Simply described, job application forms are multiple-choice questionnaires used to assess a candidate’s skills and knowledge and steer them toward the next step of the hiring process.
It also helps to screen out candidates who aren’t a good fit for the position before they even get a chance to look at their CV. This is especially useful for larger businesses and companies that have certain guidelines and rules in place when it comes to hiring.
In this article, we’re looking at some examples of job application forms. In the second part of the post, you can find out how to create a job application form in just a few simple steps.
Let’s look at some sample application forms as well as important questions to ask for each position to ensure that only the best candidates advance in the recruiting process.
Job application form for a sales manager
The role of a sales manager can be different in various companies. You could have a large base of clients with a need for customer retention. Or, you might just be starting and you’re looking for someone who can build a client list from scratch.
Either way, your questions will depend on the competencies. So, before you create your form, make sure you’ve listed the requirements for the role.
And, hiring a sales manager isn’t just about technical skills. It’s a lot about personal skills. Can the person lead a team? Are they persuasive enough? Can they really find a way to solve a customer’s problem without being too invasive?
Here are some questions to add to your sales job application form to get the most out of it:
- Do you have experience with cold outreach? – Some people are uncomfortable with making cold calls and that could be a deal-breaker for this position.
- Can you describe the last time you met your sales goals? – This is less about the results and more about the process, so focus on how the candidate thinks.
- How did you close your most successful deal? – Find out the tactics of the candidate and what is their process of selling.
- What makes you a good salesperson? – Finding a balance between self-criticism and confidence is hard, so find out how the candidate does it.
- What interests you in this sales manager position – See if the candidate has researched the company.
To get some more inspiration, check out these forms by Moozoom.
Job application form for a marketing specialist
There are many marketers out there, but finding a good one is very tricky. That’s why you need to ask the right questions.
Your questions should depend on the role. If it’s a more creative one, you should focus on the person’s ideation process and how they get inspiration. If it’s a data-oriented one, ask them to highlight their analytical skills and see what their thinking process looks like.
Here are some questions that can help you:
- Describe your most successful marketing campaign. – Focus on their attention to detail and storytelling skills.
- How do you know if a campaign is successful or not? – The candidate should answer with particular metrics and it’s up to you to decide if they are thinking the right way.
- Which marketing channels would you use to promote our product? – See if the candidate has thought about your product and the best marketing tactics to use.
- What’s the biggest challenge marketers face today? – There’s no right answer, it’s all about how the candidate resonates.
- How do you stay up-to-date with marketing industry changes? – Marketing is an ever-changing industry and marketers need to stay up to date, so your best candidates should be informed.
If you’re wondering how others do it, check out this example by Podia.
Job application form for a software engineer
Finding a software engineer can be very difficult. There are many technologies and not too many people who work with them. That’s why your questions have to be based on the technologies you’re using at your company.
Moreover, being a software engineer is all about solving problems. So, in addition to the person’s technical skills, you should also be looking to find a good problem-solver and someone with an analytical mind.
Here are some ideas you could use:
- What technologies are you familiar with? – This is a chance to get to know the candidate’s background and see if they’re a good fit.
- Do you have experience with agile development? – If you’re using agile in your company, it’s important to find someone who is familiar with the concept.
- What software architecture concepts have you worked with? – If you’re a company that uses microservices, for example, you’re looking for a candidate who can work with them.
- What kind of career opportunities are you looking for? – A software engineer can take many career paths, and you need to know if your company can provide them with their desired one.
In addition to these questions, don’t forget to ask for a website they created, especially if you’re looking for a front-end development role. Moreover, ask for their GitHub profile, to see if they write clean code.
Here is an example of a Backend Developer job application form.
Job application form for managers
Not everyone can be a manager. If someone is good at executing marketing or development tasks, it doesn’t mean that they will manage marketers or developers with success.
Leading people is a very sensitive task that requires a lot of empathy. At the same time, a manager should be a person with a clear mind that looks to achieve the company’s goals.
So, your questions for a management candidate should be more focused on their personality and management style. Here are some examples:
- Describe a time when you motivated your team after a failure. – A team’s morale falls down when they fail, and it’s a manager’s job to motivate them.
- How do you deal with difficult employees? – Not everyone is easy to manage, so the manager should find a way to communicate with everyone.
- How do you present yourself to a new team? – If they enter your company, they should start getting along with people in a short amount of time.
- How do your team members describe you? – This is a good question to find out about their management style.
Here’s a General Manager ad to get inspired.
Job application form for an intern
Recognizing the potential of young professionals can bring a lot of value to your company. There are many successful examples who have started as interns and ended up in company management several years later.
