An Instructional Designer creates training materials that engage learners, help them build their skills, and retain new information needed to succeed in their role.
While the responsibilities of an Instructional Designer may vary, their main duties include:
- Consult with clients to identify appropriate learning objectives based on business needs
- Create storyboards and/or scripts for new content
- Develop courses that may include complex interactions in Storyline 360 or other authoring tools based on storyboards
- Create Instructor-Led or Virtual Instructor-Led materials, including a Facilitator Guide and a Participant Guide
- Identify measurable objectives to define success and track key performance indicators (KPIs)
Finding the right Instructional Designer for your team is no easy feat.Â
From making sure they’re up-to-date on the latest software to ensuring they understand how to apply adult learning principles, hiring the right Instructional Designer that’s qualified for your team is a challenging process.
But, what exactly do Instructional Designers do and how can you ensure you hire a good fit for the job?Â
In this article, we’ll explore what an Instructional Designer is, discuss their main responsibilities, and provide 3 tips for hiring an effective Instructional Designer.Â
What Is An Instructional Designer?Â
An Instructional Designer creates training materials that engage learners, help them build their skills, and retain new information needed to succeed in their role. By utilizing the strengths of their team members (e.g. artistic design of slides, interactions, videos, etc.), an Instructional Designer weaves these talents together to create a seamless product.Â
It may be helpful to think of an Instructional Designer as the quarterback of a football team. They’re part problem-solver, teacher, technical writer, and consultant. Instructional designers can be hired as part of your in-house L&D team.Â
Whether your organization is looking to create an instructor-led training (ILT) program, eLearning modules, or a virtual reality (VR) activity, an Instructional Designer is critical to ensure the training is instructionally-sound and aligns with set learning goals.Â
Ultimately, an Instructional Designer determines the approach that will best meet the needs of learners and their organization.
What Are The Main Responsibilities Of An Instructional Designer?
While the main responsibilities of an Instructional Designer will vary from project to project, they typically include:
- Consult with clients to identify appropriate learning objectives based on business needs
- Create storyboards and/or scripts for new content
- Develop courses that may include complex interactions in Storyline 360 or other authoring tools based on storyboards
- Create Instructor-Led or Virtual Instructor-Led materials, including a Facilitator Guide and a Participant Guide
- Identify measurable objectives to define success and track key performance indicators (KPIs)
Check out our interview with Senior Instructional Designer, Anne Blum, to learn more about the typical role of an Instructional Designer.Â
3 Tips To Hiring The Best Instructional Designer
If you’re looking to hire an Instructional Designer at your organization, check out our 3 tips to make sure they’re the right fit for your internal L&D team.Â
- Tip 1 – Ensure they have the skills needed for the role. Instructional Designers have a wide range of skills and backgrounds, so you’ll want to make sure they have the skills needed for the specific position at your organization.Â
- Tip 2 – Be sure to see examples of their work to validate they have the skills and experience that you’re looking for. Common work examples from Instructional Designers include: eLearning samples that they’ve developed, ILT/VILT materials they’ve developed such as job aids, Facilitator Guides, etc.
- Tip 3 – Find the right cultural fit for your organization. Workplace culture varies between organizations and even with the best skillset, a candidate may not be the right culture fit for your team. You can ensure a potential new hire is a culture fit by introducing them to other members of the I.D. team, exploring their passions, and making sure they understand your core values.Â
Are You Ready To Hire The Right Instructional Designer For Your Team?
In this article, we’ve covered what an Instructional Designer is, their main responsibilities, and 3 hiring tips. We hope that by reading this article, you feel more confident when it comes to finding the right Instructional Designer for your team.Â
Looking to learn more about learning and development? Book a meeting with an expert on our team today or explore more of our resources on all things L&D.
