The Top Skills Hiring Managers Expect in Every eLearning Developer Today

The eLearning industry isn’t just growing—it’s evolving. What was once a niche profession focused mainly on instructional design has expanded into a multidisciplinary role. Today’s eLearning developers are expected to be part educator, part designer, part coder, and part strategist.

Hiring managers aren’t just looking for someone who can make a PowerPoint interactive. They want professionals who understand how adults learn, how to build engaging digital experiences, and how to deliver results. Whether you're breaking into the field or aiming to stay relevant, these are the top skills every hiring manager expects you to bring to the table.

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1. Instructional Design Mastery

Understanding Learning Theories

Before you even open your authoring tool, you need a foundation in how people learn. Instructional design isn’t guesswork—it’s grounded in cognitive psychology and adult learning theory. Managers expect you to know when to use a constructivist approach versus behaviorism, how to scaffold learning, and how to avoid cognitive overload.

Curriculum and Learning Path Design

You should be able to map out learning objectives, align them with business outcomes, and build a logical learning path that takes learners from novice to competent. This means using Bloom’s Taxonomy intelligently—not just sprinkling verbs like “analyze” and “evaluate” to sound smart.

2. Authoring Tool Proficiency

Articulate Storyline and Rise

These are the industry standards. Hiring managers want to see a portfolio that demonstrates advanced functionality—branching scenarios, custom triggers, and variables. If all you can do is plug text into a template, you’re not going to stand out.

Adobe Captivate, Camtasia, and Beyond

Depending on the organization, you might also need to work with Captivate, Camtasia, or even tools like Lectora or Elucidat. The more tools you’re fluent in, the more adaptable you seem—which makes you a safer hire.

3. Visual and UX Design

Clean, Modern Design Aesthetic

You don’t need to be a full-on graphic designer, but you do need to know what looks good—and what doesn’t. Hiring managers expect you to understand the basics of layout, color theory, typography, and visual hierarchy.

User Experience and Accessibility

Designing for everyone means understanding accessibility. You should know how to make your courses work for screen readers, how to write alt text, and how to meet WCAG standards. If you're not thinking about UX, you're not thinking about the learner.

4. Multimedia Production Skills

Audio and Video Editing

Today’s eLearning includes voiceovers, animations, and talking head videos. You should be able to edit audio to remove background noise, sync narration to animations, and chop up a video into digestible clips. Tools like Audacity, Adobe Audition, and Premiere Pro should be in your wheelhouse.

Screencasting and Motion Graphics

Screencasts are often used for software training, and a polished product goes a long way. Being able to animate icons or diagrams to illustrate a process adds serious value.

5. Project Management and Collaboration

Agile Workflows and Timelines

eLearning projects often involve tight deadlines and multiple stakeholders. You should be able to work in agile sprints, manage your time, and keep projects moving—even when content is delayed or feedback is unclear.

Communication and Team Dynamics

You’ll likely work with subject matter experts (SMEs), designers, developers, and marketing. You need to ask the right questions, translate jargon into learner-friendly language, and keep everyone aligned.

6. Learning Management System (LMS) Fluency

SCORM, xAPI, and LMS Administration

You can’t be a modern eLearning developer without understanding how your content gets delivered. Hiring managers expect you to publish SCORM-compliant packages, troubleshoot LMS issues, and know the basics of xAPI for tracking complex learner behavior.

Data Interpretation and Reporting

You don’t need to be a data scientist, but you do need to know how to read LMS reports, measure course effectiveness, and optimize future learning experiences based on the data.

7. Writing and Scripting Skills

Instructional Copywriting

Clarity beats cleverness. Hiring managers look for developers who can write concise, engaging, and helpful instructional content—free of jargon and filler.

Dialogue and Scenario Writing

Branching scenarios and simulations rely on believable dialogue. If you can write realistic conversations and decision points that mirror real-world challenges, you’ll set yourself apart.

8. Technical Literacy

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (Basic Level)

You don’t need to be a full-stack developer, but a little code goes a long way. Knowing how to tweak HTML or write a simple JavaScript trigger can save you hours of frustration—and gives you the power to customize beyond the defaults.

API Integrations and Plugins

In more advanced settings, you might be expected to integrate third-party apps or analytics tools. At the very least, you should be comfortable learning new digital systems quickly.

9. Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving

Learning Problem Diagnosis

Your job isn’t just to deliver training—it’s to solve performance issues. Hiring managers want someone who asks “What’s the real problem here?” instead of jumping straight into building a course.

Rapid Prototyping and Iteration

Can you quickly mock up an idea, test it with users, and adjust on the fly? That kind of flexibility is crucial in fast-moving environments.

10. Lifelong Learning and Industry Awareness

Staying Up to Date

Technology changes. So do learning preferences and tools. Hiring managers look for professionals who are always learning—whether it’s through webinars, blogs, certifications, or communities of practice.

Thought Leadership and Professional Presence

Are you engaged in the industry conversation? Do you publish your own insights or participate in LinkedIn discussions? A visible, active presence signals that you take your craft seriously.

Final Thoughts: It’s a Hybrid Role Now

The days of the “click-next” course are over. Hiring managers today expect eLearning developers to be creative strategists, technical producers, and learning scientists rolled into one. The role is hybrid by nature and demands a broad skill set that blends hard and soft skills.

The good news? If you can master even half of what’s on this list—and show it off in a smart portfolio—you’ll be a top contender in almost any interview.

The bottom line: Get curious, get competent, and stay sharp. The demand for skilled eLearning developers is only going up, but the bar is higher than ever.

About LMS Portals

At LMS Portals, we provide our clients and partners with a mobile-responsive, SaaS-based, multi-tenant learning management system that allows you to launch a dedicated training environment (a portal) for each of your unique audiences.

The system includes built-in, SCORM-compliant rapid course development software that provides a drag and drop engine to enable most anyone to build engaging courses quickly and easily. 

We also offer a complete library of ready-made courses, covering most every aspect of corporate training and employee development.

If you choose to, you can create Learning Paths to deliver courses in a logical progression and add structure to your training program.  The system also supports Virtual Instructor-Led Training (VILT) and provides tools for social learning.

Together, these features make LMS Portals the ideal SaaS-based eLearning platform for our clients and our Reseller partners.

Contact us today to get started or visit our Partner Program pages