So, to find a rockstar, the previous work history is not important but many employers require to understand their motivation, interests and extracurricular activities.
Here are some pre-made questions you can add in your employment forms:
- Tell us about your motivation to apply to [company name]. – An intern doesn’t have much experience but should be motivated to work at your company.
- How do you prioritize your work? – This is a good question to find out how good are their organizational skills.
- What’s your biggest success? – Look for an answer that describes overcoming a challenge or a difficult situation.
- Why did you choose this career? – Their motivation for choosing a particular faculty/career path is also important.
- What are your hobbies? – Their interest in general.
For example, check this Social Media Intern job application form at the Danish company Tonsser:
Job application form for HR
The HR representative/manager can be the most important role in the company. It’s their job to assess candidates and create great candidate experience. So, it’s up to them whether you’ll get great people to work on your teams or not.
What is more, HR is responsible to create the company culture based on your values. They need to oversee that everyone respects your values and holds on to them.
This is why hiring an HR professional should be a careful process. Here are some questions that could help you choose the best candidate:
- What Human Resource Management Systems have you used? – The toolstack of an HR is very important and you should be informed.
- Where do you find qualified candidates? – This will be an essential part of their work, so it’s very important to know their resources.
- How can we attract more top talent? – With this question, you’ll find out how they see your employer branding and if they have fresh ideas for you to improve.
- How do you prepare for an interview for any role? – They are often the first person from your company that a candidate sees, so they should be prepared.
If you’re looking for an HR professional, check this ad to get inspiration.
BONUS: Generic Job Application
Regardless of the role, your application form should contain some basic fields in order to capture basic applicant information, such as:
- First Name
- Last Name
- Telephone Number
- Location
- CV
- Cover Letter
- Employment history (optional)
- Educational background (optional)
- References (optional)
Moreover, here are some fields & questions you can add to get to know the candidate’s status and preferences:
- Link to LinkedIn profile – To see some things that aren’t on the candidate’s CV.
- Link to website/portfolio – When having a portfolio is important for the job.
- Are you willing to relocate to [location]? – If the candidate isn’t in the same location as your office.
- Are you eligible to work in [country]? – This is important information when you can’t provide visa sponsorship.
- Are you looking for an on-site job? – When you want to know whether a candidate is willing to come to the office.
- Have you worked remotely before? – If you are a remote team and want to find out if the candidate has experience with this kind of setting.
- How many years of experience do you have in [industry/role]? – If you’re looking for an experienced candidate and the number of years is relevant.
- How did you hear about this job? – To make sure you find out which channel brings you the most and the best candidates.
- When is your earliest start date? – You need to know this in order to plan your activities with this person.
- What is your salary expectation? – Does the desired salary match your budget for this role?
Some of this information can be a deal-breaker, so it’s better to ask them up-front and filter out candidates that aren’t interested in the terms you offer.
To get started, get EmbedForm’s free application form template and get job applicants fast and easy.
Create a job application form in a few clicks
Now that we’ve shown you how to create job application forms for various roles, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and start building.
Okay, you don’t really have to roll up your sleeves. Building a job application form is actually pretty simple with EmbedForms.
See how you can do it in just a few clicks:
Step 1: Set up your form in EmbedForms
First, create your FREE account.
Then, choose one of our templates:
To find the job application form, click See more templates, and then once you find it, click Use this template.
You can add your own logo, edit every question, and add more fields. When you customize it the way you want to, click Publish.
Step 2: Embed the form on your website
You can use a link to share the online application form and get notifications every time someone submits a response. The best thing is—you can embed it on your website!
Just go to Widgets and click Create new.
Choose the form you just created and you will be navigated to the Widgets editor where you have options to get a simple embeddable code or embed more interactive widgets, like banner, popover, fixed button/tab, or similar.
Step 3: Receive applicants
Once you have the form on your website, you can share its link on social media or create job ads so you can promote this new job opening.
Now, sit back and receive applicant responses.
In the Responses table, you can see all the candidates that submit the form and look for the contact fields to start scheduling interviews with the people you think are the best fit for the open position.
Key Takeaways
Finding new employees is very complicated but using custom job applications is a great way to start your recruitment process. By asking some smart questions, you can filter out candidates and only invite the best ones to the next step. It is important to get information about the applicants’ education, pay range, previous positions held, get their resume file, cover letters, contact information, and similar.
But keep in mind that forms need to be simpler so you will get more applicants and allow people to easily upload their resumes, provide their contact details and complete the form.
To create an employment application you will need a forms builder to allow job applicants to apply online and collect all the information in one single place.
Sign up for EmbedForms and start getting top talent in just a few clicks. It has a forever-free version.