Working with SMEs: How to Collaborate with Subject-matter Experts for L&D Success

For L&D teams, course creation typically sits at one of two extremes. On one hand, you have massive content libraries. They’re ready to deploy, but often too generic to be truly relevant or impactful in your specific organization. 

On the other, you have the traditional, where instructional designers spend months (or even years) developing programs from scratch. Both approaches have their place, but neither reaches the heights of great organizational learning.

Truly exceptional L&D happens when subject-matter experts (SMEs) are involved. Your SMEs already have what most content libraries lack: deep, real-world experience. They’re the people your employees trust most to answer questions, troubleshoot challenges, and model what great performance looks like. 

The trouble is, most organizations don’t have a system for working effectively with SMEs. Traditional instructional design models assume L&D owns the entire process, from needs analysis to design to delivery. 

This guide will help you fix that, and bring more of your top performers into the course authoring process, quickly.

Key takeaways

1. SMEs accelerate relevance and impact. They help create learning experiences that reflect real-world expertise and solve the challenges employees face every day.
2. Collaboration is crucial in modern L&D. L&D teams should co-create content with experts, not attempt to do it all from afar.
3. AI and automation make SME partnerships easy. With the right tools, SMEs can

What are subject-matter experts (SMEs)?

A subject-matter expert (SME) is an employee with deep, specialized knowledge in a particular topic, process, or skill area. They’re the people who know how things really get done, whether it’s closing a complex sale, handling a customer escalation, or navigating compliance procedures.

In L&D, SMEs play a vital role in bridging the gap between theory and practice. They bring credibility, context, and nuance that no external content vendor or standardized curriculum can replicate. 

And most crucially, your in-house experts are really the only people who can provide proprietary skills training. 

The best part? SMEs exist in every department and at every level of your organization. They’re often the colleagues everyone turns to for advice—the “go-to” people who consistently solve problems and set the standard for excellence.

An SME’s firsthand insights (what users struggle with most, where shortcuts help, which pitfalls to avoid) make your training instantly more relevant and actionable.

Why engaging SMEs can be challenging

If SMEs are such a powerful resource for L&D, why do so many organizations struggle to engage them? The answer lies in how most learning strategies are designed, and how they often fail to make collaboration feel easy or rewarding.

Subject-matter experts are out there, and typically eager to share what they know. But a few consistent barriers tend to get in the way.

1. They’re hard to identify

This doesn’t mean they’re few and far between. But in many organizations, expertise is informal and decentralized. SMEs might not hold official titles or certifications, and their contributions often go unnoticed.

Without a structured process (and intent) to surface and recognize these experts, L&D teams can overlook precious knowledge, or simply assume it doesn’t exist.

2. The time commitment is daunting

SMEs are usually top performers with packed schedules. Asking them to contribute to course creation can feel like adding another full-time job, or like a punishment for their own excellence.

Thankfully, this is perhaps the easiest hurdle to overcome, as we’ll see shortly. 

3. Current L&D workflows aren’t collaborative

Traditional instructional design assumes the L&D department owns every stage, from analysis to design to delivery. That top-down model leaves little room for shared ownership. SMEs might be asked to “provide input,” but rarely see how their contributions shape the final product. 

Over time, that lack of visibility can lead to frustration, and people stop putting their hands up.

4. There’s little recognition or reward

In most organizations, SME participation isn’t formally acknowledged. When experts take time to contribute, they often do it out of goodwill, not because it’s part of their role or performance goals. 

Without recognition—public, professional, or financial—the incentive to keep contributing can fade quickly.

5. The process feels slow and disconnected

L&D timelines often clash with business realities. If it takes weeks to turn SME knowledge into a usable course, teams lose momentum. Experts want to see quick results and tangible impact, not long approval cycles or complex review loops.

These challenges are real, but they’re not inevitable. Engaging SMEs isn’t about asking for more of their time—it’s about creating processes and tools that make their contributions easy, visible, and valued.

Where to find SMEs in your organization

When most people think of subject-matter experts, they picture senior leaders or department heads. People with years of experience and long job titles. 

But in reality, the best SMEs aren’t always sitting at the top of the org chart. They’re often the high performers and trusted peers who others naturally turn to when challenges arise. And they’re typically hiding in plain sight.

How to identify subject-matter experts

Finding SMEs doesn’t have to be a major hurdle. It just requires some intention.

