Job Application Form Template
A job application form is the document an employer asks every applicant to complete instead of accepting free-form CVs alone. It collects the same details from everyone: contact information, right to work, experience against the role's stated requirements, education, any required licence, references and a signed declaration, so applications arrive in one comparable shape and screening decisions can be explained afterwards.
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Use this form when a role attracts more applicants than one person can read carefully, or when several people share the shortlisting. Free-form CVs arrive in every possible order and format, so two comparable candidates can look very different on paper. A structured application form asks everyone the same questions in the same order, which makes shortlisting faster and makes the reasoning behind a decision easier to explain later. Have the finished form reviewed by an employment lawyer in the jurisdiction you are hiring in before you publish it.
Role applied for and source of application
Position applied for: [JOB TITLE]
Requisition or reference number: [REQ NUMBER]
Location of the role: [LOCATION]
Where did you see this role advertised? [JOB BOARD / CAREERS PAGE / REFERRAL / EVENT / OTHER - PLEASE STATE]
If referred, name of the employee who referred you: [FULL NAME]
Date of application: [DATE]
Applicant contact details and right to work
Full name: [FULL NAME]
Preferred name, if different: [PREFERRED NAME]
Email address: [EMAIL]
Contact number: [PHONE NUMBER]
Current city and country of residence: [CITY], [COUNTRY]
Do you have the right to work in [LOCATION OF THE ROLE]? [YES / NO]
Would you need this employer to arrange or sponsor permission for you to work there? [YES / NO]
Experience against the stated requirements
Requirement one, copied from the job posting: [REQUIREMENT]. Do you meet it? [YES / NO]. Where and when did you do this? [EVIDENCE]
Requirement two, copied from the job posting: [REQUIREMENT]. Do you meet it? [YES / NO]. Where and when did you do this? [EVIDENCE]
Requirement three, copied from the job posting: [REQUIREMENT]. Do you meet it? [YES / NO]. Where and when did you do this? [EVIDENCE]
Most recent employer: [EMPLOYER NAME] - [JOB TITLE] - [START DATE] to [END DATE]
Previous employer: [EMPLOYER NAME] - [JOB TITLE] - [START DATE] to [END DATE]
Anything relevant the fields above do not capture: [FREE TEXT]
Education, certification and licence
Highest qualification held: [QUALIFICATION] - [INSTITUTION] - [YEAR AWARDED]
Qualification this role requires, if any: [QUALIFICATION]. Do you hold it? [YES / NO]
Licence or professional registration this role requires: [LICENCE OR REGISTRATION NAME]
Registration number: [NUMBER] | Issued by: [ISSUING BODY] | Valid until: [DATE]
Are you able to produce the original certificate or registration if asked? [YES / NO]
Note to the employer: ask for a qualification or licence only where the role genuinely requires one, and record which stated requirement it maps to.
Screening questions agreed in advance
Screening question one: [QUESTION AS AGREED WITH THE HIRING MANAGER] Answer: [YES / NO]
Screening question two: [QUESTION AS AGREED WITH THE HIRING MANAGER] Answer: [YES / NO]
Screening question three: [QUESTION AS AGREED WITH THE HIRING MANAGER] Answer: [YES / NO]
Earliest date you could start: [DATE]
Note to the employer: agree these questions before the role is advertised, mark which answer takes an application out of the running, and ask them of every applicant. Do not add a question once applications have opened.
References, declaration and consent
Referee one: [FULL NAME] - [JOB TITLE] - [ORGANISATION] - [EMAIL] - [PHONE NUMBER] - relationship to you: [MANAGER / COLLEAGUE / CLIENT]
Referee two: [FULL NAME] - [JOB TITLE] - [ORGANISATION] - [EMAIL] - [PHONE NUMBER] - relationship to you: [MANAGER / COLLEAGUE / CLIENT]
May we approach your referees before an offer is made? [YES / NO]
Declaration: I confirm that the information given in this form is accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge. Signed: [FULL NAME] Date: [DATE]
How your information is used: [EMPLOYER NAME] will use what you enter here to assess this application. Who can see it, where it is held and how long it is kept are set out in our privacy notice at [LINK TO YOUR PRIVACY NOTICE].
Consent: [YES / NO] - I have read the privacy notice at [LINK TO YOUR PRIVACY NOTICE].
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How to use this template
- Copy the role's real requirements into the experience block before you publish the form, so applicants answer against this job rather than a generic one.
- Agree the screening questions with the hiring manager before applications open, and write down which answer takes an application out of the running.
- Ask every applicant the same questions in the same order, including internal and referred candidates, so the pool stays comparable.
- Have an employment lawyer in the jurisdiction you are hiring in review the finished form, paying particular attention to the eligibility, screening and consent wording.
- Point the consent line at your own published privacy notice, and keep completed forms where only the people making the decision can open them.
Tips
Job Application Form Template — FAQs
What is a job application form?
How is an application form different from a screening questionnaire?
What should an employer avoid asking on a job application form?
Should applicants still send a CV as well?
Send this from your ATS instead of an email thread
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