If you’re still onboarding new hires with a patchwork of emails, spreadsheets, and calendar invites, you know how fast things get messy. One missed approval, and suddenly HR is chasing paperwork, IT is guessing about equipment, and the new hire’s first day feels chaotic. There’s a better way — and you don’t need to buy a massive HR system to get there.
This guide is for people who want to fix onboarding using tools they can actually set up and control. We’ll walk through how to use Jotform and its approval features to automate onboarding. You’ll see exactly what works, what doesn’t, and how to avoid overcomplicating things.
Why automate onboarding approvals anyway?
Before we get hands-on, let’s be honest about why this matters:
- Less busywork. Nobody wants to chase signatures or wonder who’s holding things up.
- Fewer mistakes. Automating approvals means fewer missed steps — and less “oops, we forgot your laptop.”
- Transparency. You can see where things are stuck, instead of guessing who dropped the ball.
But here’s what automation won’t fix: bad communication, incomplete forms, or unclear processes. If your onboarding workflow is chaos on paper, automating it will just make the chaos faster. Clean up your steps first, then automate.
Step 1: Map out your onboarding workflow (on paper first)
Skip this step and the rest will be a headache. You need a clear picture of who approves what, in what order, and what happens next.
Grab a whiteboard or notebook and answer:
- What info do you need from the new hire?
- Who needs to approve what? (HR, manager, IT, payroll, etc.)
- What triggers the next step — an approval? A form submission?
- What should happen automatically (send an email, assign a task)?
- Where do requests get stuck the most right now?
Pro tip: Keep it simple. Every extra approval adds a delay. Only include steps that really matter.
Step 2: Build your onboarding form in Jotform
Once you’ve mapped the process, it’s time to create the form that’ll kick things off.
How to do it:
- Sign in to Jotform and create a new form. Start from scratch or use one of their onboarding templates (but be prepared to tweak — templates are just a starting point).
- Add fields for all the info you need: name, contact, start date, role, manager, equipment needed, etc.
- Use conditional logic for optional stuff (like only showing equipment questions for certain roles).
- Test your form — fill it out yourself and see if anything’s missing or confusing.
What works:
Jotform’s drag-and-drop builder is easy, and you can collect everything in one place.
What to skip:
Don’t overdo it with endless mandatory fields. People hate forms that feel like a tax return.
Step 3: Set up your approval workflow in Jotform
Here’s where the magic happens. Jotform Approval Workflows let you route submissions for approvals, send emails, and kick off next steps — no coding.
How to do it:
- On your form, click “Settings” then “Approvals.”
- Create a new approval flow. You’ll see a flowchart-style builder.
- Add approval steps:
- Drag in “Approval” elements for each person who needs to sign off (e.g., HR, manager, IT).
- Assign each step to the right person. You can use email addresses, Jotform accounts, or roles.
- Set up notifications:
- Add “Email” elements to notify folks when it’s their turn.
- Customize emails so they’re clear (“Approve new hire: Jamie Smith, Start Date: May 15” beats “Form submitted”).
- Add conditional logic if needed:
- For example, only send IT requests if equipment is needed.
- Define what happens on approval or denial:
- Move to the next step, send a “Welcome!” email, or route back for corrections.
Pro tip:
Keep the workflow linear at first. Fancy branches are tempting, but they can break easily. Add complexity only when your basic flow runs smoothly.
Step 4: Test your workflow like a real user
Don’t skip testing. Most onboarding automations fail because someone didn’t see a broken approval or a missing notification.
How to do it:
- Fill out the form as a pretend new hire.
- Approve as each “role” in your workflow. (Use your own email or a teammate’s for testing.)
- Check every email and approval step. Did everyone get what they needed? Did anything get stuck?
- Try to “break” the workflow — skip steps, deny approvals, enter weird data.
What works:
Jotform’s test mode is decent, but real emails may end up in spam or get overlooked. Don’t just rely on the preview.
What to ignore:
Don’t obsess over making every notification beautiful. Function beats form here.
Step 5: Launch and monitor — but stay hands-on
Once you’re happy with the test, roll it out. But don’t disappear — onboarding is one place where automation needs a human touch.
Tips for rollout:
- Train your approvers. A quick Loom video or screenshot how-to goes a long way.
- Monitor the first few onboardings. Check that approvals happen on time and nothing falls through the cracks.
- Tweak as needed. If people keep missing a step, your workflow probably needs a fix.
Pro tip:
Check Jotform’s approval logs regularly for stuck requests. If you see a pattern, talk to the person holding things up — sometimes the process needs adjusting, not just the tool.
What works well (and what to watch out for)
The good
- Simplicity. Jotform’s builder is genuinely easy for non-technical folks.
- Transparency. You get a clear audit trail of who approved what, when.
- Customization. You can tweak forms and workflows without waiting on IT.
The gotchas
- Notification overload. Too many emails and people start ignoring them. Be ruthless about what’s really needed.
- Approvals can still get stuck. If someone is out of office, there’s no auto-escalation (unless you set it up). Always have a backup.
- Limited HR integrations. Jotform plays nice with some tools (like Google Sheets or Slack), but don’t expect it to replace a full HRIS.
- Mobile approval is good, not great. Works, but not as slick as native apps.
Common mistakes (so you can avoid them)
- Overengineering. If your workflow looks like a subway map, it’s too complex.
- Not updating forms. As roles and processes change, your forms need a tune-up.
- Assuming automation fixes everything. People still need clear instructions and reminders.
Keep it simple, keep it moving
Automating onboarding approvals with Jotform isn’t magic, but it’s a huge step up from spreadsheets and email chains. Start small, keep your workflow focused, and don’t be afraid to tweak as you go. The best onboarding process is the one that actually works — not the fanciest flowchart.
Your new hires (and your sanity) will thank you.