Sales Recruitment

How to Hire a Sales Development Representative in the UK (2026)

The top of your pipeline. How to hire an SDR who books real meetings.

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.

SDRs feed the whole machine. Get this hire right and your closers have a full diary. Get it wrong and everything downstream starves. It's an entry-level salary with a senior-level impact on your numbers.

⚡ In short

A UK SDR usually earns £25k-£35k base plus commission. These roles fill fast, often in 2-5 weeks. Coburg Banks recruits SDRs with no fee until they start.

£25k-£35k

Typical base salary

2-5 weeks

Time to hire

48 hrs

To first shortlist

12 wks

Replacement guarantee

What to look for in a Sales Development Representative

Activity tolerance

The job is a lot of outreach and a lot of no. Look for energy and stamina over a slick pitch, which you can teach.

Curiosity about the buyer

Good SDRs research before they dial. Ask how they'd approach one of your target accounts and listen for thought, not just enthusiasm.

Coachable

At this level you're hiring potential. The ones who take feedback and adjust fast are the ones who get promoted.

How to run the hire

1. Hire for stamina, not polish.
The job is high-volume outreach, so define the energy and resilience you need and score for it.

2. Move fast.
Good SDRs are in demand, so keep the process short.

3. Run a live exercise.
Give them a target account and five minutes to prep an opener - you're watching how they think and take a note.

4. Check curiosity.
The best SDRs research before they dial, so probe how they'd approach one of your accounts.

5. Build a path.
Show a route to a closing role so your best ones stay and grow.

How much does it cost to hire an SDR?

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 buying potential and energy, so the fee buys a screened shortlist rather than a stack of applications.

How long does it take to hire an SDR?

Usually 2-5 weeks - one of the faster roles to fill.

The pool is wide, so speed isn't the issue. The value is screening for genuine activity tolerance and coachability rather than just a confident interview manner.

Is an SDR the same as a BDR?

Near enough. SDRs often focus on inbound and qualification, BDRs on cold outbound - but plenty of businesses use the terms interchangeably.

We confirm which motion your role actually needs, because someone who thrives on warm inbound may not enjoy pure cold prospecting, and vice versa.

Do you recruit SDRs for SaaS and tech?

Yes - tech and SaaS SDR roles are a regular brief for us.

We look for people who research before they reach out and take feedback fast, since in tech sales the ability to learn a product and a buyer quickly matters more than years on the job.

What does an SDR do?

A Sales Development Representative sits at the top of the pipeline.

They prospect, qualify inbound and outbound leads, and book meetings for closers. It's a high-activity, entry-level role that feeds the whole sales machine, so you're hiring energy, resilience and curiosity more than deep experience.

What should I ask an SDR at interview?

Try:

How would you research and open one of our target accounts?
How do you stay motivated through a lot of rejection?
Take this feedback and try that opener again - how did it change? and What do you want your next role after this to be? Coachability is the signal.

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.

Tell us about your role

Get in touch

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