25 SDR Interview Questions + Free Scorecard Template (Built for Modern Sales Hiring)
Hire better SDRs faster. Download this free first-round interview template — 25 proven questions, rubric, and scorecard to evaluate candidates consistently.
Matthew Stewart
Founder of TalentSprout.ai - The #1 AI Recruiter for Modern Hiring Teams
Hiring great Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) is one of the hardest challenges in scaling a sales team.
The first-round interview takes time, feels repetitive, and often comes down to gut instinct.
That’s why we created this free, structured SDR Interview Template — a 25-question framework with a behavioral rubric and downloadable scorecard you can use immediately (or automate with TalentSprout’s AI interviewer).
Download the Full SDR Interview Template (Free PDF)
Get the printable 25-question scorecard, rubric, and evaluation sheet to standardize your hiring process.
Why Structured Interviews Work
Most SDR interviews test the same basics — communication, prospecting, and resilience — but results are inconsistent.
Structured interviews replace guesswork with a repeatable, fair process.
According to LinkedIn research, structured interviews are twice as predictive of job performance compared to unstructured ones.
This template gives you:
- •A repeatable process you can use every time
- •25 role-specific questions grouped by competency
- •A rubric and scorecard that minimize bias
- •An option to automate the process with AI
Who This Template Is For
This template is built for:
- •Founders and hiring managers hiring their first SDRs
- •Sales leaders scaling a 5–20 person outbound team
- •Recruiters and agencies screening high volumes weekly
It’s flexible — run it manually, share it as a Notion doc, or automate it with TalentSprout.ai to save hours per week.
25 SDR Interview Questions (by Competency)
Communication & Clarity
- Tell me about a recent prospecting message that got a reply — what made it work?
- How do you tailor your outreach for different personas?
- Summarize our product in 20 seconds for a CFO.
- Walk me through a voicemail you’d leave for a cold lead.
- When a prospect goes silent, what’s your follow-up plan?
Prospecting & Process
- How do you build your daily prospecting plan?
- Which channels (phone, email, LinkedIn, video) do you prioritize — and why?
- Show me how you’d define an ICP for this company.
- How do you ensure data accuracy in your outreach lists?
- How do you measure your prospecting success week to week?
Objection Handling
- “Send me info.” How do you respond?
- “We already have a solution.” What’s your next move?
- “No budget.” How do you reframe the conversation?
- Tell me about a time you turned a rejection into a meeting.
- How do you stay calm when a prospect pushes back?
Resilience & Ownership
- How do you deal with rejection daily?
- Tell me about a target you missed — what did you learn?
- How do you recover from tough calls or bad days?
- What’s your process for improving performance each week?
- What metric are you most proud of improving?
Curiosity & Team Fit
- What’s one lesson you learned from a top rep on your team?
- Tell me about a manager you worked well with — and why.
- How do you prepare when selling to a new industry?
- What’s one insight you’ve gained from customer conversations?
- Why this role, and why now?
Behavioral Rubric (Score 1–5)
Competency | 1 – Needs Work | 3 – Competent | 5 – Exceptional |
Communication | Rambling, vague | Clear, concise | Crisp, persuasive |
Prospecting | Tactical only | Structured approach | Data-driven strategist |
Objection Handling | Defensive | Neutral | Consultative |
Resilience | Generic answers | Self-aware | Growth-focused |
Curiosity / Team Fit | Shallow | Engaged | Learner mindset |
Passing guideline: Average score ≥3 with at least one 4+ in Communication or Prospecting.
Free Scorecard Template (Copy or Download)
Category | Score (1–5) | Notes / Observations |
Communication | ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 | |
Prospecting | ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 | |
Objection Handling | ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 | |
Resilience | ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 | |
Curiosity / Team Fit | ☐ 1 ☐ 2 ☐ 3 ☐ 4 ☐ 5 |
Strengths:
Risks:
Next Step:
☐ Advance ☐ Hold ☐ Reject
Common SDR Interview Mistakes
- •Asking generic “tell me about yourself” questions
- •Skipping follow-ups that reveal problem-solving depth
- •Not defining what “good” looks like
- •Letting personal rapport outweigh evidence
Structured interviews eliminate these issues — ensuring every candidate is evaluated on the same scale.
Automate the Interview with AI
With TalentSprout.ai, you can run this exact interview automatically.
Candidates complete voice or video responses asynchronously.
The system scores communication, problem-solving, and fit — and delivers a timestamped scorecard straight to your inbox.
- •Learn how it works → https://www.talentsprout.ai/how-it-works
- •Try a live demo → https://www.talentsprout.ai/demo
Final Thoughts
Hiring SDRs doesn’t need to be guesswork.
By using a consistent framework and leveraging AI to automate repetitive steps, you’ll make faster, fairer, and higher-quality hiring decisions.
Want to see it in action?
Try TalentSprout’s AI interviewer today → https://www.talentsprout.ai