Hiring an e-Learning contractor
Aug 22, 2014
The company I work for is willing to hire a contractor to help me with a large upcoming project, which is a huge relief to me! Now the question:
What would be good interview questions to ask this prospective contractor?
If it helps you frame your questions, the project will result in several self-paced tutorials to teach new employees some technical skills in our computer systems. I envision the tutorials will provide coaching on each step of the process, and possibly a skill assessment at the end, not a knowledge assessment. I will be the lead on the project, and the contractor will complete the editing, flow, etc.
Thanks for your help, Heroes!
5 Replies
Hi Danny,
Welcome to the community!! Thanks for joining, we're glad you're here to post your question!
So, I think you might get more accurate responses if you clarify a few points...
Let us know... knowing these things can really help guide the type of questions you'll be asking.
Nicole
Nicole, I'd be happy to clarify a few points!
We might need a little of both instructional designer and e-learning developer. This person won't have the luxury of time to get up-to-speed on the specific job processes that we will be documenting, so I intend to create the storyboards and this person will develop the modules. However, there is room for instructional design as they develop the process. Instructions for the process need to be embedded in the module, as well as the skill assessment at the end, so there's room for creativity and flexibility in both design and development.
Um, the tool is going to be Adobe Captivate. While I'm a huge fan of Articulate's products, my current employer is an Adobe shop. I've been a lurker on this forum long enough to know that it's not an issue to mention that other tool here, but out of respect for Articulate, I didn't mention it earlier. Articulate has a way better user forum than Adobe!
I found this great thread after I posted my question, but I'm open to more ideas, too!
http://community.articulate.com/forums/p/5797/32294.aspx
Great - thanks for clarifying Danny! We're happy you've come to our community with your question, regardless of the authoring tool you're working with!
That's a super great thread with a lot of great points and info... glad you found it!
These are just my opinion and I think they were all mentioned in the other discussion, but personally, I'd definitely want to see a portfolio with 3-5 samples of work, and I think I might also consider the assignment. It's a way to see who's serious about the position and a great way to assess real skills. If the person's going to have both ID and development skills, I'd give them a simple pdf doc with some general information and ask them to take that and turn it into a mini course. Even just something 3-5 slides, just to get a sense for their approach, capability, time & effort devoted, etc.
Hope to see other comments and Good luck with your interview :) Keep us posted!
Hi Danny and a very warm welcome to e-learning Heroes.
From a freelancers point of view, and in addition to Nicole's posts, I like it when my prospective employer shows he is serious about their project(s) and has already put some thought into the process themselves. I generally feel more inclined to make a pitch when the questions they ask stem from their own requirements. Projects with a description such as "Looking for a freelance ID for a small project - show portfolio, send rates and apply within" don't cut it for me.
Just my 2c,
Alex
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