Whether organizing an event, conducting surveys, or accepting job applications, creating an online form can streamline the process and save you time and effort. Yes, applications can be made super easy with a platform like Google Forms!
In this step-by-step tutorial, we’ll teach you how to make an online application form in Google Forms that’s clear and professional-looking! However, following the same steps, you can create an application form to suit virtually any purpose.
How to create a job application form
Step 1: Create a new form
Navigate to your Google Forms. Click the “Blank” button (+ icon) to start a new form.
Step 2: Add an appropriate title and description
Before adding questions, you should make sure to add a title and description that explains the company, job being applied for, or application process.
Step 3: Add necessary questions
Now it’s time to add the relevant questions to your form. It’s a good idea to split up your questions into sections when making an application. This way, the applicant can easily hop from section to section without getting overwhelmed.
You can even turn on the progress bar in the form settings, which is under the Presentation tab.
The following would be good sections for an application:
- Personal information (name, contact info, date of birth, etc.)
- Employment history
- Education/certifications
- Availability
- Cover letter/personal statement
Then, you’ll need to figure out the various questions that will fit into those sections.
To add a new question, click the top button on the floating menu next to the form (+ sign). To introduce a new section in your form, click the bottom-most button on the floating menu.
When introducing a new section in your application form, giving it an appropriate title and a brief description will improve your applicant’s understanding.
Now, let’s pick the most appropriate format for your questions.
Google Forms provides a range of question formats to choose from, including paragraph, multiple choice, and grid formats. Let’s look at a few of these formats and what kinds of application questions they’d fit with!
Multiple choice questions
The multiple choice question format presents a list of options where applicants select the best answer from the provided choices; the respondent can only pick one option from the list of options. This is a great format to use for yes/no questions, such as:
- Are you legally authorized to work in [country]?
- Have you ever been terminated from a job?
- Have you ever worked for our company before?
Checkbox questions
This category has two types of formats: the multiple-choice grid and the tick-box grid formats. Unlike the multiple-choice format, which is best suited for questions with limited choices, this format is better suited when there are many choices.
Learn more about how to use the checkbox grid in Google Forms.
Short answer and paragraph questions
Short answer and paragraph questions require applicants to provide written responses. They’re appropriate for job application forms when seeking brief explanations, descriptions, or examples, such as:
- Please describe your relevant work experience and how it aligns with this position.
- Explain any gaps in your employment history and what you did during those periods.
- Describe a challenging situation you faced in a previous job and how you resolved it.
Linear scale questions
Rather than picking from a list of different options, this format allows the respondents to pick a response from a range of responses on a continuum. This format is great for judging the level of agreement/disagreement, satisfaction/dissatisfaction, etc. You may use it for such questions as:
- On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your proficiency in [specific skill]?
- Please rate your experience level in [industry/field] on a scale of Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
- How confident do you feel in your ability to work independently?
Learn more about how to add linear scale in Google Forms.
File upload questions
Along with different question formats, Google Forms also offers the option of allowing respondents to upload files, a very helpful feature for job application forms! You may allow your respondents to upload their resumes, cover letters, or certifications to authenticate their applications further.
When you choose the file upload option for a question, you can allow available options to only specific file types, number of files, and file size.
Once you’ve added all the relevant questions in the different sections and opted for the most appropriate question format, your application form is done. Learn more about what questions to include in an application.
Step 4: Customize theme to your branding
Now that your form is done, you may want to customize its theme in line with your company branding. Clicking on the Theme button on the top right corner of the form (looks like a palette) will open up a side panel.
Here, you can change up the colors of your form, upload a header image, and more
Tips for creating application forms on Google Forms
Keep questions clear, concise, and professional
Clear questions ensure that applicants understand what’s being asked, reducing confusion and increasing the accuracy of responses. Concise questions save both applicants and employers time, allowing for efficient form completion.
Further, when you maintain a professional tone, your form conveys the seriousness of the hiring process. This shows your organization's integrity and sets expectations for candidates.
Use Form Publisher for a smoother application process
Using a Google add-on such as Form Publisher can further enhance the application process. When you integrate Form Publisher with your online job application form, you can automatically generate personalized documents based on the submitted responses.
You can then send these personalized documents to the respondents as a copy of their responses. An even bigger benefit is that these documents can be routed to different hiring team members for approval!
This means you can focus on evaluating applications and making informed decisions while delivering candidates a seamless and impressive application experience.
Creating applications on Google Forms? Use Form Publisher!
Now you know how to create a professional job application form with Google Forms in no time. By employing Google Forms features and using the in-built question formats appropriately, you can boost the success of your job application form.
However, if you really want to take your hiring process up a notch, consider using Form Publisher. It allows you to automatically generate customized and personalized documents from each applicant's responses.
You can then send these documents back to the respondents as a copy of their responses or even direct them to hiring decision-makers. The possibilities are endless! The entire process becomes smoother and more efficient when you use Form Publisher!