Employment Application Form: What to Include & Avoid (+ Free Template)

Employment application forms are essential for any business looking to hire new employees. These generally contain sections for personal and demographic data, as well as work history and qualifications to help you make the best decision when reviewing candidates.

This article covers what data you should request on a job application form (and what data you should not), as well as why you should use a job application form in the first place. If you are looking for an easy, ready-to-use template, download and customize our free one below.

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What to Include on a Job Application Form

A job application form will generally include information in five key areas: personal information, position and availability, education, employment history, and references.

There is basic information you will need from every job applicant. This is not only important for contacting the applicant for follow-up questions, interviews, or job offers but it also allows you to get a head start on entering their information into your human resource database. You can then use it when starting on state-specific items, like tax registration.

Personal information will include:

Full name
Address
Phone number
Email address

Did You Know?

Some job application forms include information that could be illegal. This may include information like date of birth, country of origin, and criminal history. Be sure your application does not violate any labor laws.

For tracking purposes, you will want to know what specific job an employee is applying for, which is important for companies that have multiple job postings at the same time. For strategic planning purposes, you also will need to know when an applicant can start working.

Other information related to position and availability may include:

US work eligibility
Work availability (days/times), key for flexible or shift-based positions
Where the applicant saw the job posting

Most jobs require a certain amount of education for candidates to be successful. This information is also useful in considering job applicants for other positions and future promotions for applicants who were hired.

Educational information includes:

Name and address of the school
Graduation status
Degree earned
Grade point average (GPA)

We caution against requesting data about the applicant’s graduation date to avoid potential age discrimination claims.

Similar to education, the employment history section gives you more information about what past experiences have prepared the applicant for the available position. The company and job title information, specifically, give you insight into how relatable your open position is to the applicant’s previous jobs, and the responsibilities section gives you a chance to see what transferable skills the applicant has exhibited in prior positions.

Employment history-related information includes:

Company name, address, and phone number
Supervisor name
Job title and responsibilities
Dates of employment
Reason for leaving, if voluntary (optional)
Permission to contact previous employer

Questions about salary history are illegal in some way or form in more than half of all US states and territories. Please check our salary history ban guide to determine whether there are any salary history bans in your area.

Before you hire a new employee, it is a good idea to collect references. While not required, references can help you get a better picture of the person from the view of a third party. This person can be a direct supervisor, colleague, mentor, or friend. These individuals can help you determine whether the applicant will fit into your company’s culture and perhaps give you insight into the best environment for the applicant to thrive.

Information on references includes:

Full name
Relationship to applicant
Company name
Phone number and email address

What to Avoid on an Employment Application Form

While you need as much information as possible on an employment application to best understand the candidate, there are certain things you will want to avoid asking for. See our table below for data to avoid and why.

Data to Avoid	Reason
Marital Status, Salutations	Title VII, Sexism and Gender Discrimination
Street Address	Title VII, Financial Status and Race
Social Security Number or Tax Status	Privacy and Data Security
Race, Gender, and Age	Title VII and ADEA
Military Dates or Discharge Reasons	Title VII, HIPAA, and ADEA
Date of Birth	Title VII and ADEA
Graduation Dates	Title VII and ADEA
Citizenship and Visa Status	Title VII and Ethnicity
Reasons for Termination From a Prior Job, Arrest Record, References or Prior Salary	Title VII, HIPAA, Wage Discrimination, and Legal Issues Like Libel

Requesting information like that in the table above can put your company at risk. It may be a violation of federal labor laws, anti-discrimination laws (like the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964), age discrimination laws (like the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)), or Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) laws, which protect a person’s confidential health-related information.

Why You Should Use a Job Application Form

Seeing a quick overview of relevant information for your applicant is a solid way to understand their qualifications and track them for a complete interview process. Here are the main reasons job application forms are important:

Organization: Keeping candidate applications is a great way not to lose contact information or misplace info, which can happen when jobs are discussed in person or over the phone. A job application gives you this information in written form to access quickly and easily. It also can be digitally saved and stored online or in a file.
Tracking: By keeping forms for each applicant and analyzing overall numbers, you can better understand the effectiveness of your company’s recruiting. In addition, if you add a question about where the applicant heard about the position, you can determine which marketing strategy to use moving forward.
Comparison: By having all applicants complete the same form, you are effectively able to fairly compare applicants to each other on their skills and qualifications for the job posting.

Although a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) has most of the information included in an employment application, it is still a good idea to have both on file. A resume is not a legal document, whereas a job application that provides an EEOC and legal statement can reduce your liability.

Bottom Line

An employment application can be a very effective tool when advertising open jobs and growing your business successfully. The work history and qualification information will help you make a hiring decision. This is especially true for jobs that require extensive experience or training. The personal information will help you comply with many federal, state, and local regulations for the candidates you intend to hire.

If you want assistance in finding applicants, ZipRecruiter can help; it even enables you to customize the questions you need from applicants in your application.

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About the Author

Jennifer Soper