Best practices for creating recruitment forms that attract more applicants

Creating a recruitment form is no longer just about collecting CVs and contact details. In today’s competitive hiring landscape, your application form is often a candidate’s first real interaction with your company. If it feels outdated, overly long, or impersonal, top talent may abandon it before clicking “Submit.”

A well-designed recruitment form can actually attract better candidates, strengthen your employer brand, and help you identify high-potential applicants faster. In this article, we’ll walk you through some best practices when creating recruitment forms.

Keep it simple and focused

One of the main reasons candidates may abandon applications is complexity. Long, repetitive forms can discourage interested candidates. Try to only ask for essential information, name, contact details, CV, and key qualifications. Avoid asking for information that is already included in a resume. For example, don’t ask for previous job history as resumes contain this information. A shorter, streamlined form reduces friction and increases completion rates.

Use clear and inclusive language

The wording in your recruitment form can either attract or deter candidates. Confusing jargon or biased language may unintentionally limit your applicant pool. Avoid gender-coded or exclusionary terms and try for more neutral language. Below, you’ll find some examples of exclusive terms and their inclusive terms counterpart:

Include smart screening questions

Instead of generic questions, ask target ones that assess real capability. Some example questions could be:

• Describe a project where you improved efficiency
• How would you approach your first 90 days?
• What motivates you most in your work?

You can even include video questions and answers to make your recruitment form more human. With video or audio answers, it can help candidates showcase their communication skills and personality. Respondents can also have the option to reply with text if they are camera-shy or have technical limitations.

When including video answers, we recommend providing details on how the recording will work. Let them know the time limit they have and that they can practice their recording. They can then submit the video when they’re happy with it.

Communicate your company’s brand

Your recruitment form shouldn’t feel like paperwork. It should reflect your brand. You can include things like your company logo and brand colors. Consider a short welcome message from the hiring manager or a short intro video about the team and describe what makes your organization a great place to work. Candidates are more likely to apply when they feel connected to your values and vision.

Be transparent about the process

Nobody likes a guessing game, providing clarity about what happens next builds trust and increases engagement. In the end screen of your form, you can outline the hiring process and indicate how/when candidates will be contacted. Additionally, you can automatically send email messages to applicants to confirm that their application was received.

Your recruitment form is more than an administrative step, it’s a marketing tool, a branding opportunity, and a talent filter all in one.

By making it simple, engaging, transparent, and human, you’re creating a hiring experience that attracts motivated, high-quality candidates.

Below are some additional resources to help you on your recruitment journey:

• How to create a job application form
• Use Typeform to capture leads through job applications forms
• How to obtain candidate references with a form
• Typeform resources for People Operations teams