Employee onboarding forms: Templates and use cases

Picture this: It’s your first day at a new job, and you're handed a stack of forms to complete. The paperwork feels endless, and some fields seem repetitive. Now imagine the opposite: intuitive, streamlined forms that are easy to complete.

Employee forms are much more than just paperwork—they’re the building blocks of a smooth onboarding experience and a first impression of how organized your company is.

SurveyMonkey employee form templates support all stages of employee onboarding, providing easy ways to boost employee experience. This guide highlights these essential forms, explores why they matter, and shares best practices for customizing and sharing your own forms. 

Effective onboarding requires well-designed forms to ensure a successful new hire journey. Here are the key onboarding forms every HR team should use:

Use a personal information form to collect essential employee data, including name, contact details, and emergency contacts, for accurate records and quick emergency communication.

An emergency contact form collects crucial contact information for urgent situations. Use this form to provide support during emergencies and enhance workplace safety.

Employees can securely provide their banking details for payroll processing via direct deposit authorization forms. Direct deposits reduce the risk of processing errors, so employees can receive their pay on time. 

Use an onboarding checklist to outline important onboarding steps, from paperwork to training schedules.

These forms are essential for payroll and tax compliance. A completed W-4 ensures accurate tax withholding based on filing status and allowances. Provide clear instructions to help employees avoid mistakes and delays.

After new hires complete benefits enrollment, send an employee benefits survey to gather feedback on the process. This helps HR identify valued benefits and areas for improvement. 

This onboarding survey gathers feedback from new hires about their experience, helping HR identify how to improve onboarding processes.

HR employee forms can help build a positive and efficient onboarding experience—here’s how: 

Employee forms provide a consistent framework for hiring, reducing inefficiencies and errors. This saves time and allows HR professionals to focus on supporting new hires and building better onboarding processes.

Platforms like SurveyMonkey streamline onboarding with customizable templates and automation tools, enhancing the experience for HR teams and new hires. Automation reduces repetitive tasks and human error, ensuring accurate form completion.

Employee forms often collect sensitive information, such as personal details and banking information. Digital forms stored in secure systems help companies achieve compliance with data protection laws and mitigate breaches or unauthorized access risks.

Protecting employee data securely and complying with laws is crucial. Use a platform with strong security features, like encryption and access controls, to safeguard sensitive information and meet data protection regulations.

Efficient onboarding builds trust between employees and the organization. A professional onboarding experience makes new hires feel valued and engaged, leading to greater job satisfaction and retention. Well-organized forms also minimize paperwork frustration, boosting employee morale and trust.

Designing employee forms is easy with SurveyMonkey features and customizable templates: 

For HR teams that require more control over their forms, SurveyMonkey provides the flexibility to build employee forms from scratch:

SurveyMonkey offers a comprehensive suite of employee-focused templates to help you create employee forms faster: 

Leverage AI to quickly generate employee forms based on your HR goals: 

Creating effective employee forms requires thoughtful design and strategic implementation. Here are six best practices to ensure your forms are efficient and user-friendly:

Use clear, concise instructions to guide employees through each form section. Simplifying instructions reduces errors and makes the form accessible to everyone.

Hosting forms on your HR portal lets employees submit them online, streamlining the process and saving time by eliminating printing and scanning.

Avoid overloading forms with unnecessary fields to prevent frustration and low response rates. Collect only essential data, such as personal details, tax info, and emergency contacts.

Life gets busy, and employees may not complete forms in one sitting. Allow employees to save their progress and return to complete forms later, reducing incorrect or incomplete submissions. 

Onboarding processes often require additional documents like IDs or certifications. File upload options allow employees to submit all necessary files in one place easily.

Employees should receive a confirmation email after submitting forms, reassuring them that their information was received and providing a reference for future queries.

SurveyMonkey simplifies the onboarding process with a variety of ready-to-use templates: 

Streamline the candidate evaluation process with a job application form template. These forms help gather all necessary information from applicants, making it easier to assess qualifications and fit for the role.

Kickstart the new hire data collection process with an employee information form template that captures essential personal and professional details. This form ensures that all critical information is gathered upfront, facilitating smooth integration into the organization.

Include an employee onboarding checklist to keep track of completed tasks and outstanding items.

SurveyMonkey is more than just a form builder—it’s an all-in-one solution for managing employee forms efficiently. Here’s why HR professionals trust it:

Transform your onboarding process with easy-to-use SurveyMonkey templates and features. With well-structured employee forms, HR professionals can optimize onboarding and improve their employee experience management strategies.