If you’re responsible for hiring, you know at least two things:
- The right candidate is hard to find.
- There’s no time to waste.
A simple process can help, and simplified data collection is even better. No matter the steps in your process, there’s a good chance you’ll benefit from an HR form.
Consider a few options:
- Application Form
- Screening Form
- Candidate Quiz
- Post-Interview Evaluation Form
We’ll start with the application form today, then continue to the rest in later posts.
The Application Form
Whether linked or embedded on your website, an application form can be a perfect complement to your site’s ‘About Us’ or ‘Meet Our Team’ pages. After all, who wouldn’t want to join such a great organization with such wonderful people? 😉
Logic: Beyond simply a bunch of yes/no questions and blank fields you might find on a paper version, taking your application form online allows you to build in logic options that show relevant questions or answer options based on participants’ responses. For example, if you’re hiring for several different positions and you want to ask IT candidates about their experience and proficiency with a few field-specific tools, you don’t have to slow down other applicants or force them to mark ‘N/A’ over and over again.
Questions: Online HR forms also allow you to include a wide variety of question types to collect the data you need. You might ask applicants to upload attachments like resumes, cover letters, transcripts, or other documentation. Demographic questions are especially easy, and formatting constraints ensure that only email addresses are entered in the email field, only phone numbers in the phone field, etc. You might even add a captcha field to ensure your forms aren’t collecting spam.
Impressions: From the first click, remember that you’re creating an impression for this candidate. While marketing might not be your primary focus as a human resources professional, brand identity is still a key consideration. No matter the outcome for each candidate, chances are they’ll each form their own ideas about your organization based on the hiring process — and the professionalism of your approach. Making sure your application form looks good — branding, logo, and design — is simply the first step.
Follow-up: Follow-up is a critical piece of the interviewing process, and instant emails are a smart feature to employ in this situation. First, set an Instant Thanks email to be sent to the applicant once the form is submitted. Then, set a Rules & Alerts message to let you know when an application is received. Especially if this form is up all the time, you don’t want to run the risk of missing your chance with an interested candidate.
In the world of human resources, there’s plenty to do and not much time to do it all. Adding some automation to your processes keeps things moving, simplifies your life, and allows you to focus more on finding the right humans to fill each job!
Next time: screening forms!
Want more? Request a demo!
