5 Best Application Form Tools for Freelancers to Streamline Client Onboarding
An application form is a document that allows you to collect information from potential customers, employees or partners.
It is a crucial part of any business as it helps you to gather important data that can be used to make informed decisions.
An application form can be in either digital or paper format.
It can be a simple form with a few questions or a complex one with multiple pages.
The purpose of the application form is to get the necessary information from the applicant so that you can evaluate them properly.
Why is it Important?
Application forms are essential for any business as they help to streamline the recruitment process, save time and money and ensure that you get the best candidates.
Here are some of the reasons why application forms are important:
- Standardisation: Application forms provide a standardised format for collecting information from applicants. This makes it easier to compare and evaluate candidates based on the same criteria.
- Efficiency: Application forms help to save time and money by automating the recruitment process. This means that you can process a higher volume of applications in a shorter amount of time.
- Accuracy: Application forms ensure that you get accurate and complete information from applicants. This helps you to make informed decisions based on reliable data.
- Legal Compliance: Application forms help to ensure that you are compliant with legal requirements such as equal opportunities legislation.
- Brand Image: Application forms can be customised to reflect your brand image and values. This helps to create a positive impression on applicants and reinforces your brand identity.
- Data Analysis: Application forms provide valuable data that can be used to analyse trends and make informed decisions about recruitment and business strategy.
What should you do?
If you are not already using application forms, it is time to start.
Here are some tips to get you started:
- Identify your needs: Determine what information you need to collect from applicants and what format you want to use.
- Customise your form: Customise your application form to reflect your brand image and values. Make it user-friendly and easy to complete.
- Test your form: Test your application form to ensure that it is working properly and that you are getting the information you need.
- Integrate with your systems: Integrate your application form with your existing systems to streamline the recruitment process.
- Train your staff: Train your staff on how to use the application form and how to evaluate candidates based on the information provided.
- Monitor and evaluate: Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your application form and make changes as necessary.
Recommended Products
There are many products available that can help you to create and manage application forms.
Here are some of my top recommendations:
- MakeForms.io: a powerful online form builder that allows you to create customised application forms quickly and easily. It is user-friendly and offers a range of features such as custom branding, analytics and integrations with other systems.
- Google Forms: Google Forms is a free online form builder that is easy to use and offers a range of features such as custom branding, analytics and integrations with other systems.
- JotForm: JotForm is an online form builder that offers a range of features such as custom branding, analytics and integrations with other systems. It is user-friendly and offers a range of templates for different types of forms.
- Typeform: Typeform is an online form builder that offers a range of features such as custom branding, analytics and integrations with other systems. It is user-friendly and offers a range of templates for different types of forms.
Alternatives
If you prefer not to use an online form builder, there are other options available such as:
- Microsoft Word: Microsoft Word offers a range of templates that you can use to create customised application forms.
- Adobe Acrobat: Adobe Acrobat allows you to create fillable PDF forms that can be customised to reflect your brand image.
Benefits of using Application Forms
Using application forms can provide many benefits for your business.
Here are six of the most important:
- Streamlined recruitment process: Application forms help to streamline the recruitment process by automating the collection of data from applicants.
- Time and cost savings: Application forms help to save time and money by reducing the need for manual data entry and processing.
- Improved data quality: Application forms help to ensure that you get accurate and complete information from applicants, which helps you to make informed decisions.
- Legal compliance: Application forms help to ensure that you are compliant with legal requirements such as equal opportunities legislation.
- Positive brand image: Application forms can be customised to reflect your brand image and values, which helps to create a positive impression on applicants.
- Data analysis: Application forms provide valuable data that can be used to analyse trends and make informed decisions about recruitment and business strategy.
Risks of using Application Forms
While there are many benefits to using application forms, there are also some risks that you should be aware of.
Here are two of the most important:
- Data security: Application forms contain sensitive information, so it is important to ensure that your data is secure and protected from cyber threats.
- User experience: Application forms can be complex and time-consuming, which can lead to a poor user experience. It is important to ensure that your application form is user-friendly and easy to complete.
Overall, application forms are an essential part of any business.
They help to streamline the recruitment process, save time and money, ensure legal compliance and improve data quality.
By following the tips and recommendations in this article, you can create an effective application form that will help you to grow your business.