November 10, 2016 By Suzanne Robertson

Business owners need to work smarter, not harder. After all, time is money. Do you find yourself sifting through resumes trying endlessly to compare the candidates for an open position in your company?

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Whether you're hiring interns, freelancers or full-time employees, you may find yourself wondering if there's an easier way. There is, and the answer is Google Forms, one of the most powerful and versatile of all the Google Drive apps. It can be used for a variety of things including data collection, assessment, RSVP, feedback and so much more. The best part is all of the time it will save you.

Collect Only the Data You Want from Applicants

Some job applicants will write resumes three pages long no matter how many times they have been told to keep it to one page. Ninety percent of the resume is filled with information you do not want or need to fill the position. The beauty of using Google Forms is that you can ask questions to get only the information you need and nothing else.

For example, the form can ask “How many years of marketing experience do you have?” or “Do you have an Engineering Degree?” The applicants will be required to give the information that you need to make your selection. You can choose multiple choice or allow the applicant to type out an answer. Although shorter questions are generally more suitable for Google Forms, for roles with a high volume of applicants, consider asking one or two behavioral interview questions to get a better sense for an applicant’s reasoning and critical thinking skills.

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Export and Manipulate the Data

Once the application period has closed, Google Forms allows you to export all of the data from the applications directly into a Google spreadsheet or Excel. Once all of the information is in the spreadsheet, you will be able to sort and filter the applicants within a couple of minutes. If experience is what you are looking for, sort the applicants based on how many years of experience they have. If the engineering degree is important, filter out all of the applicants who answered “no” to that question.

In a very short time, you will have a select amount of candidates chosen that fit the exact qualifications you need. You will be able to choose only the top applicants to come in for an interview. And you won’t have to filter through a pile of resumes to get there.

Quickly Customize your Form

If you are worried that a Google Form-based job application won’t appear professional, don’t. Google forms is completely customizable. There are a multitude of themes available to choose from or you can create your own. You can upload your company’s logo, or any other photo you choose. The end result is a professional and custom job application form that helps reinforce your brand.

You can also choose how to send out your job application form. You can post a direct link to a website or choose to send the application form directly to recipients of your choosing. All of these options are available to you at the touch of a button.

Finding the right people for your company is crucial to the success of your company. You need to find them and find them quickly. Google Forms allows you the ability to screen applicants rapidly and find only the ones that best fit your requirements. There is no longer a need to tediously look through resumes trying to find the right people. Google Forms will make it easy for you and you’ll have top notch employees in no time.

Melissa Ricker writes about career and business topics for JobHero, a free resource that is home to thousands of resume samples, occupation-specific cover letter samples and more.

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