There’s a moment every learning leader faces: the project list keeps growing, your internal team is running at full capacity, and the requests just keep coming: new hire onboarding needs updating, sales enablement is launching a new product, and compliance training is already overdue. Everyone’s saying “yes” because they care… but burnout is quietly building.
If this feels familiar, it’s probably time to consider outsourcing your instructional design work. Not because your team isn’t capable, but because they’re at capacity. Strategic outsourcing can help you keep pace, protect your team’s energy, and deliver high-quality training on time.
Where Bottlenecks Begin
Even the best internal teams run into roadblocks. Here are the most common:
Too many projects, not enough people
- Most corporate L&D teams run lean, just a few instructional designers juggling dozens of requests.
Conflicting priorities across departments
- Marketing wants one thing, compliance another, and senior leaders have their own vision. Your team is stuck in the middle.
Projects outside your team’s expertise
- Need scenario-based learning? Or something in Vyond, Rise, or VR? Your team may not have the bandwidth to learn on the fly.
These bottlenecks are a natural consequence of rising demand in a fast-paced learning environment. We have all experienced these problems.
What Outsourcing Really Looks Like (It’s More Flexible Than You Think)
Outsourcing doesn’t mean handing off all your training development to a third party in a faraway land. It’s much more tailored than that.
Here’s what it can look like:
- Bringing in a freelance instructional design consultant to handle overflow design work.
- Assigning a create eLearning developer to translate your team’s storyboards into new, cutting edge learning delivery platforms like Synthesia.
- Hiring a project manager or change management consultant to help manage a learning program launch.
- Asking for a fresh set of eyes to rewrite dated eLearning content.
- Hiring a strategist to work with your team to develop a strategy for incorporating generative or agentic AI into your process.
In other words: it’s not “either/or.” It’s “yes, and.”
The Benefits of Outsourcing Instructional Design
Let’s look at why learning leaders outsource—and keep doing it:
1. Protect Your Internal Team
Outsourcing gives your team room to breathe. Let them focus on high-impact strategy, stakeholder relationships, and evaluating learning outcomes—not building slides at 11 p.m.
2. Get to the Finish Line Faster
Seasoned instructional designers can jump into your process and start delivering quickly. No training wheels needed.
3. Access Specialized Skills
Whether it’s designing a branching scenario, working in WellSaid Labs, or building in a specific LMS, outsourced designers bring the exact expertise you need without a long-term employment commitment.
4. Scale Up for Critical Moments
Launching a new initiative? Implementing a new software company-wide? Don’t stretch your internal team too thin. Pull in external help to handle the surge and keep everything on track.
What to Look for in an Outsourcing Partner
When outsourcing instructional design, who you partner with matters just as much as what you outsource. Here’s what to look for:
Instructional design experience, not just staffing
You need someone who understands adult learning principles—not just someone who has spent a career in sales.
Strong portfolio and proven tools
Ask to see past work in tools like Articulate, Vyond, or even simple prototypes.
Excellent communication
You want someone who listens, asks smart questions, and understands your timeline. Ask potential new partners who you will be working with after the contract is signed.
No offshoring of instructional design
Instructional design—especially in corporate environments—relies heavily on cultural nuance, business acumen, and fluency in stakeholder needs. You want professionals embedded in the same context as your learners. Be wary of vendors who send the work overseas to save a buck—it often leads to rework, delays, and frustrating misalignment.
Not All Vendors Are Created Equal
Here’s where a lot of outsourcing goes wrong:
Some staffing firms don’t understand instructional design. They send you resumes, not solutions. They focus on keywords instead of outcomes. And worse, some are more interested in filling a seat than making sure the consultant can do the work.
At TrainingPros, we approach it differently. Our Relationship Managers are former instructional designers, facilitators, and learning leaders. They’ve been in your shoes. So, when you tell us you need someone with expertise in adaptive learning or executive coaching design, we know exactly what that means and these former clients and industry practitioners know how to select a qualified consultant.
And we don’t offshore.
When Should You Outsource? A Quick Checklist
You don’t have to wait until your team is underwater. Here are signs it’s time to consider outsourcing:
- Projects keep getting delayed due to lack of bandwidth.
- Your team is working nights and weekends to stay caught up.
- You’ve had inconsistent quality in past courses.
- A new initiative is coming, and you don’t have time to hire.
- You’re ready to introduce new cutting edge technology but lack internal experience.
Work Smarter, Not Harder
Outsourcing instructional design isn’t about giving up control. It’s about protecting your internal team, delivering high-quality learning, and staying ahead of business demands.
Smart learning leaders don’t wait for burnout. They anticipate it—and act.
Download Your Copy of Do You Need an Instructional Design Consultant?
Ready to Work with Us?
Does your L&D team have more projects than people? TrainingPros has been named a Top 20 Staffing Company internationally by Training Industry, and recognized as a Smartchoice® Preferred Provider by Brandon Hall Group for 2025. We’re also proud to be named a Champion of Learning by the Association for Talent Development (ATD)—an international honor that reflects our dedication to excellence in corporate learning. These accolades underscore TrainingPros’ unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality, tailored training solutions.
If your projects need instructional design consultants, eLearning developers, or other L&D consultants for your custom content projects, reach out to one of our industry-expert relationship managers today.
When you have more projects than people™, let TrainingPros find the right consultant to start your project with confidence. Schedule a consultation today.
