Senior Account Executive Interview Scorecard
ZYTHR Resources •
September 11, 2025
TL;DR
This scorecard evaluates a Senior Account Executive across revenue delivery, pipeline development, account expansion, relationship management, negotiation, product knowledge, and collaboration. It provides clear behavioral anchors and example signals to standardize interview assessments and hiring decisions.
Who this scorecard is for
Designed for hiring managers, sales leaders, and interview panel members assessing senior individual contributors in quota-carrying roles. Useful for recruiters to screen candidates and for managers to calibrate interview questions and scoring.
Preview the Scorecard
See what the Senior Account Executive Interview Scorecard looks like before you download it.
How to use and calibrate
- Pick the level (Junior, Mid, Senior, or Staff) and adjust anchor examples accordingly.
- Use the quick checklist during the call; fill the rubric within 30 minutes after.
- Or use ZYTHR to transcribe the interview and automatically fill in the scorecard live.
- Run monthly calibration with sample candidate answers to align expectations.
- Average across interviewers; avoid single-signal decisions.
Detailed rubric with anchor behaviors
Revenue attainment & closing
- 1–2: Misses quota repeatedly; unable to close opportunities presented by the team.
- 3: Meets quota regularly using predictable sales cycles and follow-through.
- 4: Exceeds quota consistently through strong deal management and timing.
- 5: Consistently overachieves quota and influences territory plan to drive incremental revenue.
Pipeline generation & prospecting
- 1–2: Depends entirely on inbound leads; rarely sources new opportunities.
- 3: Proactively fills funnel with a steady stream of qualified leads.
- 4: Creates predictable pipeline from multiple channels and scales outreach.
- 5: Builds high-quality demand streams and mentors others on scalable prospecting.
Account strategy & expansion
- 1–2: Lacks plans for existing accounts; reactive to renewal or upsell opportunities.
- 3: Develops account plans that identify logical expansion opportunities.
- 4: Executes multi-quarter land-and-expand plays and secures upsells.
- 5: Designs scalable expansion strategies that materially grow account lifetime value.
Relationship & stakeholder management
- 1–2: Fails to build trust with key contacts; relationships are transactional or broken.
- 3: Maintains reliable relationships with primary decision-makers.
- 4: Builds broad sponsor networks and navigates complex buying groups.
- 5: Creates executive-level advocacy and influences long-term customer direction.
Negotiation & commercial acumen
- 1–2: Accepts unfavorable terms or gives discounts without rationale; weak commercial judgment.
- 3: Manages pricing and terms to protect margin while closing deals.
- 4: Constructs creative commercial proposals and protects company economics.
- 5: Leads complex negotiations, drives high-margin outcomes, and trains others on deal structure.
Product & industry knowledge
- 1–2: Lacks basic product understanding and cannot articulate customer value.
- 3: Explains product fit and competitive positioning to buyers accurately.
- 4: Maps product to customer business outcomes and anticipates objections.
- 5: Shapes product positioning, provides market insights, and influences roadmap conversations.
Cross-functional collaboration & CRM discipline
- 1–2: Does not update CRM; poor handoffs to customer success or product teams.
- 3: Maintains CRM hygiene and coordinates necessary handoffs reliably.
- 4: Drives cross-functional alignment on deal plans and post-sale transitions.
- 5: Leads cross-team processes to improve win rates and onboarding outcomes.
Scoring and weighting
Default weights (adjust per role):
| Dimension | Weight |
|---|---|
| Revenue attainment & closing | 20% |
| Pipeline generation & prospecting | 15% |
| Account strategy & expansion | 15% |
| Relationship & stakeholder management | 15% |
| Negotiation & commercial acumen | 13% |
| Product & industry knowledge | 12% |
| Cross-functional collaboration & CRM discipline | 10% |
Final score = weighted average across dimensions. Require at least two “4+” signals for Senior+ roles.
Complete Examples
Senior Account Executive Scorecard — Great Candidate
| Dimension | Notes | Score (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue attainment & closing | Regularly exceeds target and expands territory revenue | 5 |
| Pipeline generation & prospecting | Owns repeatable, high-conversion lead channels | 5 |
| Account strategy & expansion | Repeatable expansion motions producing measurable ARR growth | 5 |
| Relationship & stakeholder management | Executive sponsor advocating for renewal/expansion | 5 |
| Negotiation & commercial acumen | Wins complex deals with strong commercial outcomes | 5 |
| Product & industry knowledge | Uses market insight to position solutions and influence product direction | 5 |
| Cross-functional collaboration & CRM discipline | Leads cross-functional initiatives that improve close-to-onboard metrics | 5 |
Senior Account Executive Scorecard — Good Candidate
| Dimension | Notes | Score (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue attainment & closing | Reliable quota attainment over multiple quarters | 3 |
| Pipeline generation & prospecting | Consistent quota-supporting pipeline activity | 3 |
| Account strategy & expansion | Documented plans with some upsell progress | 3 |
| Relationship & stakeholder management | Trusted contact for primary decision-makers | 3 |
| Negotiation & commercial acumen | Negotiates standard terms preserving margin | 3 |
| Product & industry knowledge | Clear product-to-value explanations for buyers | 3 |
| Cross-functional collaboration & CRM discipline | Accurate CRM updates and predictable handoffs | 3 |
Senior Account Executive Scorecard — No-Fit Candidate
| Dimension | Notes | Score (1–5) |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue attainment & closing | Repeated quota shortfalls without corrective actions | 1 |
| Pipeline generation & prospecting | No evidence of outbound prospecting | 1 |
| Account strategy & expansion | No account plans or expansion wins | 1 |
| Relationship & stakeholder management | No engagement with key stakeholders | 1 |
| Negotiation & commercial acumen | Repeated margin concessions with no strategy | 1 |
| Product & industry knowledge | Cannot explain product benefits or use cases | 1 |
| Cross-functional collaboration & CRM discipline | CRM entries missing and handoffs fail | 1 |
Recruiter FAQs about this scorecard
Q: Do scorecards actually reduce bias?
A: Yes—when you use the same questions, anchored rubrics, and require evidence-based notes.
Q: How many dimensions should we score?
A: Stick to 6–8 core dimensions. More than 10 dilutes signal.
Q: How do we calibrate interviewers?
A: Run monthly sessions with sample candidate answers and compare scores.
Q: How do we handle candidates who spike in one area but are weak elsewhere?
A: Use weighted average but define non-negotiables.
Q: How should we adapt this for Junior vs. Senior roles?
A: Keep dimensions the same but raise expectations for Senior+.
Q: Does this work for take-home or live coding?
A: Yes. Apply the same dimensions, but adjust scoring criteria for context.
Q: Where should results live?
A: Store structured scores and notes in your ATS or ZYTHR.
Q: What if interviewers disagree widely?
A: Require written evidence, reconcile in debrief, or add a follow-up interview.
Q: Can this template be reused for other roles?
A: Yes. Swap technical dimensions for role-specific ones, keep collaboration and communication.
Q: Can ZYTHR auto-populate the scorecard?
A: Yes. ZYTHR can transcribe interviews, tag signals, and live-populate the scorecard.
See Live Scorecards in Action
ZYTHR is not only a resume-screening took, it also automatically transcribes interviews and live-populates scorecards, giving your team a consistent view of every candidate in real time.