What Hiring Managers Should Look for in Course Developers

Focus on skills that actually matter in your work environment

You’re about to hire a course developer, and you’re staring at a stack of resumes with fancy degrees. Here’s the truth: that instructional design degree doesn’t tell you if someone can build courses that work in your organization. I’ve hired plenty of people over the years, and the best performers weren’t always the ones with the most formal education.

Let me show you what actually predicts success.

Look at their portfolio first, not their resume

The portfolio tells you everything you need to know about how someone thinks and works. Don’t just glance at the final products—dig into their process. Ask candidates to walk you through a specific project and explain their design decisions. You want to hear how they approached the problem, what constraints they worked within, and how they measured success.

Pay attention to the variety in their work. Someone who’s built the same compliance course fifty times has different skills than someone who’s tackled diverse challenges across multiple industries. Look for evidence they can adapt their approach based on audience needs and business goals.

Check if their portfolio includes real projects with measurable outcomes. Academic projects are fine for new graduates, but experienced candidates should show work that actually got deployed and used. Ask about completion rates, feedback scores, or behavior change metrics if they have them.

Test their technical skills during the interview

Degrees don’t teach people how to use Articulate Storyline efficiently or troubleshoot SCORM issues. Set up a practical exercise where candidates demonstrate their authoring tool skills. Give them a simple scenario and watch how they approach building interactions or organizing content.

Don’t just test their ability to click buttons. See how they think about file organization, naming conventions, and version control. These details separate developers who can scale their work from those who create maintenance nightmares during production of the project and after it’s complete.

Ask about their experience with different tools and platforms. The best developers adapt quickly to new technology and understand when to use different approaches for different needs. They shouldn’t be married to just one authoring tool or design pattern.

Evaluate their understanding of real workplace constraints

Academic programs rarely prepare people for the reality of corporate training projects. You need developers who understand that perfect instructional design often loses to practical business needs. Ask candidates how they handle situations where stakeholders want to cram everything into one course or when budgets get cut mid-project.

Look for evidence they can work with subject matter experts who aren’t trained educators. Many SMEs struggle to organize their knowledge or identify what learners actually need to know. Strong developers know how to extract useful information and guide content development without stepping on toes.

Test their project management skills through specific examples. How do they handle multiple revisions? What’s their process for managing stakeholder feedback? How do they communicate delays or scope changes? These skills matter more than knowing cognitive load theory.

Don’t dismiss candidates without degrees

Some of the most skilled developers I’ve worked with learned everything through hands-on experience and self-directed study. They often understand current tools and industry practices better than recent graduates because they learned what they needed for actual work rather than theoretical frameworks.

Self-taught developers tend to be resourceful problem-solvers who stay current with technology changes. They’ve had to figure things out independently, which translates well to workplace challenges where you can’t always rely on formal training or support.

Look at their learning approach and community connections. Developers who actively participate in user forums, attend virtual meetups, or contribute to online discussions often have stronger practical knowledge than those who stopped learning after graduation.

When degrees actually matter for your team

Formal education becomes more important if your organization values research-based approaches or needs developers who can articulate learning theory to skeptical stakeholders. Some corporate environments require the credibility that comes with advanced degrees, especially when working with executive teams or external clients.

Consider degree requirements if you’re hiring for senior roles that involve curriculum strategy or learning program design. These positions benefit from broader theoretical knowledge and research skills that formal programs typically provide.

Don’t ignore degrees entirely, but use them as one factor among many. A candidate with both strong practical skills and formal education often brings the best combination of theory and application to your team.

Red flags to watch for regardless of background

Be cautious about candidates who can’t explain their design decisions in simple terms. Whether they learned through school or experience, good developers should articulate why they made specific choices and how those decisions serve learner needs.

Watch out for portfolio pieces that look impressive but lack substance. Flashy animations and complex interactions don’t matter if the course doesn’t teach effectively. Ask probing questions about learning objectives and how the design supports skill development.

Avoid candidates who seem inflexible about their preferred approaches. The best developers adapt their methods based on project requirements, audience needs, and organizational constraints rather than applying the same template to every situation.

Key takeaways

Skills and demonstrated experience predict success better than degrees when hiring course developers. Focus your evaluation on portfolio quality, technical competency, and understanding of workplace realities. Test practical abilities during interviews and look for evidence of real-world project success.

Don’t automatically dismiss candidates without formal education, but do consider degree requirements for senior strategic roles. The best hires combine practical skills with the ability to adapt and communicate effectively with stakeholders.