Oh no!
You finally convince your leadership team that online training is a worthwhile investment. You spend months researching eLearning platforms, developing a training strategy, reviewing course material, and navigating a tight budget through the implementation process.
You can feel the excitement in your step as you stride into work bright and early, expecting to see the results of all your hard work except…
You’re greeted by weary eyes and bored expressions as your employees mindlessly click through their eLearning modules.
What. Went. Wrong?
You thought that 57% of employees want more eLearning opportunities to enhance their skills. And 74% of employees feel their potential is untapped. So why do your employees look like they’d rather be doing anything other than corporate training?
With 85% of employees actively disengaged at work, it can be a struggle to have them engage with anything, let alone training. But with so many eLearning success stories, why is your organization's online training program flatlining?
If you caught my last article, you already know the culprit is likely poorly executed instructional design.
But just in case you didn’t, let’s do a quick recap!
Instructional design is the recipe for eLearning program success. It is a process that involves analyzing learning needs, developing instructional materials, and assessing learning outcomes to produce effective, engaging, and enjoyable learning experiences for your team. And who is the mastermind driving this process? Well, it’s none other than the instructional designer!
So, here begins our journey together – hiring an instructional designer to help take our custom eLearning courses and experiences from forgettable to remarkable – and allowing you to achieve your wildest eLearning dreams in the process!
But what exactly is an instructional designer? Why should you consider hiring one instead of tackling another DIY project? With so many great candidates, how do you decide which instructional designer to hire?
If you’re anything like me, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices you have to make, especially decisions that can have massive impact on your business.
Luckily, in this article, we'll explore these questions (and more), giving you the inside scoop on
So let’s dive right in!
If instructional design is the recipe for eLearning success, then an instructional designer is the chef putting your training masterpiece together.
Similar to how a culinary artist uses ingredients to create mouth-watering dishes, instructional designers use learning theories, instructional design models, and multimedia production to craft custom eLearning solutions that meet the needs of your learners.
Think about it this way:
Remember the hypothetical scenario at the beginning of this article? You put all that effort into creating a training program only to have your employees completely entirely from the material.
Well, instructional designers ensure that this hypothetical situation doesn’t become your reality.
In other words, they can turn a complicated (and often boring) arsenal of training material into impactful learning experiences for your workforce.
In addition to simply creating better training programs, there are several reasons organizations might hire an instructional designer.
For starters, instructional designers bring unique skills to the table. With a deep understanding of learning theories, instructional design models, and best practices for creating engaging and effective eLearning content, they can design a course that meets all learners' needs – visual, auditory, or kinesthetic.
Instructional designers also have experience using technology and multimedia to create interactive, multimedia-rich learning experiences to keep learners focused and attentive.
Engaging learning experiences presented in an easy-to-understand manner equals increased knowledge retention
Increasing your employees’ ability to retain knowledge means they will have an easier time recalling and applying what they’ve learned to their roles. In nearly every circumstance, improving knowledge retention results in higher productivity levels, better performance, and ultimately increased ROI!
Another key reason to consider hiring an instructional designer is that they can help your organization save time and resources in the long run. Creating high-quality, custom eLearning content is a complex and time-consuming process, and it can be challenging to stay on top of all the latest trends and best practices. An instructional designer can handle all your design and development work, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your business.
Sounds great in theory, right? But I get it – hiring an instructional designer may not be entirely up to you. You may also have to convince your C-suite and leadership team that an instructional designer is worth the investment.
Well, let’s see! Do any of the following organizational issues exist within your workplace? If you recognize any of these common training difficulties, it may be time to call an instructional designer for help.
Ultimately an instructional designer's goal is to organize (and simplify) your eLearning content, determine the best methods for delivering content, and create the accessible and inclusive training materials you need to meet your learning objectives.
Of course, not all instructional designers are created equal, so how do you know if you've found the right one for your organization? One of the best ways to evaluate an instructional designer's skills and experience is to look at their portfolio.
