What is a job application form?
A job application form, or template, allows employers to quickly gather essential information about candidates interested in a current position. A template application form makes scanning and looking for specific information more manageable for the HR team, which helps simplify the application review process.
When to use a job application form
A job application form can be beneficial when anticipating a large number of candidates to apply. It also can give job seekers the same opportunity by completing the same form. Using a job application can be helpful for:
- Hiring students or entry-level talent
- Managing information about candidates
- Hiring many people in a short timeframe
- Allows HR professionals to compare candidates and narrow their search faster
Related: Job post traffic taking a dip? Here’s how to build out your talent pool, fast.
Types of job application forms:
There are three primary types of job application forms:
- Online job application forms: These forms are gaining popularity among employers as they are simple for candidates to submit and for companies to process. To complete, candidates fill out a form on your company’s website or online recruitment platform.
- In-person job application forms: These are mainly used today at job fairs and in some industries, like grocery stores. Candidates can complete a paper application on company premises or at a job fair. You can also ask candidates to send in their applications by mail or have them scan and email it to you.
- Emailed job application forms: Many small to medium-sized businesses request job applications by email. Candidates typically attach their application, resume (and cover letter, if requested) to an email or can paste the contents into the body of the email and send it to the hiring manager.
Related: Four Strategies for Closing the Gap Between Job Seekers and Employers
Recommended structure of an effective job application form
A good job application form is printable and easy to read. Consider making your standard job application versatile so candidates can easily print and complete it in person or on a computer.
You may wish to create a different application form for each position you are hiring for, but most fields will remain the same. Once you create a standard application form, you can easily adapt it to create new versions for other jobs.
The typical information to gather from applicants may include:
- Name of applicant
- Contact information (phone, email and address)
- Social Insurance Number (SIN)
- Work eligibility
- Education, including schools attended
- Degrees obtained
- Work experience
- Specialty skills
- Professional references (optional)
- Availability (E.g.: part-time, full-time, weekends or night shift)
- Applicant’s signature and date
Read more: Applications for Job Forms: Templates and Samples (Plus Types)
Benefits of creating job application forms
The primary goal of a job application is to request specific information frompotential hires. Collecting the same data from each applicant helps identify potential candidates with the skills you require. Creating a job application process also benefits your organization in other ways:
Streamlined recruiting
A general application option on your website helps you grow a pool of candidates before you are actively searching. Once you wish to fill a specific role, you can customize the form or search through the candidates you have already received to see if there is a match.
Attracting entry-level applicants
A job application template process that allows you to filter applicants who have not followed instructions or the hiring criteria can save time and resources. It may enable you to review more applications and potentially provide more interviews to qualified candidates.
Hiring skilled professionals
When the position you are hiring for requires a high level of skill or a specific skill set and experience, a customized form can help you more quickly identify candidates with the necessary qualifications.
Expedite the hiring process
Job application templates can expedite the hiring process as you know where to find relevant information on the form. You can quickly identify desirable prospects from your application pile and send their information to your HR department to set up an interview.
Related: How to find good employees
Helpful tips for getting the most out of your job application forms
- Do not discard applications of candidates you did not hire, as you may wish to keep them in mind for another role
- Keep track of the quality candidates you did not hire, even after filling your open positions, should you need to fill another position
- Ensure the job application is easy for the candidates to fill out and identify the areas of critical information that must be completed
Read more:
- Introducing Indeed Hiring Events, an All-in-One Recruiting Solution
- Attract Great Candidates With Indeed’s New AI-Powered Job Description Tool
Whether hiring for many positions or just one, creating a job application template before you start can help narrow your search, organize candidates and streamline your process. Designing templates that can be added to an online platform or website, or be printed and handed out to candidates at a job fair can also help maximize your chances of finding the right employee while minimizing your recruiting efforts.
Frequently asked questions
Should I request a cover letter with the job form?
Many employers request both a resume and a cover letter. A cover letter highlights an applicant’s job experience that a job form or resume does not. Candidates can also include a cover letter whether you request it or not.
What do I do with job application forms?
When receiving job applications, you can determine how to sort them into distinct categories. You can decide which candidates to move forward in the hiring process and which applications to discard if they are incomplete. You may consider categorizing and keeping applications from candidates you do not hire but were a top pick as they may have skills you need in the future.
Related: Interview Scoring Sheets: Rating Candidates
How do I promote my job application?
You can promote your application form and the job by using the same title as the job description and avoiding buzzwords or confusing descriptions that may detract from the position. Consider adding the job description to the application to ensure the position is clear to the candidate applying.
Related: Avoid These Job Posting Mistakes to Widen Your Talent Pool
What tools are available to help?
Indeed has developed a new AI tool to help employers write effective job descriptions while saving time and effort. Indeed uses machine learning and an extensive database of job descriptions to suggest phrases and details to help attract more quality candidates. Indeed’s AI Job Description Generator is just one of more than 100 AI-powered job search and hiring tools available to employers.
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