Preparing for Your Sales Development Representative Interview at Procore Technologies

Getting ready for an interview is easier when you know what to expect. Whether you are actively applying for a role at Procore Technologies or simply curious, our recruiting team is happy to share tips on how to prepare for tech sales interviews. My recruiting role focuses on supporting our sales team and I work closely with our hiring managers to ensure our process is aligned with their needs while following our candidate experience standards. Below you will find the details of our interview framework for our Sales Development Representatives (SDRs) and insights on questions you might encounter, themes to think about, and who you may be meeting with.

Step 1: The Initial Screening Call

The start of our application process generally starts with a screening call by a recruiter.  It doesn’t matter if you are interviewing for sales, engineering, customer success or anything else. 

This initial screening call is the opportunity for you to learn more about Procore, the team and the role. We really encourage questions at this point. It’s important to us that you understand who we are and what we do so you can feel confident in making a decision to work here. This call is also a chance for us to learn about you; we want to hear about your experiences, what you are looking for in a career and how your background aligns with the role.

The Initial Screening Call Process

Prior to your call, your recruiter will inform you if the call will be conducted by phone or by video. These calls typically last 20 to 30 minutes and include three sections:

Introductions

• We start the call off with a friendly, high-level introduction and set the expectations for the call. During the introduction, we’ll share details about Procore and our vision of improving the lives of everyone in construction. 

Get To Know You

• Your recruiter will ask you questions about your interest in an SDR role, your sales experience and how you handle rejection. This is a great opportunity for you to share scenarios where you took rejection in stride, demonstrated your intelligence, and overcame obstacles—anything that shows how you can use good communication skills and a positive attitude on the job. We will also use this time to ensure alignment on salary expectations, benefits and working conditions (such as working hours, office location, and in-office expectations). We encourage you to be very clear about your expectations upfront so that we can minimize any unforeseen blockers down the road. 

Answering Your Questions 

• We reserve time at the end for you. This is your chance to ask specific questions demonstrating your genuine interest in the job, to uncover extra details that are important to you, and any clarifying questions you have.

Step 2: The Core Interview - What to Expect

The next step in our process is the Core Interview. These steps allow our hiring team to dive deep and learn more about you. For candidates outside of the US and Canada, you will meet with the hiring manager before progressing to the Core Interview stage.

The Core Interview Process

There are three themes of the Core Interview: Values, Grit and Skillset. For each theme, you will meet with a different interviewer for about 30 minutes. The interviewers selected will typically be people you would work with either directly or indirectly. 

Core Interview 1: Values

• This is a chance for you to spotlight past performance and initiatives that reflect the Procore values of openness, ownership and optimism. The questions tied to this theme help us understand how you align with the ways that we work and how we treat each other at Procore. 

Core Interview 2: Grit

• This is where we dive into what drives you. We are looking to learn what your skills are built on and how they connect with the skills and strengths needed to be successful in a sales role. You can expect behavior-based questions around resilience, perseverance, meaningful work, internal motivation, and adaptability.

Core Interview 3: Skillset

• The skillset interview is your chance to show your skills in action. Your interviewer will lead you through a role-play scenario, where they typically play the role of a project manager at a construction company and you act as the Procore SDR. This approach allows you to demonstrate your people and lead-generation skills. To stand out, be sure to use relevant industry language, ask targeted questions, uncover the clients’ pain points, book a follow-up conversation, and handle objections. Your recruiter will send you the complete brief for this role-play in advance to help you prepare. 

You will have a chance at the end of each interview to ask questions. Consider tailoring your question around each of these themes.

Step 3: Potential Manager Meeting

If you didn’t have the opportunity to speak directly with the hiring manager during the Core Interviews (this can sometimes happen due to scheduling conflicts), you may be asked to meet with the manager. During this call the manager will ask some get-to-know-you questions and focus on areas where they want more information about you. This could include more insights on your past sales experiences, transferable skills, and interest in Procore.

Three Tips to Help You Prepare for Success During Your Interviews

1. Do your research to understand what we do, our story, and dive into stories on the impact that our customers have on the communities around us to help you understand why we’re so passionate about construction. Throughout the entire interview process, you will get questions asking you what you know about Procore.
2. Think beyond your resume. Show your preparedness by putting together a description of who you are, the skills you have developed through your experiences, and relevant interests outside of the workplace as they relate to the role you are interviewing for.
3. Prepare your questions in advance. One way to approach this is to think about Procore’s mission and vision and ask questions that connect with the work you'd be doing here or the challenges you're most interested in helping to solve.

Final Outcomes

If you made it to the final stages of the interview, well done! You have demonstrated the value that you could bring to the job and showcased your problem-solving abilities. Whatever the outcome, we want you to know that we appreciate the time and effort you put into interviewing with Procore. If you are not selected, the good news is that we’re always adding new roles to our careers website and we encourage you to apply for any positions that interest you.

If you are selected for the role, congratulations! Your recruiter will follow up with you directly with detailed information such as your offer, our onboarding process, your new hire welcome kit and any equipment requirements.

P.S. Looking for more helpful tips about interviewing for the SDR role at Procore? Get a copy of our Ace Your Interview: Tips for your SDR Interview to help you prepare.