Optimize your forms to ensure your referral applicants are qualified.
Staffing Referrals allows you to configure the forms on your referral pages to ensure you’re getting the right candidates for the job.
But form fields can be tricky. Having too few can cause your recruiters to waste time on unqualified leads, while having too many can discourage even highly qualified leads from filling out the form.
There’s a lot of research about how form length impacts conversion rates. What it all boils down to is this:
Only ask for the information you need to move the candidate to the next step of the referral process.
By default, Staffing Referrals forms contain five fields:
- First name
- Last name
- Phone
- Job title (optional)
If Staffing Referrals is integrated with your ATS, we'll also include the fields that are required to create a candidate in the ATS.
Beyond that, we recommend you think carefully about adding fields, and avoid adding ones that may become barriers to completion. Remember that your form is not intended to be a complete job application. The goal is to determine if the candidate is ready for recruiter outreach.
Good example – Appropriate use of form fields
Your agency recruits in multiple industries, such as healthcare, industrial, and IT. Your form already asks for first name, last name, email, and phone number, and you want to add a field for the referral applicant’s ideal job title or relevant certifications.
This is an appropriate use of additional form fields because it’s information that’s easy for the applicant to provide and it will help you match the referral with the right opportunity.
Bad example – Form fields are too cumbersome
Your agency recruits software engineers. Your form already asks for first name, last name, email, phone number, programming languages, and years of experience, and you want to add a field for salary requirements.
We recommend not adding this field for a couple of reasons:
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- You’re already asking for a good amount of information.
- If the applicant is a fit, you’ll need to discuss compensation down the road anyway.
- The referral applicant may not have a specific number in mind, and so they might just decide not to finish filling out the form – which means you miss out on a potentially perfect candidate!
Also, it should go without saying that you should not include any form fields that cannot legally be asked on a job application, such as race, birth date, marital status, or social security number. See this SHRM article for questions to avoid.
Our team is here to help you configure your forms to achieve the best results.
Related article: Edit form fields.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please reach out to success@staffingreferrals.com.