Top 5 Reasons to Hire a Contract Instructional Designer for Corporate Training

As learning and development continues to play a leading role in business performance, the demands placed on internal teams have become ever more complex. Designing effective training now requires more than instructional skills—it requires agility, specialization, and alignment with fast-moving priorities.

Yet, many companies still rely solely on internal resources to execute training initiatives, even when timelines are tight, deliverables are high-stakes, or the skillset required is outside their core team’s strengths. This approach can lead to burnout, delays, and missed opportunities.

Hiring a contract instructional designer offers a smarter, more strategic alternative. From gaining access to specialized expertise to increasing delivery speed without adding long-term headcount, contract talent provides tangible advantages, especially when deployed intentionally.

Here are five key reasons why more L&D leaders are turning to contract instructional designers to elevate corporate training initiatives:

1. You get specialized expertise—right when you need it

Instructional design is an umbrella term, but within it exists a wide spectrum of niche expertise. Some instructional designers thrive in interactive eLearning or gamified platforms. Others are experts in performance-based training or compliance content. Trying to cover all these bases with one or two generalists often leads to diluted results.

When you bring in a contract instructional designer, you can match the skillset to the exact nature of your project. Need someone experienced with Articulate Rise for microlearning modules? Or someone who has led global system rollouts in a heavily regulated industry? Contract talent lets you be that specific.

In fact, a Deloitte study found that 70% of executives plan to increase their use of contract or freelance professionals to access specialized expertise and improve speed of delivery. And according to Upwork, 59% of hiring managers say using freelance talent makes their teams more agile and responsive to business needs.

When training needs to be delivered on time—and done properly, having the right expertise in place from the start can make all the difference.

2. You scale without long-term overhead costs

Hiring full-time employees for every training project is not always realistic or efficient. Corporate training needs tend to surge temporarily: a merger, recent technology launch, or initiative tied to organizational change. Then, priorities shift. The key is creating an adaptable team structure.

Bringing on contract instructional designers allows you to scale your team in direct response to your pipeline without the costs of hiring, onboarding, and benefits. It is a model that protects your core budget while giving you the capacity to execute big initiatives.

According to Deloitte, organizations that integrate contingent talent into their strategic planning report better adaptability, faster execution, and 30–50% lower labor costs on project-based work.

Contract instructional designers help you stay agile without compromising quality or burning out internal resources.

3. You keep training timelines intact—even during disruption

L&D teams are pulled in multiple directions. From compliance requirements to executive coaching, priorities stack quickly. When internal bandwidth runs thin, delays become inevitable. But those delays can ripple into significant business impact: slower onboarding, stalled change efforts, or inconsistent training across departments.

Contract instructional designers offer a solution. They are familiar with stepping into high-pressure environments, aligning quickly with business goals, and producing high-quality content without lengthy ramp-up periods. And because they operate outside internal bottlenecks, they can keep training initiatives moving even when your internal team is at capacity.

This ability to stabilize timelines is especially crucial during events like software rollouts or new process implementations, moments when consistency and delivery speed are non-negotiable.

4. You get a fresh perspective that elevates your content

When you have been immersed in a topic or program for too long, it is easy to miss opportunities for improvement. That’s where external instructional designers shine. They bring experience from other industries, audiences, and learning formats, and with that comes fresh insight.

Experienced contractors often introduce innovative approaches that your internal team may not have had the bandwidth or exposure to consider. This could be restructuring a course to improve flow, simplifying dense material, or introducing scenario-based learning to drive engagement.

They are also more likely to challenge assumptions, ask different questions, and propose alternate solutions because they are coming in without legacy bias.

That objectivity can be just as valuable as their technical skillset, especially if your goal is to evolve your learning culture or modernize outdated programs.

5. You gain strategic agility for high-impact learning

Corporate training does not happen in a vacuum. Business needs shift, new initiatives launch, and priorities compete. Your ability to respond to those shifts can determine the relevance and effectiveness of your learning programs.

Contract instructional designers bring the agility needed to meet those changing demands. Whether it is a short sprint to support a new hire training program or a longer engagement to roll out a blended learning solution, they give you options that rigid staffing models do not.

This flexibility becomes critical when priorities shift quickly, especially during product launches, reorganizations, or rapid scaling. Having the ability to adjust resourcing in real time gives learning teams a strategic edge.

Real-world example: When Edward Jones needed to scale learning across multiple programs and audiences, they brought in over 30 experienced instructional designers to deliver everything from continuing education to virtual workshops. Read the full case study to see how contract talent helped meet their goals.

What to consider before hiring contract instructional designers

Contract talent can be a huge asset, but only when integrated thoughtfully. A few best practices to keep in mind:

• Clarify expectations early: Define scope, goals, deliverables, and success measures upfront. Do not assume the designer knows what is important to your organization.
• Vet beyond the resume: Ask to see samples, talk through past projects, and assess whether they can translate abstract objectives into structured learning experiences.
• Make onboarding efficient: Give them access to SMEs, documentation, tools, and feedback channels quickly. The faster they can orient, the sooner they can contribute.
• Stay collaborative: Check in regularly. A contract instructional designer is not a plug-and-play robot, they are a creative partner. Treating them as part of the team leads to stronger outcomes.

The bottom line

Strategic use of contract instructional designers delivers more than just additional staffing. It provides learning programs that are faster, sharper, and more strategically aligned to business goals. You gain expertise without the overhead, flexibility without the lag, and fresh perspectives that strengthen your training initiatives.

If your internal team is overextended—or your upcoming initiative demands a unique skillset—contract instructional design might be the lever that gets you to the finish line faster and better prepared.

Want to go deeper? 

For more insights on how instructional design drives business growth, listen to our podcast, where Dr. Kate Hixson shares strategies for captivating corporate learners, integrating emerging technologies, and scaling learning teams effectively.