If you work in HR, you know onboarding forms can be a minefield. You need to collect sensitive info, but you can't mess around with security—or patience. This guide is for HR teams who want to build secure, no-fuss onboarding forms in Paperform that actually work. If you want something you can set up fast and trust, keep reading.
Why Security Actually Matters (And Where Most People Slip Up)
HR forms collect everything from birthdays to bank accounts. If that information leaks, you're looking at angry employees, legal headaches, and plenty of sleepless nights. Most breaches aren’t from high-tech hackers—they’re from simple mistakes: using the wrong sharing settings, leaving data exposed in email, or not knowing who has access to what.
Here's what really matters: - Data stays private: Only the right people see it. - Everything’s encrypted: Both when sent and when stored. - You know who did what: Good audit trails for compliance.
It's easy to overlook this stuff in the rush to “just get the form live.” Don’t.
Step 1: Plan What You Actually Need (Not Just What’s “Nice to Have”)
Before you open up Paperform, map out the info you really need. Over-collecting is a security risk and makes forms a pain to fill out.
Must-haves for onboarding: - Full name - Start date - Contact info (email, phone) - Emergency contact - Tax and payroll info - Signed policy acknowledgements
Skip or separate if you can: - Social Security Numbers or IDs (collect only if you must, and ideally in a separate, extra-secure form) - Banking details (same deal as above) - Medical or sensitive personal info
Pro tip: If you need to collect highly sensitive stuff, consider a phone call or a secure file upload instead of a form field. If you don’t store it, you can’t leak it.
Step 2: Set Up Your Paperform Account and Workspace
If your HR team is sharing one login, stop. Each person should have their own account with strong, unique passwords. Two-factor authentication is a must.
- Go to your Paperform dashboard.
- Make sure you’re in a dedicated workspace for HR, not a general team area.
- Set permissions carefully. Only HR staff should see onboarding forms and results. Double-check who’s got access—this is where a lot of leaks happen.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with fancy backgrounds or themes at this stage. Focus on structure and security.
Step 3: Build Your Form—The Right Way
3.1 Add Fields Thoughtfully
- Use Short Text for Names, Emails, Phone Numbers.
- Use File Uploads for Documents: But only if you truly need them, and make sure you understand where those files are stored.
- Avoid open-ended text for sensitive info. For example, don’t ask for “anything else?”—it invites oversharing.
- Use Required Fields sparingly. Too many required fields frustrate people and lead to bad data.
3.2 Organize with Sections (and Conditional Logic)
- Break the form into sections: Personal Info, Payroll, Acknowledgements, etc.
- Use conditional logic: Only show fields when necessary (e.g., only ask for direct deposit details if they opt for it).
3.3 Use E-signatures (But Don’t Over-rely)
Paperform’s e-signature field is handy for policy sign-offs and agreements. It’s not a replacement for full-blown e-signature solutions like DocuSign, but it’s fine for most internal onboarding.
Step 4: Secure Every Step
4.1 Enable Form Security Features
- Turn on SSL: This is standard—Paperform does this by default, but always check.
- Set form visibility to “Private” or restrict to a password: Don’t share public links for onboarding.
- Turn on submission notifications for HR only. Never email sensitive form data outside your HR team.
4.2 Restrict Access to Results
- Only HR admins should access responses.
- Disable “Send me a copy” options for employees unless it’s for non-sensitive info.
- Don’t export data to email or insecure shared drives. Use Paperform’s built-in exports or integrations with secure HR systems.
Honest take: Integrations can be sketchy. If you’re sending form data to Google Sheets or Slack, make sure those platforms are locked down, too. Otherwise, you just moved your security problem somewhere else.
Step 5: Test Like a Skeptic
Before you go live: - Fill it out yourself. Try to break it. Enter garbage data. See what happens if you skip things. - Test on mobile and desktop. Most people will use their phones. - Check email notifications: Make sure nothing sensitive is being sent in plain text. - Ask a non-HR colleague to try it. They’ll spot confusing questions or accidental oversharing.
Don’t skip this: Most embarrassing leaks happen because nobody tested the form as an outsider. Be paranoid here.
Step 6: Set Up a Clean Data Workflow
After someone fills out the form, what happens next? This is where a lot of HR teams get messy (and risky).
- Store data in one secure place. If you use an HRIS, integrate directly (if possible). If not, export securely and delete from Paperform when done.
- Regularly purge old data. Don’t keep stuff “just in case.” Less data = less risk.
- Log who accesses form results. Even a simple spreadsheet can work for this.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with auto-forwarding form responses to random inboxes or printing PDFs “for records.” That’s just asking for leaks.
What Works, What Doesn’t, What to Ignore
- Works: Keeping forms short, permissions tight, and data off email.
- Doesn’t: Over-customizing forms, collecting too much, or trusting integrations blindly.
- Ignore: Fancy form themes, marketing add-ons, or anything that makes you “feel” secure but doesn’t actually control access.
Common Pitfalls (And How to Dodge Them)
- Sharing links too widely: Only send onboarding forms to the right person, not a group.
- Ignoring mobile usability: If it’s a pain on a phone, people will send you info via email. That’s worse.
- Storing everything forever: Delete old submissions. Compliance and security both demand it.
- Assuming “default” settings are fine: Always double-check privacy and access controls.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Stay Skeptical
You don’t need a 20-page onboarding form or a form that looks like a landing page. Start with the basics, keep it secure, and improve as you go. The best onboarding forms are the ones nobody complains about—because they’re fast, clear, and don’t leak sensitive info.
Security isn’t about paranoia. It’s about making leaks boringly improbable. Build your form, test it, and revisit access settings regularly. That’s how you keep your HR team—and your new hires—safe.