• Start with the business objective. What business challenge are you solving with this learning program? Which teams/functions are most affected?
• Ask teams who they go to for help. Peer recommendations are one of the clearest signals of expertise. The people others rely on when they’re stuck are probably your best SME candidates.
• Look for consistent top performers. Data from performance reviews, customer feedback, or project outcomes can help you identify employees who not only excel individually but also elevate those around them.
• Ask managers. Leaders can tell you which of their team members have the sharpest grip on processes and systems, and who solves problems pragmatically.
• Pay attention to informal leaders. Not every expert has a formal leadership title. The person everyone asks for advice on a tricky process or tool is your most valuable knowledge source.
• Watch who shares and documents naturally. Employees who already write guides, answer forum questions, or create internal walkthroughs are already putting their hands up.

Examples of hidden SME talent

• A customer support rep who’s built creative workarounds that reduce ticket volume
• A sales associate who consistently wins complex deals using a unique approach
• An engineer who trains new hires informally during onboarding
• A compliance analyst who’s found faster, more accurate ways to manage audits

These are the people who know the “real story” behind how work gets done. They’re often deeply respected by peers and motivated to share what they know—if you give them the right platform and support.

The best SMEs aren’t always the most senior—they’re the most trusted. Look for the people others rely on to get things right, and you’ll uncover a network of untapped expertise ready to shape your learning strategy.

How to work with SMEs on instructional design

Once you’ve identified your subject-matter experts and earned their buy-in, the exciting work can begin: co-creating learning content together. 

Co-authoring with SMEs looks very different from the traditional, top-down model. It’s faster, more collaborative, and built on shared ownership between L&D and experts.

Here’s how to make that collaboration thrive.

1. Start with purpose

Before you ask an SME to contribute, make sure they understand why their expertise matters. Too often, L&D teams reach out with a vague request: “Can you help us build a course on this topic?” With no connection to a real business goal, this just feels like a chore.

SMEs are more motivated and engaged when they see the direct impact of their contribution. Show them:

• The learning need: What specific challenge are learners facing?
• The business impact: How will this training improve performance, productivity, or customer outcomes?
• The strategic connection: How does it align with team or company priorities?

When you can articulate the “why,” SMEs become partners in solving a problem, not just content contributors.

Bonus: If you're using a tool like the "learning needs" feature in 360Learning, use that demand data to show your SME the exact skills learners are asking for.

2. Encourage collaborative learning

The most effective learning cultures are built on participation, not perfection. Instead of relying solely on L&D to create polished, one-size-fits-all courses, empower SMEs to share their knowledge directly.

• Use collaborative learning platforms (like 360Learning) that make it easy for anyone to capture and share expertise.
• Create short, peer-driven modules (quick walkthroughs, how-to videos, or case studies) that can be refined over time.
• Encourage feedback and fast reactions from learners, so SMEs can continuously improve their content.

When learning becomes a two-way exchange between experts and learners, your organization’s knowledge base grows exponentially.

3. Decentralize needs analysis

Traditionally, L&D teams define training needs based on leadership goals or compliance requirements. But the best way to find out what employees want and need to learn is to ask them.

And just as crucially, ask who they want to learn from.

• Use surveys, discussion threads, or internal learning platforms to let learners surface the topics they want to learn about.
• Match those needs with SMEs who have practical experience in those areas. Ask for suggestions in the surveys above.
• Encourage cross-team visibility: when learners request content, other teams may benefit from the same expertise.

This approach keeps your programs relevant and strengthens employee engagement by giving learners a voice in what—and how—they learn.

4. Use AI authoring tools to make creation easy

Most SMEs aren’t trained instructional designers, and that’s okay. With AI-assisted authoring tools, your experts can focus on what they know while technology takes care of how it’s delivered.

AI can help by:

• Transforming raw notes, transcripts, or recordings into structured course drafts
• Suggesting quizzes, summaries, and visuals automatically
• Translating complex material into clear, learner-friendly content
• Repurposing existing materials (like presentations or FAQs) into ready-to-publish modules

SMEs can then review and refine, and L&D teams can check the tone, structure, and alignment with learning objectives. The result is content that’s fast to produce, highly credible, and easy to scale.

(Much more on this in the next section.)

5. Recognize and reward participation

Recognition is one of the most powerful ways to sustain SME engagement. When experts see that their work makes a difference, they’re more likely to keep contributing.

Try:

• Highlighting SME-led courses in company newsletters or town halls
• Adding SME contributions to performance reviews or professional development plans
• Offering badges, certifications, or small incentives for top contributors
• Sharing learner feedback and success stories directly with SMEs

Recognition turns SME collaboration into a virtuous cycle. The more value they see, the more value they create.

