When organizations decide to hire an instructional design consultant, they are usually facing an important challenge. A new initiative needs support. A compliance requirement must be addressed. A business process has changed. Performance isn’t where it should be.
Unfortunately, many projects begin with a solution already prescribed.
“We need a 30-minute eLearning course.”
“We need a facilitator guide.”
“We need a series of microlearning modules.”
The deliverable has already been chosen before anyone has fully explored the problem.
At first glance, this approach seems efficient. After all, the organization knows what it wants and simply needs someone to build it. But treating instructional design consultants like order takers often leads to missed opportunities, unnecessary rework, and learning solutions that fail to deliver meaningful results.
The most effective instructional designers bring much more than content development skills. They bring analysis, problem-solving, learning expertise, and an outside perspective that can help organizations avoid costly mistakes.
What Does It Mean to Treat
an Instructional Designer Like an Order Taker?
Treating a consultant like an order taker usually happens when the organization focuses entirely on the deliverable rather than the outcome. The conversation sounds something like this:
“We need a course on this topic.”
“Can you build these slides into eLearning?”
“We need a two-hour workshop.”
In these situations, the consultant is expected to execute a predefined solution rather than help determine whether that solution is actually the best approach.
Organizations may unintentionally limit the consultant’s effectiveness by:
- Restricting access to stakeholders
- Skipping discovery conversations
- Discouraging recommendations outside the original request
- Focusing only on content production
- Measuring success by completion rather than business impact
Most teams do not do this intentionally. They are often moving quickly, managing competing priorities, and trying to solve problems under tight deadlines. However, speed can sometimes come at the expense of effectiveness.
Why Instructional Designers Ask So Many Questions
One of the first signs of an experienced instructional design consultant is the number and types of questions they ask. For some stakeholders, this might feel frustrating.
“If we already know we need training, why are we spending time discussing the problem?”
Because the quality of the solution depends on understanding the situation that created the request in the first place. Strong instructional designers want to know:
- What business problem are we trying to solve?
- What should employees do differently?
- How is performance measured today?
- What happens if the issue is not addressed?
- What barriers are preventing success?
- How will we know the solution worked?
These questions are not obstacles to progress. They are part of the design process. Without this information, even the most beautifully designed learning experience may miss the mark.
The Hidden Cost of Building the Wrong Solution
One of the biggest risks of the order-taker approach is that training may not actually be the answer. Many performance challenges have little to do with employee knowledge. Employees may already understand the process. The real issue could involve unclear expectations, inefficient workflows, outdated systems, competing priorities, or inconsistent management support.
In these situations, building more training often creates activity without creating results. The instructional designer delivers exactly what was requested. Learners complete the course. Yet the original business problem remains.
This is not a failure of instructional design. It is often a failure to diagnose the problem correctly before development begins.
From Instructional Designer to Performance Consultant:
Rework Is Almost Always More Expensive Than Discovery
Organizations sometimes skip discovery because they believe it will save time. Ironically, the opposite is often true. When important questions are not addressed early, they tend to appear later in the project. Additional stakeholders become involved. New requirements emerge. Scope changes. Assumptions prove incorrect.
Suddenly, the team is revising storyboards, redesigning learning activities, updating assessments, or rebuilding content that could have been designed correctly from the beginning. A few discovery conversations at the start of a project can prevent weeks of rework later.
Great Instructional Designers Bring
More Than Content Development
Many people still think of instructional designers primarily as course builders. While content development is certainly part of the role, experienced instructional design consultants often contribute far beyond production work.
They help organizations:
- Clarify business goals
- Define performance expectations
- Identify root causes
- Recommend appropriate learning strategies
- Improve stakeholder alignment
- Select the right delivery methods
- Anticipate implementation challenges
Because consultants often work across multiple organizations and industries, they bring perspective that internal teams may not have. They have seen projects succeed. They have seen projects fail. They understand common risks and can often identify potential problems before they become expensive issues.
This expertise is one of the primary reasons organizations choose to hire an instructional designer in the first place.
5 Questions Every Learning & Development Consultant Should Be Able to Answer
Sometimes the Best Recommendation Is Less Training
One of the most valuable contributions a consultant can make is helping stakeholders recognize when a course is not the best solution. For example, a consultant might recommend:
- A job aid instead of a course
- Manager coaching instead of learner training
- Workflow improvements instead of additional content
- Performance support tools instead of formal instruction
- Process clarification before any learning solution is developed
At first, this may feel like resistance. In reality, it is often a sign that the consultant is focused on solving the business problem rather than simply producing deliverables. Organizations benefit when consultants feel empowered to make these recommendations.
A Better Way to Work
with Instructional Design Consultants
The most successful consulting engagements begin with a different conversation. Instead of saying:
“Here is the course we need.”
Try saying:
“Here is the challenge we’re trying to solve.”
Share information about:
- Business goals
- Desired outcomes
- Existing materials
- Performance expectations
- Success metrics
- Organizational constraints
Then allow the consultant to recommend the best path forward. This approach creates a true partnership where both parties are working toward the same result.
How TrainingPros Helps Clients Avoid This Mistake
One reason organizations choose to work with TrainingPros is that our Relationship Managers come from learning and development backgrounds themselves. They understand instructional design, performance consulting, and the realities of delivering learning solutions inside complex organizations.
Rather than simply matching keywords on a résumé, they help clients think through project requirements, identify the right expertise, and determine what type of consultant will be most successful.
In addition, TrainingPros completes the first rounds of vetting before introducing candidates. This saves time while ensuring clients have access to instructional design consultants who can contribute strategically, not just execute tasks.
The goal is not simply to fill a role. The goal is to help clients find professionals who can improve project outcomes.
Final Thoughts
The best instructional design consultants do much more than create courses. They ask questions. They challenge assumptions. They identify risks. They recommend alternatives. Most importantly, they focus on solving problems rather than simply producing deliverables.
When organizations treat instructional designers like order takers, they limit the very expertise they hired.
When they treat them as strategic partners, they often uncover better solutions, achieve stronger business results, and create learning experiences that make a meaningful difference.
Working Successfully with Contract L&D Professionals
Ready to Work with Us?
Does your L&D team have more projects than people?
Many organizations in this position turn to contract instructional designers to scale training without overloading internal teams. If you’re exploring options or comparing eLearning development companies, you should learn more about how organizations design and scale these solutions.
TrainingPros is a learning and development company that connects organizations with experienced instructional designers, eLearning developers, and performance consultants. We’ve been named a Top 20 Staffing Company by Training Industry and a Champion of Learning by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), recognition that reflects our commitment to delivering high-quality, tailored learning solutions.
If your learning initiatives require additional support, whether for a single project or a large-scale rollout, our relationship managers can help you find the right expertise quickly and confidently.
When you have more projects than people™, let TrainingPros find the right consultant to start your project with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Treat Instructional Design Contractors
What does an instructional design consultant do?
An instructional design consultant helps organizations analyze learning needs, design effective solutions, develop learning experiences, and align training initiatives with business goals.
Why do instructional designers ask so many questions?
Questions help instructional designers understand the business problem, learner needs, performance expectations, and success measures before creating a solution.
Should instructional design consultants challenge stakeholder requests?
Yes. Experienced consultants often identify risks, suggest alternatives, and recommend more effective solutions based on their expertise and project experience.
How can organizations get the most value from instructional design consultants?
Treat consultants as strategic partners. Share business goals, involve them in discovery discussions, provide access to stakeholders, and remain open to their recommendations.
