Application form updates

Recent user research showed we could make it easier for jobseekers to understand what to include in their application.

# Key findings

User research highlighted that:

jobseekers did not always notice the optional fields on our application form and thought they were mandatory
when entering their work history, jobseekers often didn’t notice the gaps flagged by the system. When asked to go back and explain these gaps, they struggled to find the right section to complete before continuing their application.
there was confusion around the references jobseekers needed to provide in their application

# Additional insights

The recruitment process for schools must follow the Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE) guidance. We consulted with this document and the internal policy team whilst reviewing our references process.

# What we have done

Across December 2024 and January 2025 we made the following changes to the service:

introduced a radio response option when asking for a national insurance number to make the design clearer and show that it is optional
updated the work history screen to have a summary card design to reduce the level of information on the page
introduced error messaging and alerts to make work history gaps more obvious.
relocated most of the reference’s guidance onto the reference page to help jobseekers consult what information they need to provide
updated the references guidance to provide clarity on which references jobseekers need to give
added a new question into the reference page asking if the reference was their current or most recent employer
added validation to the references section to prevent jobseekers from continuing without a reference. KCSIE mandates a reference from their current or most recent employer.

The above changes should improve the understanding and quality of completion of our application form by jobseekers.