Why some SDR candidates get the offer and others don't

Two SDR candidates sit the same interview. One gets the offer. The other gets a polite email and never finds out why.

Most SDR interviews test the thing that matters least: the CV. Candidates have little track record, so leaders fall back on gut feel and candidates fall back on polish. The wrong person gets hired and is gone by month two.

In 30 seconds:

• Leaders: screen for habits and mindset, then watch coach-ability live instead of asking about it.
• Reps: prospect your way into the interview. It's the best proof you'll do the job.
• Both: agree ramp before anyone signs. It decides who is still there in month six.

Four SDR interview mistakes that hire the wrong person

1. Screening the CV when there's no track record to screen

An SDR CV tells you where someone has been, not what they'll do in week two.

• What it costs: you hire the best talker in the room, not the person with the habits.
• The fix: screen for behaviour you can see. Did they research you? Did they chase the interview? Did they follow up?

If application volume is the real problem, a recruiting partner can take the first pass. The filter still has to be yours.

2. Judging mindset on gut feel

"I just liked them" is how you end up hiring people like you.

• What it costs: a team that interviews well and prospects badly.
• The fix: ask every candidate the same three questions: why you, why sales, why us. Building SDR teams, Catherine's way builds a three-round interview around exactly those. Score the answers against each other, not against your mood.

3. Asking about coach-ability instead of watching it

Everyone says they're coachable. Few prove it in the room.

❌ "How do you take feedback?"
✅ Run a short live exercise, give one piece of feedback, and ask them to run it again.

The second attempt tells you more than the first. The SDR Hiring Guide has a live exercise that shows you coachability in ten minutes.

4. Leaving ramp until after the offer

If ramp isn't agreed before they start, you'll be negotiating it while they struggle.

• What it costs: a good hire misses a number nobody explained, and starts looking.
• The fix: agree what they're measured on, week by week, and when full target applies. Catherine's ramp dial drip-feeds volume and lead quality from roughly 10% to 80% over six weeks.

The six stages, the coach-ability exercise and the ramp agreement are all in The SDR Hiring Guide.

On the other side of the table

If you want the offer, run the interview like it's already your job.

The SDR interview is the job in miniature: research, reach out, book the meeting, handle the pushback.

• Prospect your way in. Find the hiring manager, send a short, specific message and follow up. The best hiring filters look for candidates who prospected their way into the room.
• Have real answers to why you, why sales, why us. Generic answers are a no.
• Treat feedback as the test. If they correct you mid-exercise, use it straight away. That's the moment being scored.
• Ask about ramp before you sign. It's your earnings for the first months.

Going for an AE role instead? The AE Hiring Guide shows all six stages from the hiring side, including the ramp conversation most people skip.

Steal this

The question every SDR candidate should ask before signing:

"Before I sign, can we agree what ramp looks like: what I'm measured on in the first six weeks, and when full target starts?"

Leaders: if a candidate asks you that, score it. It's the habit you're hiring for.

Check out these people

Catherine Olivier, Snr Director, Business Development & Inside Sales at Strategy: fifteen years building global SDR teams that run on outcomes, from the hiring filter to the ramp. Follow on LinkedIn · Read her playbook

Zac Thompson, Founding Director at We Have A Meeting: built a cold-calling team with a hiring filter that picks repeatable habits over the longest CV. Follow on LinkedIn · Read his playbook

Quick answers

What should you look for when hiring an SDR?

When hiring an SDR, look for repeatable habits and mindset rather than the CV, because most candidates have little track record. The strongest signals are behaviours you can see: how they researched you, whether they followed up, what they do with feedback. Building a cold-calling team, Zac's way shows a hiring filter built on exactly that.

How do you test coachability in an SDR interview?

You test coachability in an SDR interview by watching it, not asking about it. Set a short live task, give one specific piece of feedback, then ask the candidate to try again. The second attempt shows whether they can apply feedback under pressure. The SDR Hiring Guide includes a live exercise that does this in ten minutes.

How do you stand out in an SDR interview?

You stand out in an SDR interview by showing you can already do the job. Prospect your way to the hiring manager, give specific answers to why you, why sales and why this company, and apply feedback visibly when it comes. Building SDR teams, Catherine's way shows what one senior SDR leader screens for.

How is hiring an AE different from hiring an SDR?

Hiring an AE is different from hiring an SDR because an AE usually has a track record you can test. SDR hiring leans on mindset and coachability. AE hiring can score real deals, stage by stage, with the same questions for every candidate. The AE Hiring Guide lays out six stages and scorecards for teams without a hiring function.