6. Keep iterating

SME collaboration doesn’t have to mean long, formal projects. In fact, the opposite is usually better. Start small, with one course, one topic, and one expert, and build momentum from there.

• Don’t wait for perfection. Publish early and improve continuously with learner feedback.
• Encourage SMEs to update their courses as processes evolve.
• Treat learning as a living, breathing system rather than a one-time project.

This approach helps SMEs stay involved without feeling overwhelmed, and ensures that your learning content stays current and relevant.

Working with subject-matter experts requires partnership. When L&D teams facilitate collaboration, empower SMEs with AI tools, and recognize their efforts, they turn organizational expertise into a sustainable engine for growth.

How AI tools and automation bring SMEs in

Perhaps the biggest barrier to involving subject-matter experts in L&D is time. Even the most enthusiastic SME can’t spare hours to write, storyboard, or record training materials on top of their day-to-day workload.

But AI has changed that.

Today’s AI-powered authoring tools let you capture, structure, and polish expert knowledge in minutes instead of weeks. They do the heavy lifting, so SMEs can focus on sharing insight, context, and expertise, rather than typing.

Here’s how AI and automation make SME instructional design faster, easier, and more effective.

1. AI turns raw expertise into ready-to-use learning

SMEs no longer need to start with a blank page. AI platforms can transform call recordings, meeting transcripts, notes, or slides into structured course outlines. You can now build an entire course from a simple prompt. 

Suppose an SME records a short video walkthrough of a new process. AI can:

• Generate a course summary and learning objectives
• Suggest a logical flow for lessons
• Write draft text for descriptions or quizzes
• Add calls to action and recap points automatically

The expert can then review, tweak, and approve the final version in a fraction of the time.

2. Continuous improvement through learner feedback

AI doesn’t stop once the course is published. It helps analyze learner engagement, completion rates, and feedback to highlight where courses are most effective, or where they need refinement.

SMEs can use these insights to:

• See which parts of their content resonate most
• Identify where learners get stuck
• Update or expand content as needs evolve

With automated data and insights, SME-led learning becomes an ongoing process, not a one-time contribution.

3. Knowledge capture and repurposing

AI tools can also capture expertise passively, transforming existing knowledge into new learning opportunities. For example:

• A recorded training session can become a searchable micro-course.
• Internal Slack or Teams chats can be summarized into quick-reference guides.
• Common support tickets can become case-based learning modules.

This lets SMEs “teach” without even realizing it. AI turns their day-to-day problem-solving into scalable learning resources.

4. Specialized Academies as learning centers

One of the most effective ways to scale SME-driven learning programs is to organize content into Academies. These are dedicated learning spaces built around key functions, topics, or business goals.

Each Academy becomes a home for continuous growth, where SMEs can contribute, learners can explore curated content, and knowledge evolves over time.

Academy managers (like 360Learning) let you:

• Group SME-created content into structured, thematic paths
• Make it easy for learners to find expertise relevant to their roles
• Empower experts to continuously update materials as practices change

Academies turn SME knowledge into a living system that scales, driving both individual development and organizational performance.

More time for what matters most

Ultimately, AI gives SMEs back their time. Instead of spending hours formatting content or scripting lessons, they can focus on mentoring, coaching, and validating knowledge.

AI handles the structure and polish, and SMEs ensure the substance is right. Together, that balance creates fast, high-quality, and deeply authentic learning experiences.

Prioritize SMEs in your L&D strategy

The secret to successful learning and development isn’t in static content libraries or lengthy production cycles. It’s all about collaboration. Subject-matter experts are your organization’s most valuable learning asset, and when they’re empowered to share what they know, learning becomes faster, smarter, and more authentic.

By bringing SMEs into your L&D strategy, learning feels real because it is real. It reflects the way your teams actually work, the challenges they face, and the best practices that drive success.

With the right AI-powered tools, you can efficiently:

• Capture expertise as it happens, directly from your internal experts
• Turn raw knowledge into structured, engaging courses in minutes or hours
• Build a culture where sharing knowledge is everyone’s responsibility

When you make SME collaboration a core part of your L&D strategy, you’re not just creating better courses—you’re building a more connected, capable organization.

Ready to unlock the expertise inside your organization? Start building your SME-powered learning strategy today with 360Learning’s collaborative learning platform.