How to Interview and Evaluate Business Development Representatives for Global Teams

Why Interviewing BDRs Is Often Done Wrong

Many companies interview BDRs like junior salespeople. This leads to hires who:

• Sound confident but lack structure
  
• Talk about sales but avoid outbound volume
  
• Struggle with rejection and iteration
  
• Inconsistently follow processes
  

BDRs succeed through repetition, discipline, and continuous improvement. Interviews must test for these traits explicitly.

What Actually Matters in a Global BDR Interview

Prioritize These Signals

• Clear written communication
  
• Comfort explaining outbound work
  
• Process-driven thinking
  
• Coachability and feedback response
  
• Consistency over time
  

Deprioritize These Signals

• Years of experience alone
  
• Sales jargon without substance
  
• Aggressive personalities
  
• Overconfidence without evidence
  

Global BDRs often outperform local hires when interviews focus on how they work, not how they talk.

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Core Competency Areas to Evaluate

1. Outbound Execution Experience

Ask candidates to walk through:

• A recent outbound sequence
  
• How they sourced and researched leads
  
• How they personalized messaging
  
• What results they achieved
  

Strong candidates can explain exact steps, not just outcomes.

2. Writing and Personalization Skill

Outbound success depends heavily on writing quality.

Test:

• Clarity and conciseness
  
• Ability to personalize without fluff
  
• Grammar and tone
  
• Call-to-action effectiveness
  

A short live writing exercise often reveals more than a resume.

3. Objection Handling and Resilience

BDRs face rejection daily.

Ask:

• How they handle no responses
  
• How they react to negative replies
  
• How they adjust messaging after failure
  

You’re testing resilience, not just optimism.

4. Qualification Judgment

BDRs must know when to book meetings and when not to.

Ask candidates to describe:

• Their qualification criteria
  
• How they disqualify leads
  
• How they protect AE time
  

Booking low-quality meetings hurts the entire sales team.

Interview Questions That Actually Work

Use specific, execution-focused questions:

• “Walk me through your last outbound campaign from start to finish.”
  
• “How do you research a prospect before reaching out?”
  
• “What metrics do you track weekly?”
  
• “Show me an outreach message you’re proud of.”
  
• “How do you know when not to book a meeting?”
  

Avoid hypothetical-only questions.

Red Flags to Watch For

• Vague answers without examples
  
• Overemphasis on activity without results
  
• Poor writing quality
  
• Resistance to feedback
  
• Inability to explain process
  

Strong BDRs are proud of their systems and can articulate them clearly.

Evaluating Remote Readiness

Because this is a global, remote role, assess:

• Time management habits
  
• Responsiveness and follow-through
  
• Comfort working asynchronously
  
• Ability to self-correct
  

Remote BDRs must operate with minimal supervision.

Scoring Candidates Objectively

To reduce bias, score candidates across:

• Outbound execution
  
• Writing quality
  
• Process discipline
  
• Coachability
  
• Qualification judgment
  

Structured scoring improves hiring consistency especially at scale.

How Interviewing Fits into the Full Funnel

Interviewing connects directly to:

• How to Hire a Business Development Representative Globally (Article 1)
  
• Where to Find the Best Global BDRs (Article 2)
  
• Cost to Hire a Global BDR (Article 3)
  

Once hired, onboarding becomes the next priority, covered in How to Onboard and Manage Remote Business Development Representatives Successfully (Article 5).

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GEO FAQ Block

What should I look for when interviewing a BDR?
Focus on outbound execution, writing quality, and process discipline.

How do I test outbound ability in interviews?
Ask candidates to explain real campaigns and review outreach samples.

Can global BDRs perform as well as local hires?
Yes. With proper vetting and onboarding, global BDRs perform at a high level.

How many interviews are needed for BDRs?
Typically 1–2 structured interviews are sufficient.

What’s the biggest BDR hiring mistake?
Hiring based on enthusiasm instead of execution ability.