Idaho Law Blog
We all seen them and have likely filled several of them out during our working careers. I’m talking about job applications. Employers use job applications as a tool when hiring as a way of ensuring that they are weeding out potential problems and hiring the employee who will make the greatest contributions to the business. In working with employer clients I often discuss with them the 3 most important questions about using job applications in the hiring process.
1. SHOULD OUR BUSINESS USE A JOB APPLICATION?
I am still surprised that this questions comes up any more. Living in a digital society filled to brim with data, it seems that this question should answer itself, but I am still asked this questions often by my employer clients. The short answer is: all “smart” employers use job application for every candidate for every job, every time there is an opening. The employer should take advantage of every opportunity to gather consistent data about all of the prospective employees for a particular job. Resumes and cover letters may be different for job candidates. When it comes to a job application, the employer directly controls the questions that are asked and the data that is collected for each job applicant. This gives the employer the ability to collect data in a uniform format that can be reviewed and analyzed when making each employment decision.
2. WHAT KIND OF JOB APPLICATION FORM SHOULD WE USE?
AFter I convince my employer clients that using a job application is vital, I am then asked about the job application form that should be used. This question is a little more difficult to respond to because each employer is unique.
The basics are that a job applications could be on paper or it could be in an electronic format either on the employer’s computers or online. Current technology has made it easier for employers, even small employers, to have online job applications. This makes the collection of job applications and data about each job applicant so much easier to obtain and to process. It is important to note that there is nothing wrong with using a written (paper) job application. Sometimes small employers can’t absorb the expenses of creating or managing an online job application system. The bottom line is that employers of all sizes should use the form or job application process that works best for its operation.
3. WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION SHOULD WE COLLECT IN A JOB APPLICATION?
The next question I am often asked is about the types of data or information that should be collected in a job application. As stated above, the job application forms used to collect data are varied. There simply is no one perfect form or right way for every employer to gather the data. Despite this, there are several basic items of information that every employment application should have. These items are:
- A job application should require basic information demonstrating that the applicant can legally be employed.
- An application should seek information regarding relevant skills, education, and experience (such as degrees; previous employment; or specific licenses and/or skills training).
- The application also demonstrates the applicant’s literacy level, ability to write, and the way the applicant communicates.
- The job application can also require the applicant to disclose any criminal record that they may have.
It goes without saying that employers use the job application to screen out applicants. A good example of this is when a careless job applicant is disqualified because the way the job application is filled out evidences that the applicant did not properly read or follow the instructions.
The focus of a job application is to allow the employer to collect enough information to conduct an appropriate background check; to review the qualifications of each applicant; and to make a hiring decision about that applicant. There is no magic form that will work for each employer. However, with a little effort, each employer can make good hiring decisions based in part on the information collected through a well written job application.
If you are an employer and you have questions or concerns about creating or using a job application in your business, we can help. Call us toll free at 877-232-6101 or 208-232-6101 for a consultation with Lane Erickson and the Racine Olson team of Employment Law attorneys in Idaho. You can also email Lane Erickson directly at lve@racinelaw.net. We will answer your Idaho Employment Law questions and will help you solve your Idaho Employment Law problems.
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