Sales Recruitment

How to Hire a Business Development Executive in the UK (2026)

Early-career new business. Hiring a BDE with the drive to grow.

By Mark Wilkinson, Managing Director of Coburg Banks

Mark has spent over 30 years in recruitment, placing sales people from SDR up to Sales Director for SMEs across the UK.

A BDE is often a BDM in the making. You're hiring potential and attitude as much as experience. Get the raw material right and you can build the skills, which is a nicer problem than the other way round.

⚡ In short

A UK BDE typically earns £28k-£40k base plus commission. These roles fill quickly, often in 3-6 weeks. Coburg Banks recruits them with no fee until your hire starts.

£28k-£40k

Typical base salary

3-6 weeks

Time to hire

48 hrs

To first shortlist

12 wks

Replacement guarantee

What to look for in a Business Development Executive

Coachability

At this level, attitude beats polish. Look for someone who asks good questions and takes feedback without bristling.

Work ethic

New business is a numbers game and the early years are graft. Ask how they've handled a hard slog before, in sales or out of it.

Curiosity

The best young BDEs want to understand the customer, not just pitch. That instinct is hard to teach.

How to run the hire

1. Hire for attitude and wiring.
At this level you're buying potential, so define the traits that matter - drive, curiosity, resilience - and score against them.

2. Keep the process quick.
Good early-career people get snapped up, so don't drag it out.

3. Use a role-play.
A short mock call or objection-handling exercise shows how they think and take feedback.

4. Check work ethic.
Ask about a hard slog they've stuck with, in sales or out of it.

5. Set them up to grow.
Have a clear path to BDM so the best ones see a future and stay.

How much does it cost to hire a BDE?

Fees typically run 15-18% of first-year salary, agreed and capped upfront.

Nothing is due until your hire starts. At this level you're investing in potential, so the fee buys a properly screened shortlist rather than a pile of applications.

How long does it take to hire a BDE?

Usually 3-6 weeks. Early-career roles tend to move fast because the pool is wide.

The quicker part is finding people; the value we add is filtering for genuine drive and coachability rather than just a tidy CV.

Is a BDE a route to becoming a BDM?

Often, yes. Many businesses use the BDE role as a proving ground and promote strong performers into full BDM roles within a year or two.

Showing that path in the hiring process helps you attract more ambitious people and keep them once they're good.

Do you recruit graduates into BDE roles?

Yes, alongside people with a year or two of sales already behind them.

We'll match the balance of raw graduate potential versus early experience to how much training and structure you can offer - there's no point hiring pure potential into a role with no support.

What does a Business Development Executive do?

A BDE is an early-career new-business role.

They prospect, book meetings, support senior salespeople and start to run smaller deals themselves. It's often the training ground for a future BDM, so you're hiring raw material - drive, curiosity and coachability - more than a long track record.

What should I ask a BDE at interview?

Try:

Sell me this pen - then tell me what you'd do differently.
Tell me about a time you kept going when something was hard.
What would you want to learn in your first six months? and How would you research one of our target customers? You're looking for coachability and hunger.

External citations

Sources:
- REC
- ONS Labour Market
- Coburg Banks Trustpilot

Tell us about your role and a specialist sales recruiter will call you. No fee until your hire starts.

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