

Count relevant experience even when it is not job-related.¹⁰ For a candidate who refers to college, ask them to translate what they learned into functional skills they can express in the role.¹¹ When an answer stays abstract, ask what they chose, what they did, and what changed.

Run the same interview

Use the same prompts with every candidate, keep their order fixed, and separate scoring from discussion.

Run the same four dimensions with every candidate, in the same order. Score in writing during the interview before the panel talks, then copy the scorecard into your ATS at the end.¹² Calibrate what each score means before interviews begin.¹³ Use the debrief to decide against the agreed bar.

Do the scoring while the example is still fresh. Write the behavior, result, and context that support the number, then move to the next dimension.

Test application

Past examples show what happened before. A short live exercise shows how the candidate makes a choice in the moment.

Allocate 10 minutes for research, 2 minutes for the rationale, and 5 minutes for the call.¹⁴ Ask the candidate to explain why they chose the target before making the call. Score the rationale and the call against the same dimensions, then record the evidence in the same sheet.

Decide from the whole packet

Use the scorecard to make the decision clearer while leaving room for other forms of assessment. Bring those inputs together after each interviewer has completed the sheet.

Treat the score as one input into the hiring decision, alongside references, work samples, and fair hiring practices.¹⁵ Once competency ratings are set, integrate evidence across referees and assessment methods, looking for common themes and discrepancies.¹⁶ Keep feedback focused on position requirements, merit criteria, the assessment of qualifications, and the reason for elimination.¹⁷

Review the sheet

Treat the scorecard as a working instrument. After the search, compare what the sheet predicted with what happened in the role, then change the definitions or weights when later hiring outcomes show a clear pattern.

A good scorecard gives the hiring team the same criteria, a common language for discussing scores, and data to improve the hiring process over time.¹⁸ After 20 to 30 hires, review which dimensions predict success in the role.¹⁹

What not to do

• Let a panel disagreement settle into preference without requiring specific evidence.²⁰
• Skip areas for growth when checking references.²¹
• Accept claimed sales results or relationships without digging into the details.²²
• Score raw numbers alone and leave fit and adaptability untested.²³