Mastering onboarding forms: 10 essential tips to streamline your new hire forms process

Onboarding new employees is your first chance to make a lasting impression—yet many companies get stuck in the tedious and time-consuming task of managing onboarding forms. When forms are outdated, complicated, or lost in piles of paper, onboarding can quickly become a bottleneck.

Here are 10 essential tips to help you master onboarding forms and get your new hires up to speed with minimal hassle.

1. Leverage automated, digital onboarding forms

Automated, digital onboarding forms are the way forward. They allow employees to complete everything remotely, from any device, at their own pace. This eliminates paper clutter, speeds up the process, and makes storing and accessing completed forms much easier. No more shuffling through stacks of paperwork or worrying about lost forms—everything is securely stored online, ready to go.

With the right software, you can automate workflows, routing forms directly to HR for processing as soon as they’re submitted. This means fewer delays and faster onboarding times, all while saving space, paper, and headaches.

2. Centralize your forms for easy access

Instead of having your forms scattered across different systems or physical locations, centralize them in one easy-to-access location. This saves time, reduces confusion, and ensures that your HR team always has the most up-to-date forms at their fingertips.

Centralizing your forms also makes it easier for new employees to find and complete their required paperwork. Whether it’s tax forms, benefits enrollment, or emergency contact info, everything is stored in one place, ready for them to access. And for HR, it’s a simple task to keep everything organized and track the progress of each new hire’s paperwork.

3. Automated email and text reminders

Automated email and text reminders are a game-changer for keeping onboarding on track. Sending timely reminders to employees about incomplete forms or upcoming deadlines can keep them engaged and ensure the process doesn’t stall. Whether it's a simple nudge to finish filling out a form or a reminder about signing an e-signature, these reminders help employees stay on top of their paperwork. Plus, automated reminders reduce HR's workload and the chance of forms being forgotten or delayed.

4. Stay compliant without the hassle

Compliance isn’t just a best practice—it’s a requirement. The risk of fines or legal complications is too great to ignore. But keeping up with ever-changing laws and regulations can feel like a full-time job in itself.

To keep things easy, implement a system that automatically updates your forms to ensure they’re compliant with local, state, and federal regulations. This not only saves time but also protects your business from costly mistakes. Regularly reviewing and updating your forms is a smart move to stay ahead of any legislative changes, ensuring your onboarding process is always in line with current legal standards.

5. Automate repetitive data entry

Data entry can be a huge time drain, especially when new employees need to enter the same information on multiple forms. This is where automation comes in. With the right system in place, you can auto-fill common fields like name, address, emergency contacts, and more across all forms.

Not only does this reduce the time spent on manual entry, but it also reduces the chances of human error, ensuring accuracy across all forms. Automation makes everything faster, more reliable, and less prone to mistakes.

6. E-signatures for the win

Gone are the days of chasing down employees to sign paper forms. E-signatures are secure, fast, and legally binding. Incorporating e-signatures into your onboarding process eliminates the need for physical paperwork and makes the signing process effortless for both HR and new employees.

With e-signatures, you can ensure that all forms are signed and returned on time. Plus, it’s a huge time-saver, enabling HR teams to focus on more important tasks than chasing signatures.

7. Ensure mobile-friendly form completion

In today’s digital age, employees expect flexibility and convenience. Ensure your onboarding forms are mobile-friendly, allowing new hires to complete paperwork on their phones or tablets. A seamless mobile experience not only speeds up the process but also caters to employees who prefer to work from their devices—whether they’re at home or on the go. Prioritizing mobile-responsive forms also improves the overall user experience, reducing frustration and abandonment rates.

8. Monitor progress and stay on top of deadlines

Tracking the progress of onboarding forms is essential to ensure everything is completed on time. By using a system that allows HR to monitor the status of each employee’s paperwork in real time, you can avoid any delays and keep things moving smoothly.

Automated reminders for incomplete forms can keep employees on track, ensuring deadlines are met and paperwork doesn’t pile up. This ensures that no forms are overlooked and that your new hires are ready to hit the ground running.

9. Offer a user-friendly digital experience

Your onboarding platform should offer a smooth, intuitive digital experience for both HR and new hires. A user-friendly interface with easy navigation ensures that employees can quickly find what they need and complete tasks without confusion. This includes simple form layouts, intuitive progress trackers, and easy access to helpful resources or support if needed. A positive digital experience reduces employee frustration and enhances engagement during onboarding.

10. Gather feedback for continuous improvement

Onboarding is an ongoing process that should evolve based on feedback from your new hires. After each onboarding cycle, take the time to gather input on what went well and what could be improved. Did employees find any forms confusing? Was there a particular part of the process that felt cumbersome?

By continuously improving your onboarding forms based on feedback, you can make future onboarding experiences more efficient. This fosters a culture of continuous improvement and ensures your onboarding process stays relevant and effective.

Ready to improve your forms process?

Onboarding forms don’t have to be a bottleneck. With the right systems and strategies in place, you can make the process faster, more accurate, and more compliant. Say goodbye to administrative back-and-forth, error-prone manual entry, and compliance worries.

Ready to elevate your onboarding process? Discover how WorkBright’s HR Onboarding Forms can simplify and automate your employee forms process, ensuring that everything runs smoothly from day one. Try WorkBright today and streamline your onboarding process with ease so you can focus on what really matters—setting new hires up for success.