What Are the Pros and Cons of Hiring Junior vs. Senior SDRs?

Looking for “experienced” sales development representatives can be entirely counterproductive when hiring SDRs for a B2B SaaS. Let’s dig into why. 

Launching a Sales Career

The role of SDR or BDR is an entry-level position for a reason. In two years or less, a savvy young professional can genuinely master the job and is ready to be promoted.

Choosing candidates fresh out of university that can grow with your company can be a great move. Make sure you’re hiring SDRs with empathy, intelligence, and a keen interest in a career in sales.

The Natural Sales Team Cycle

As B2B SaaS companies experience super-charged growth, at times generating more opportunities than manageable, it’s a natural progression to upgrade your SDR to Sales Development Manager or Account Executive to close deals.

These new execs will already know your companies value propositions and client scenarios like the back of their hand. For this reason, there’s no better training for the Account Exec role than being an SDR.                                   

Hiring an Experienced SDR       

Some companies look for SDRs with experience as they think their ramp-up time will be shorter and that they’ll generate quick revenue. However, more seasoned SDRs may have lost their initial excitement and flexible mindset, making the onboarding process just as long. Plus, these days outbound sales platforms and sales engagement tools can help cut SDR onboarding time in half.

Overall, look for smart, motivated, and yes, inexperienced candidates to fill your SDR positions. SaaS companies who waste resources looking for experienced BDRs/SDRs may end up facing a high turnover rate and fewer sales opportunities than anticipated.

Want practical tips from the best SDR managers in the SaaS game? Read the ebook.

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