Instructional Design Services for Busy L&D Teams: When Outsourcing Just Makes Sense

If you work in corporate learning, you already know the story: the requests keep coming, priorities shift daily, and somehow every project is “urgent.” Even the most talented L&D teams hit a point where the workload outpaces the bandwidth. That’s usually when leaders start asking the question: Should we outsource some of this?

Outsourcing instructional design services isn’t a sign that your team can’t handle the work. It’s actually the opposite. It’s a strategic move that lets your internal team stay focused on what matters most while bringing in the right kind of support at the right moment. When done well, it reduces burnout, speeds up delivery, and raises the quality of your learning products.

Let’s break down why it works and how to know when it’s time to bring in extra hands.

Why L&D Teams Are So Overloaded Right Now

Most learning leaders juggle far more than a typical workload. On any given day, you might be supporting new technology rollouts, leadership development programs, compliance requirements, customer-facing learning, upskilling initiatives, onboarding for growing teams, and the nonstop demands of digital transformation. And that’s before you layer in performance support, job aids, VILT sessions, coaching programs, or the inevitable redesign of outdated courses that have been sitting in your LMS for years.

When demand keeps rising but headcount doesn’t, even the strongest teams start to feel the pressure. Timelines slip, creative quality dips, SME partnerships get strained, and team morale takes a hit. Outsourcing becomes one of the simplest ways to protect your team and the quality of your learning deliverables.

What Instructional Design Services Can Include (Depending on What You Need)

One of the biggest advantages of outsourcing instructional design work is the flexibility. You’re not locked into hiring a full team, you can bring in exactly what your project needs and nothing more. Instructional design services can cover everything from upfront strategy and analysis, such as performance consulting, needs analysis, learning strategy, audience insights, curriculum mapping, and defining success metrics, to the actual design of the content itself. That might include crafting learning objectives, writing course outlines, developing storyboards and scripts, designing activities like scenarios or simulations, and building effective assessments.

On the development side, outsourced experts can handle eLearning builds in tools like Storyline, Rise, Captivate, or Lectora; produce animated or character-based videos; create interactive simulations; incorporate gamified elements; or adapt training into mobile-friendly formats. If your project involves live or blended learning, instructional designers can also develop ILT and VILT sessions, blended learning journeys, microlearning series, job aids, and performance support tools.

Technical support is also part of the mix, including LMS loading and QA, SCORM or xAPI troubleshooting, and accessibility reviews or remediation. And for teams that need help managing the process, consultants can coordinate with SMEs, run review cycles, and keep timelines on track.

Many L&D leaders assume outsourcing only covers eLearning development, but instructional design services are far more expansive. You can outsource a full initiative, a single phase, or even just one specialized skill that your internal team doesn’t have in-house.

How to Know When It’s Time to Outsource

Here are some common signs it’s time to bring in outside instructional design support.

1. Your team is at capacity.

When your calendar looks like a Jenga tower and everything feels equally urgent, adding a contractor buys breathing room and prevents burnout.

2. You need skills your team doesn’t have.

Motion graphics, simulations, accessibility expertise, advanced Storyline development… these aren’t everyday skills, but they matter.

3. Internal clients expect delivery faster than your team can produce it.

Outside instructional design consultants can focus solely on the project without being pulled into internal meetings or unrelated priorities.

4. Maintenance changes are starting to pile up.

Your internal team wants to work on new design. Going back to older programs and making small changes to keep them current is a perfect project to outsource and let your skilled team work on new projects.

5. You’re launching something large or high-impact.

System rollouts, enterprise onboarding, compliance overhauls, these often require more hands for a short period of time.

Download your copy of 6 Great Reasons to Outsource a Large eLearning Project

Why Outsourcing Instructional Design Services Works

1. You get faster timelines without overwhelming your team.

Consultants are brought in for a focused purpose. They’re not navigating your org chart or internal politics, they’re building.

2. You bring in fresh perspectives.

Seasoned consultants have seen what works across industries. They can help you avoid common pitfalls and offer approaches your internal team may not think about when they’re buried in day-to-day tasks.

3. You get access to specialized talent.

Animations, complex simulations, AI tools, accessibility remediation: you don’t need to hire a full-time specialist for every unique skill.

4. Your budget becomes more predictable.

You can scale up or down based on the project. No long-term salary commitments, benefits costs, or backfilling challenges.

What to Look for in an Instructional Design Partner

If you’re outsourcing, choose a partner that understands corporate learning, not a generic staffing agency. Look for:

• Experience in your industry
• Ability to scale for large initiatives
• Strong SME management skills
• Transparent communication
• A portfolio of varied formats and complexity
• Vetted consultants

And ideally, a partner who actually understands L&D from lived experience, not just transactional recruiting.