New Hire Forms

Q: What forms need to be filled out for a new employee?

Employee Information Form . W-4 . I-9 . Direct Deposit . Equal Opportunity Data Form . Self Identification Forms . Background Check Forms . W-2 Form .

The necessary new hire forms for your business.

By Toni Ross, Jul 4, 2024

Toni Ross is the Senior Editor of Betterteam. Her interests include developing resources that help build and grow value-oriented, connected teams, both personal and professional.

Hiring new employees comes with some unavoidable paperwork. We’ve got the key information on what you’ll need to fill out, along with advice for getting it done correctly and information about optional forms you may need to consider.

New Hire Forms Download:

Download a folder that contains all of the essential new hire forms for your business in PDF format.

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Download New Hire Forms:

Form	PDF	Word
Employee Information Form	employee-information-form.pdf	employee-information-form.docx
Direct Deposit Form	direct-deposit-form.pdf	direct-deposit-form.docx
Background Check Form	background-check-form.pdf	background-check-form.docx

Additional Forms:

1. Signed offer letter.

Although this isn’t a form in the traditional sense, having a signed offer letter should be part of your new hire checklist. It states that the employee has officially accepted the job, and understands what this entails.

For most people giving their signature means they’re committed, which helps you avoid complications with counter-offers. We have a free, downloadable job offer letter you can use.

2. Job application form.

The new hire process often starts with this essential form being filled out. Applications are often desirable even if you receive a resume because they are standardized and can be used to gather the same information from each applicant.

You can get a free downloadable job application form.

Documents That Prove Employment Eligibility:

A U.S. Social Security card issued by the Social Security Administration unless it indicates one of the following:
- "NOT VALID FOR EMPLOYMENT"
- "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH INS AUTHORIZATION"
- "VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION"
A birth certificate issued by the U.S. State Department.
Original or certified copy of a birth certificate from the U.S. or outlying possession of the U.S., bearing an official seal.
A Certificate of U.S. Citizenship.
A Certificate of Naturalization.
Native American tribal document.
U.S. Citizen I.D. Card (Form I-197).
An I.D. Card for the use of a Resident Citizen in the United States.
An unexpired employment authorization card issued by the Dept. of Homeland Security.

Documents That Prove Identity:

Driver's license.
Federal or state I.D. card with identifying information.
School I.D. with a photograph.
U.S. Armed Services identification card or draft record.
Voter Registration Card.
U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card.
Native American tribal document.
Driver's license issued by a Canadian government authority.

Documents That Prove Identity for Applicants Younger Than 18:

School record or report card.
Clinic, doctor, or hospital record.
Day-care or nursery school record.

If you’ve taken care of all these forms, and the I-9 identification - you should be all set to hire. We hope this guide helped you find all the information you need about new hire forms in one convenient place.

FAQs:

What forms need to be filled out for a new employee?

What is a common hiring form?

The most common types of employment forms include:

Employment application.
Employment agreement.
Employment verification letter.
Employee warning letter.
Non-disclosure agreement.

What are two forms of identification for employment?

The following are acceptable forms of identification for employment:

Driver's license.
Federal or state I.D. card with identifying information.
School I.D. with a photograph.
U.S. Armed Services identification card or draft record.
Voter Registration Card.
U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner Card.
Native American tribal document.
Driver's license issued by a Canadian government authority.

What is I-9 paperwork?

I-9 is the Employment Eligibility Verification paperwork. Employers must ensure each new employee properly fills out the I-9 paperwork. Get more details on the I-9 paperwork.

Do employees have to fill out a new I-9 every year?

No, but employers should keep copies of the I-9 for at least 3 years or for 1 year after the employee has left the company, whichever date is later. If an employee's employment authorization expires, you will need to complete section 3 of the I-9 form before the employment authorization expiration date and using a verified form of identification.

What is a direct deposit form?

Employees complete this form so that their paychecks are directly deposited to their respective bank accounts by the employers, instead of being given a physical check. Many employees prefer this method these days, and it can save the employer a lot of time and money versus printing and distributing physical checks.

What is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) data form?

This form is used by the EEOC for “a variety of purposes including enforcement, self-assessment by employers, and research.” Generally, you only need to use this form if you have more than 100 employees, or are a federal contractor and have more than 50 employees.

The EEOC strongly prefers that the EEO-1 form be filled out online.

How are self-identification forms used?

If a company is actively seeking to hire for affirmative action or is required to do so, it may invite applicants to voluntarily fill out a form identifying their gender, race/ethnicity, and veteran status. Companies performing federal contract work will likely need to ask employees to self-identify.

What kind of background check forms do new hires need to submit?

You’ll want to have them fill out an authorization form. Also, if you’re hiring a minor, and the minor needs to have a background check, you’ll need to get a consent form filled out by the parents. Check out our complete employee background check guide.

What are the acceptable I-9 documents for new hire verification?

An unexpired U.S. passport.
A U.S. passport card.
An unexpired temporary resident card.
An unexpired employment authorization document.
An unexpired employment authorization card.
An unexpired temporary resident card.
A permanent resident card (often called a "green card”).
An alien registration receipt card with photograph.