An instructional design portfolio is much like any other portfolio. It’s a collection of an instructional designer's best work showcasing their skills and experience. But it’s not enough to look at a potential candidate’s work. You must ensure that their work will produce your desired learning outcomes. As a result, there are a few key things you should look for when evaluating an instructional design portfolio.
When evaluating a portfolio, pay close attention to the quality of the content. Is it well-written, visually appealing, and easy to follow? Does it effectively use multimedia elements to enhance the learning experience? How does the designer mitigate accessibility issues for less tech-savvy employees and those with potential learning impairments?
Consider the types of instructional materials the designer has experience creating. Look for a portfolio showcasing various projects, from online courses to training manuals, to get a sense of the designer's versatility and expertise.
Instructional designers should be able to demonstrate the impact of their work, for example, by showing how their materials have helped improve employee performance or satisfaction.
Ensure the instructional designer's work aligns with your organization's goals and objectives. For example, are the proposed courses and tutorials focused on the topics you need to be covered? Do they include assessments and activities that are relevant to your business? Do they have experience working in your industry or with similar types of learners?
After assessing an instructional designer’s portfolio, the next step is to evaluate a candidate’s competencies and abilities.
To help you make the right decision, we’ve compiled a list of five skills to consider when considering potential instructional designers. Let’s take a closer look at each of these skills and how to evaluate them.
A great instructional designer must articulate their ideas clearly, listen actively, explain complex concepts in simple terms, and constructively provide feedback.
Instructional designers as they often face challenges while designing eLearning courses. So, it is imperative that they can identify and solve problems. They must be able to analyze a situation, identify the root cause of a problem, and develop a solution that meets the needs of the learners.
The ability to make informed decisions based on data and research, assess trade-offs, and weigh the consequences of different choices is essential for instructional designers.
Effective instructional design involves easy-to-understand material delivered in an attention-grabbing manner. So, an instructional designer must be able to bring new and innovative ideas to the table to ensure that your eLearning program captures (and keeps) your employees’ attention.
Instructional designers should have strong research skills and be able to gather and analyze data to inform their design decisions. They should also be up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices in eLearning and instructional design.
In addition to these core skills, here are some other traits that can make a great instructional designer even better.
Evaluating an instructional designer’s skills can help you find the right person for the job. So, don't be afraid to ask questions while evaluating potential candidates!
At this point, we’ve reviewed what an instructional designer is and how they can help your organization. We’ve also established a baseline for the criteria you can use to evaluate potential candidates and their portfolios.
Now that you have everything you need to know about evaluating an instructional designer – what’s next? Well, you’re likely ready to start reviewing candidates for the position.
Of course, with so many potential designers to choose from, I understand if starting the hiring process feels a little overwhelming. So, why don’t we take a little sneak peek at the hiring process for an instructional designer? We’ll walk through the steps involved, from pre-screening to salary negotiations.
Once you and your leadership team agree on a salary, it's time to reach out to the winning instructional designer candidate with a contract. The contract should include details about the job responsibilities, pay, benefits, and any other relevant details. Be sure to include non-compete and non-disclosure agreements and any other necessary disclosures.
Overall, the hiring process for an instructional designer will vary depending on the organization's needs and hiring policies. However, these are the steps we'd recommend that most organizations follow to identify and hire the best candidate for the job.
With an investment as important as your team’s learning and development, the last thing you want is to deploy a training program that doesn’t yield results.
Good thing (with the help of an instructional designer) your employees never have to sit through another tedious or confusing eLearning session again!
Whether you're building your eLearning program from scratch or looking to revamp your existing training content, instructional designers can bring a wealth of expertise and experience to your eLearning initiatives, helping you achieve your goals and desired training outcomes.
All you have to do is leap into the process!
The best part? You don't have to do it alone. Our team is available to help you every step of the way. So reach out to our eLearning advisors with any questions, or head back to our Learning Hub to continue exploring the wonderful world of custom eLearning development and instructional design!