As your small business thrives, you will eventually need to hire staff to work with you. When that day arrives, you’ll need to create an online job hiring process to help you recruit efficiently. The application process enables you to sift through applicants until you find your diamond in the sand.

While it’s probably tempting to just hire your friend’s cousin’s daughter without any documentation, we urge you to reconsider. Sure, you can hire her. But, protect yourself with this essential step.

That’s right. Not only are you hiring extra hands, but you are also protecting your business.

How? You might ask. Take a look.

How a Job Hiring Process Can Protect Your Business

Starting the recruiting and hiring process with an application for employment helps you because:

  1. It standardizes the data you collect. This ensures you make objective apples-to-apples comparisons between applicants.
  2. An employment application provides you with a snapshot of each person’s credentials, experience, and other pertinent information in a concise way. This data can help you recall specific conversations after you’ve conducted a screening interview.
  3. The job application includes an attestation that the applicant is sharing truthful information with you.
  4. You can ask the applicant to permit you to speak with their past employers and any references they provide.
  5. You’ll obtain consent to run criminal record and credit history checks, where permitted.
  6. The application might include a checkbox asking the applicant to verify their understanding of your hiring practices. These standards could cover EEOC or at-will employment, depending on your state.

Of course, the USA job hiring process will be different from Asian practices. Employment laws do vary from country to country, state to state. So, as you read on, take our examples as a general overview.

Consult with your business attorney for specifics in your state.

Then, take our tips and customize to meet your state’s statutes. We are not lawyers, we’re form builders!

Why You Should Not Rely on a Resume Screening, Solely

A resume is a fantastic document. Absolutely, you can accept them. However, they should supplement the job application process and not serve as a replacement.

And, here is why.

Let’s suppose you hired an applicant who exceeded your wildest expectations. However, once they started working, you realized they are not up to par. Soon, you realize that they fabricated the employment history and have little experience, after all.

If you collected a resume or a curriculum vitae (cv), the employee could feign ignorance about your hiring policy. However, with a job application, they signed a statement to the veracity of their claim. This signed statement might give you the out you need to oust your underqualified hire.

Again, labour laws are complicated. Your attorney should advise you on the specific language that can protect you and your business interests.

Building an Online Job Application Form

Job applications can be as simple or as complex as your needs demand.

online job application for small business
Use an online application form to gather your applicants’ details in one place.

However, an effective application for employment will combine a variety of EmailMeForm elements. In our example, we will use:

Checkboxes

We will use these fields for confirming that the applicant has read and understood the application, etc. Marking them mandatory in the field settings ensures they don’t “skip” them.

Text boxes

To collect names and specific employee data, we will create text boxes where they can type in their information freely.

Multiple choice

Do you need to offer employees shift preferences or choose from available job openings? We will show you how you can use multiple choice entries to make it happen.

Digital signature

Increase accountability by asking your applicants to sign the document. It’s easy to add a digital signature to your EmailMeForm.

Now you know the basic fields that you’ll need to get started in creating a job application for your small business. Let’s build that online form!

Here’s a detailed guide on how you can create an online application form.

Don’t Forget Form Security

As always, remember to choose secured online tools that you will use on your business. You’ll be getting personal information so your builder should have a secure cloud to protect your employees’ data.

Fortunately, EmailMeForm has done that for you! We are PCI-certified and a security-focused form builder. We have surpassed the expectations set forth by the payment card industry.

As a small business owner, you hold responsibility for the data you collect in your online forms.

What are some of the ways we protect your forms?

  1. You can mask emails as an option in the form builder. This option creates a row of asterisks in your notification email. However, once you log in to your EmailMeForm data manager, you will see the data.
  2. Account protection with multi-factor identification. Security begins at log-in to your account. You can add a secondary blanket of protection by signing up for multi-factor authentication. This step prevents hackers from guessing your password because you will use Google Authenticator or a text message to enter a PIN number in addition to your password.
  3. You may limit entries from one IP address. This dissuades duplicate entries and spammy form submissions. For example, you can indicate that only one entry may be made per IP address.
  4. In just a few keystrokes, you can take a form offline without deleting it. Thus, you retain the submitted data. Once you’ve hired an excellent employee, you can remove the form without deleting it. However, it will still be in your account and ready when you need it. Again, you will limit your exposure to unwanted submissions and spam.
  5. Those first several features are excellent practices. But, what if you could take it up a notch? Guess what — you can. You can ask us for any security certifications that you need.

Final Thoughts on Creating an Online Job Hiring Process

Once you realize that creating an online employment application is such an easy process, you’ll feel confident as you begin selecting candidates. Setting yourself up for screening the best people for the job — and protecting your business as you move forward with hiring employees— that’s a winning combination.

cta forjob hiring process

Author Deborah Tayloe

Deborah Tayloe

Deborah is a blogger and freelancer who often writes for EmailMeForm. When she’s not blogging, you’ll probably find Deborah working on DIY projects around her home in North Carolina.

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