Employment Application Form: Tips for Employers and Free Templates

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 and shouldn’t request for on a job application form, as well as why you should use one 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 six key areas: personal information, position and availability, education, employment history, skills and training, 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

You can learn more about interviewing someone for a job in our guide, which also comes with a free interview template.

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—check our article on state and federal laws that employers should know for good measure.

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) (optional)

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.

Including a section for skills and qualifications in an employee application form serves several important purposes in the hiring process. Skills and qualifications can serve as quick indicators of an applicant’s suitability for a position. Hiring managers can easily compare an applicant’s qualifications with the job requirements and qualifications to determine if there is a match.

Different positions may require different skills and qualifications. Including this section allows you to tailor the application form to each specific job, ensuring that you gather relevant information for each role.

In some industries or for certain positions, there may be regulatory or legal requirements to verify an applicant’s qualifications or certifications. Including this section helps ensure compliance with such requirements.

Include the following information:

Skills relevant to the position
Relevant certifications and training and when these were acquired

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. You can use these reference check questions to verify information that a candidate has given.

Information on references includes:

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

Explore in detail how to hire employees for your business in our article.

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.

Resume vs Application Form: When to Use Either or Both

Resumes and employment application forms serve different purposes and are needed in different situations during the hiring process. When to use each document or when to request both depends on your specific needs and preferences as an employer:

Initial Screening: Resumes are typically used during the initial screening phase to quickly assess an applicant’s qualifications, skills, and experience. They provide a comprehensive overview of the candidate’s background.
Customization: Resumes are valuable when you want applicants to have the flexibility to tailor their presentation to align with the specific job they are applying for.
Professional Roles: Resumes are common for professional roles, where candidates are expected to have established themselves in their careers. They allow candidates to showcase their achievements and career progression.
Experienced Candidates: Resumes are particularly relevant for candidates with extensive work experience or those changing jobs within the same industry, where they can highlight their relevant skills and accomplishments.

Standardization: Application forms are essential when you want to ensure consistent data collection across all applicants for a particular job. This is especially important for compliance and fair evaluation.
Entry-Level Positions: Application forms are often used for entry-level positions, as they provide a straightforward method for collecting essential information without the need for extensive customization.
Legal Compliance: Application forms help ensure that you collect only legally permissible information and comply with anti-discrimination laws, equal opportunity regulations, and privacy laws.
Consistency: When you require uniform, structured responses from all applicants, application forms are ideal. They help maintain a level playing field during the selection process.

Holistic Assessment: In some cases, you may want a comprehensive view of the candidate. To achieve this, you can request both a resume and an employment application form. The resume provides a personalized perspective, while the application form ensures uniform data collection.
Compliance and Reference Checks: Employers often use application forms to collect necessary compliance-related information, such as consent for background checks or reference checks. In addition to this, they request resumes to gain a deeper understanding of an applicant’s qualifications.
Specific Industry or Job Requirements: In certain industries or for specific roles, you may want both documents to meet particular legal, regulatory, or professional standards. For example, positions in healthcare or finance may require additional documentation.

Requesting both a resume and an employment application form can be a reasonable practice in many situations, as it allows employers to collect comprehensive information and maintain compliance. However, when considering the candidate experience, employers should ensure that applicants understand why both documents are requested and how they contribute to the evaluation process.

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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