Need tips on interviewing and evaluating Instructional Designers? It’s not surprising. Hiring the right instructional designer is a big decision. Instructional design brings together writing, learning theory, visual design, and communication. Finding someone with the right mix of skills and experience can take time.
At ProEdit, we’ve hired and worked alongside many instructional designers on projects for clients across industries. Over the years, we’ve learned what makes a great instructional designer—and what to watch for during the hiring process.
Whether you’re hiring your first ID or growing a learning team, the process can feel overwhelming. These tips on interviewing Instructional Designers will help you evaluate candidates with more confidence.
Reviewing Resumes
Before you dive into a pile of resumes, take time to make a checklist. It helps you focus on what matters and makes sure every candidate gets the same fair review. If others on your team are also reviewing, share your list to keep everyone aligned.
Here are some key things to look for:
- Spelling, grammar, and formatting: A resume is the first writing sample. It should be clean, clear, and free of errors. Instructional designers must write well, so strong communication should show up here.
- Relevant tools and technology: Don’t pass on someone just because they’ve used a different authoring tool. A designer who knows Articulate can likely learn Captivate, Rise, or Storyline with minimal ramp-up. What matters more is how they use tools to create great learning content.
- Experience: Does the candidate have a work history in the instructional design field? Candidates may come from teaching, corporate training, or technical writing backgrounds. However, they may not have experience creating instructional materials for the unique needs of adult learners. If you are hiring for a junior-level position, find out whether they have done any pro-bono work.
- Practical experience: Look for hands-on course development, not just training delivery or teaching. Even junior candidates should be able to show work they’ve done—either through school, internships, or volunteer projects.
- Education: A degree in instructional design can be helpful, but it’s not a must. Many great designers come from other fields like education, technical writing, or UX. What’s more important is whether they understand adult learning and know how to design around it.
Reviewing Work Samples
Most strong candidates will have samples or can talk through a past project. Even if they can’t share client-specific files, they should be able to show storyboards, mockups, or personal projects. Here’s what to look for:
- Creativity: Does the content feel fresh, engaging, and well-paced? Are visuals and interactions thoughtfully designed?
- Good learning structure: Is the content easy to follow? Does it build from simple to complex ideas? Look for evidence that they’re following learning best practices.
- Interactivity: Are learners involved? Clickable activities, quizzes, branching scenarios, and other interactive elements show that the designer knows how to keep users engaged.
- Presentation: Are the fonts, spacing, and graphics consistent and polished? Are there any writing mistakes? High-quality presentation matters, especially when your training reflects your brand.
Final thoughts on evaluating samples
Don’t worry if the subject matter doesn’t match your industry. A great instructional designer can learn any content area. Focus on how they structure, present, and guide the learner through the experience. Hiring based only on industry background could cause you to miss out on strong creative thinkers.
In Part 2, we’ll cover how to ask better interview questions. We’ll also show how to check for problem-solving skills and learning design mindset. At ProEdit, we know great training starts with the right people behind the content.
Continue to Part 2 – Tips for Interviewing Instructional Designers
See also:
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