Creating effective and user-friendly online application forms is crucial in today's challenging recruiting environment. However, organizations often make many common mistakes when designing online forms, leading to confusion and frustration for potential applications.
When designing online forms and application processes for applicants, be sure to avoid these common pitfalls:
4 mistakes to avoid for online application forms
1. Lack of document upload features
Including a feature for users to upload documents or images directly within the application is crucial if your application requires further documentation. Be sure to inform applicants of the document's purpose, why it is necessary, and what measures are in place to safeguard their privacy and data security.
2. No “save” feature
It can be useful to offer applicants the ability to save their application progress to continue where they left off rather than starting over from the beginning. This feature is particularly helpful for longer applications or situations where the applicant needs to gather additional information.
3. Not including a confirmation page
Confirming the receipt of an applicant's form is crucial once it is submitted. Be sure to redirect applicants to a thank you page acknowledging their submission, then email them to confirm that their application has been received. This email should also outline the next steps in the application process.
By maintaining clear communication, you will demonstrate to your applicants that you respect their time and effort, and they’ll have insight into the next steps of the application process.
4. Missing necessary information
To ensure that your application is processed smoothly, ensure that you ask for the right information in your application form. Depending on the purpose of your online application, the type of information you need to collect may vary widely. For example, if it's a job application, you'll likely need their employment history, while a rental application may require you to ask for their rental history.
However, you should always obtain some fundamental information, such as the applicant's complete name, contact details, and current address.
Online application form examples
What should your application form look like? Try these examples of online application forms:
- Membership application form template: This template includes everything you need to onboard new members, including secure payment processing for application fees, donations, and membership dues.
- Job application form template: This form captures candidates’ work histories, contact details, salary expectations, job referrals, and other information you need to evaluate applicants.
- Rental application form template: This form details necessary information, like contact details, employment and rental history, vehicle and pet information, application fees, and deposits.
- Internship application form template: This template collects candidates’ contact information, work histories, references, and more.
- Scholarship application forms: Our template helps gather student contact details, college information, relevant grades and test scores, and more.
- Grant application form template: Use this template to gather all the information you need to choose suitable projects for grant sponsorship.
- Volunteer application form template: This form streamlines the process of collecting information about volunteers, including their skills, availability, and areas of interest.
- Private school application form template: This form automatically populates all the fields you need to collect student, parent, or guardian information, previous academic records, and more.
- Summer camp application form template: This template is pre-built with all the fields you need to collect information about your campers and their guardians.
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