Role · Sales

How to hire a Sales Development Rep (SDR)

SDRs generate qualified pipeline through cold outreach, discovery calls, and handoff to account executives. They are the entry point to most B2B sales organisations and often the highest-volume sales hire. A great SDR fills the top of your funnel, while a bad one wastes your account executives' time with unqualified meetings.

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Why this role is hard to hire

The hiring challenge

SDR hiring is a volume problem: 500 applicants for 20 openings, most with no B2B experience. Resumes do not help because the role does not require a track record - it requires coachability, tone, and the ability to handle rejection gracefully. The only way to assess these traits is to hear the candidate respond to a real cold-call scenario, not read about their internship.

What to look for in an SDR

Three traits predict SDR success: Resilience (can they keep going after 10 consecutive rejections without losing energy?). Tone (do they sound natural and confident on a call, or rehearsed and robotic?). Coachability (when given feedback, do they adjust their approach, or defend what they did?).

Experience matters less than attitude for SDR roles. A fresh graduate with genuine curiosity and thick skin will outperform a "seasoned" SDR who has plateaued. The interview should test behavior under pressure, not resume credentials.

How to structure the interview

A strong SDR interview has two stages. First, a cold-call roleplay: give the candidate a company name and a persona, and ask them to open a call. Score on whether they lead with curiosity (asking questions) versus pitching (talking about themselves). Second, a rejection handling scenario: tell them the prospect is not interested and watch how they respond. Good candidates acknowledge the objection and pivot. Weak candidates either push harder (aggressive) or give up (fragile).

AI voice interviews are ideal for SDR hiring because they test tone and resilience at scale. You can screen 500 applicants through the same roleplay and compare their responses side by side. Your sales manager only meets the top 20.

Common mistakes when hiring SDRs

Hiring on polish instead of grit. The most articulate candidate is not always the best SDR. Grit, resilience, and coachability matter more than a smooth first impression.

Not testing for tone. SDR is a voice role. If you do not hear the candidate on a call, you are hiring blind. Written assessments and resume screens miss the most important signal.

Over-valuing B2B experience. Most SDR candidates are early-career. One year of cold-calling experience does not make someone better than a fresh graduate who can handle rejection naturally.

What to test

Key skills for a Sales Development Rep (SDR)

Cold outreach
Discovery questioning
Tone and energy
Resilience and rejection handling
CRM hygiene
Coachability
Active listening
Meeting qualification

Sample questions

What a great interview looks like

Voice

"Tell me about a time you kept going after 10 rejections in a row. What kept you at it?"

Roleplay

"Cold outreach call. The prospect says 'not interested, bye.' Handle it."

Scenario

"Your AE rejects a meeting you booked as unqualified. What do you ask them?"

Voice

"What do you do in the first 30 seconds of a cold call? Walk me through your opening."

Roleplay

"The prospect says 'send me an email.' How do you respond?"

Every question is from the GoodFit library. Customize the rubric for your context in the platform.

Suggested format

Recommended interview process

Round 1: AI Voice Roleplay

15 min

Cold-call roleplay, rejection handling, and discovery questioning. Scored on tone, resilience, and curiosity.

Round 2: Sales Manager Interview

30 min

Culture fit, coachability assessment, and territory discussion. Only top-scoring candidates from Round 1.

Want to set up this interview process for your Sales Development Rep (SDR) openings? GoodFit handles Rounds 1 and 2 automatically. Your team only steps in for the final conversation.

Set this up with GoodFit

Ready-made template