The application process

You must make it clear in your advertisement, or your brief to the recruitment agency, how you want candidates to apply. You can get information on applicants by: providing an application form - designed by the employer or bought from a stationery supplier requesting a CV with a covering letter or email - a brief account of the person's education, qualifications and previous work experience

Advantages of application forms: You can decide exactly what information you need to know. It is easy to compare the skills and experience of different applicants. You can re-use the form for future vacancies.

Disadvantages of application forms:They are time-consuming and can be tricky to design as they must be easy to fill in and have clear instructions. You pay the cost of producing and sending them out to applicants. A form can put some applicants off.


What to include in an application form:Name and address of organisation. Job applied for. Name, address, telephone numbers and email address of candidate. Educational and professional qualifications. Work experience. Other relevant information and skills, eg languages, clean driving licence. Names and addresses of referees. Registered employers in Northern Ireland with more than ten full-time employees have a legal duty to monitor the composition of their workforce and of those applying to fill vacancies