Forms for HR teams that candidates respect

What to ask on a job application form

• Contact details: name, email and phone, using the dedicated question types so they’re checked as people type.
• The deal-breakers first: location, working pattern, right to work or salary range, whatever would end the conversation anyway.
• Two or three role-specific questions that show how someone thinks, instead of a generic cover letter.
• CV and portfolio upload, with the file types you actually accept.
• An optional short video introduction for roles where communication matters.
• Consent to keep their data for this role, and separately for future roles.

Screen candidates fairly, and kindly

Put hard requirements near the start and use logic to end politely when one isn’t met, with an ending that says why and points to other roles. Candidates don’t spend half an hour on an application they can’t win, and you don’t spend time reading it.

Screen on the job, not the person. Ask about skills, availability and experience the role really needs, and leave out anything that could introduce bias, such as age or photos. If you collect equal-opportunities data, keep it optional, separate from the application, and away from whoever makes the hiring decision.

Fewer abandoned applications

• One question at a time makes a long application feel short, especially on a phone, where many candidates apply.
• If someone closes the tab, the form offers to pick up where they left off on the same device.
• A progress bar shows how much is left.

From application to shortlist

Every application lands in Results, where you can filter by any answer, tag candidates as “Shortlist” or “Interview”, and share a live summary with the hiring manager. Connect Google Sheets for a shared tracker, or on Pro send each application to your applicant tracking system through a webhook with Zapier, Make or n8n. Book interviews with the same tool: send shortlisted candidates a short form with a Scheduler question.

Reference checks without phone tag

Send referees a structured form instead of an email thread. Ask the same questions for every candidate, such as how long they worked together, strengths, areas to grow and whether they’d hire them again, and the answers become comparable side by side. Referees can answer on their phone in a few minutes, which is why they actually reply.