Can the form be signed electronically?

Yes. Electronic signatures that demonstrate intent, consent, attribution, and retained records generally satisfy ESIGN and UETA requirements for employment records, provided any consumer-facing disclosures required by federal law are followed.

When must Form I-9 be completed?

Section 1 should be completed by the employee on the first day of employment; the employer must complete Section 2 by examining documents within three business days of the employee's start date, per USCIS Form I-9 instructions.

How long must I keep the form?

Keep employment and tax-related records for at least three years from filing for tax purposes (IRC §6501(a)), and retain I-9s for 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination, whichever is later (8 CFR §274a.2).

What if an SSN is entered incorrectly?

Correct errors promptly. Incorrect SSNs can trigger 24% backup withholding and IRS information return penalties; employers should obtain corrected W-9 data before submitting tax forms.

Is notarization required for the form?

Notarization is not generally required for standard new-hire information forms. Use notarization or RON only when a specific legal attestation or state requirement mandates it.

How do I update employee information later?

Use a controlled amendment process: obtain employee acknowledgement, record the date of change, and maintain previous versions for the retention period defined by your policies and applicable law.

Electronic Signature
Templates
HR
Employee New Hire Info Form

Employee New Hire Info Form

This template is fully customizable. Edit the text, fill out the fields, and send it for signature. Give it a try!

EMPLOYEE NEW HIRE INFO FORM

Employer Identification

Employer Name

Personal Information

Full legal name:

Preferred name Home address

Primary phone

Email address

Date of birth

Social Security No.

Driver's license/ID No.

Emergency Contact

Contact name

Relationship

Contact phone

Position Information

Job title

Department

Immediate supervisor

Start date

Salary / Rate

Employment status (select all that apply)

Full-time Part-time Temporary Contractor

Employment History (Most Recent 2 Employers)

Employer 1 — Company name

Title

From

To

Primary responsibilities Reason for leaving Employer 2 — Company name

Title

From

To

Primary responsibilities Reason for leaving

Education

Highest degree earned Institution

Major / Field

Graduation date

Additional training or certifications

Professional References (3)

Reference 1 — Name

Phone

Email

Relationship Reference 2 — Name

Phone

Email

Relationship Reference 3 — Name

Phone

Email

Relationship

Legal Disclosures and Authorizations

At-Will Employment: Employment with the employer is at-will. This means that either the employee or the employer may terminate the employment relationship at any time, for any lawful reason, with or without cause or notice, except as otherwise provided in a written agreement signed by an authorized representative of the employer.

Equal Employment Opportunity: The employer is an equal opportunity employer. Decisions regarding hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits and termination are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Authorization to Verify: I authorize the employer and its agents to verify the information I have provided, to contact my former employers, educational institutions and references, and to obtain consumer reports and background checks that may include criminal history, employment verification, education verification, credit history where job-related, and motor vehicle records where applicable. I understand that adverse information may affect my eligibility for employment.

Consent for Drug and Alcohol Testing: Where permitted by law and as a condition of employment, I consent to pre-employment and/or random drug and alcohol testing and understand that employment may be contingent on the results of such testing.

Background check consent: I authorize the performance of background checks and verification as described above.

Employment eligibility: United States citizen Permanent resident Other (describe):

Applicant Certification and Authorization

I certify that all information provided on this form is true, correct and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that any falsification, omission or misrepresentation of information may result in withdrawal of an offer or termination of employment. I authorize the release of information to confirm statements made on this form and release all persons from liability for providing such information.

I understand that I may be required to complete additional onboarding paperwork, including tax withholding and direct deposit forms, and that acceptance of this form does not constitute a promise of continued employment for any specific duration unless set forth in a separate written agreement signed by an authorized representative of the employer.

Additional information, disclosures or notes

Applicant Name:

Signature:

Date:

What the Employee New Hire Info Form Is and when it matters

The Employee New Hire Info Form collects the personal, tax, and employment details necessary to onboard a new worker and comply with payroll, tax, and immigration verification obligations. Typical elements include full legal name, Social Security number or TIN, home address, emergency contact, employment start date, and tax withholding selections. Employers use the completed form to populate payroll and benefits systems, initiate I-9 verification steps, and satisfy state new-hire reporting requirements. The form itself is an administrative record and, when signed electronically under ESIGN/UETA standards, is generally admissible and enforceable in commercial and employment contexts.

Why a well-structured New Hire Info Form matters

A complete, accurate form reduces payroll errors, ensures correct tax withholding and reporting, supports timely I-9 compliance, and protects employers from administrative penalties while improving new-employee onboarding speed and recordkeeping accuracy.

Who completes and relies on the New Hire Info Form

Human resources, payroll teams, hiring managers, and new employees all interact with the form during onboarding; each party has distinct responsibilities for accuracy and retention.

Human resources staff: prepare the form, verify required fields, and coordinate I-9 completion and benefits enrollment.
Payroll administrators: use the form to set tax withholding, direct deposit, pay rates, and benefit deductions.
New hires: provide accurate personal details, sign electronically or physically, and return supporting identification or tax documents promptly.

Clear role separation and version control reduce data conflicts and make audits and state reporting easier to complete on schedule.

Essential sections to include in a professional new-hire form

Design the form to collect only required data, present clear instructions, and include signature and consent fields compatible with electronic execution and retention.

Employee Identity

Full legal name, preferred name, and government ID guidance so identity verification and payroll records match government documents.

Tax Details

Social Security number or TIN, federal and state withholding selections, and any applicable exemption claims for accurate payroll tax processing.

Contact Information

Home address, phone, and personal email to support benefits communication, emergency contact, and state reporting requirements.

Employment Data

Job title, department, employment status, pay rate, start date, and work location used for system provisioning and payroll setup.

Emergency Contact

Name, relationship, and phone number for urgent situations and HR records; indicate consent for contact in emergencies.

Signature & Consent

Signature block for employee and employer with date, consent language for electronic records, and acknowledgement of handbook or policy receipt.

Step-by-step: complete the form before or on the start date

Complete the form in the order below to support timely payroll setup, benefits enrollment, and I-9 verification.

01

Prepare: HR sends the form and instructions to the new hire.
02

Complete: New hire fills all personal and tax fields accurately.
03

Verify: Employer verifies ID and completes I-9 Section 2 as required.
04

Record: Store completed form in HRIS and follow retention rules.

Where completed forms go and who receives them

Routing depends on employer size and systems; ensure each destination is defined to maintain confidentiality and meet reporting obligations.

HRIS / Payroll: Primary storage and payroll setup.
Hiring Manager: Receives confirmation of completion and start logistics.
Benefits Team: Uses data to enroll the employee in benefit plans.
State New Hire Registry: Employer reports required data to state directory, if applicable.

Configuring an online completion workflow

Set up the digital workflow to reduce friction and capture required evidence for each completed form.

Field	Configuration
Authentication Method	Email link or SMS code for signer verification
Mandatory Fields	Make identity and tax fields required to submit
Conditional Fields	Show state tax fields based on work location
Audit Trail	Capture IP, timestamp, and user agent

Digital signing and technical compatibility considerations

Choose a platform that supports secure e-signatures, reliable audit trails, and storage that meets regulatory retention needs.

File Formats: PDF and DOCX supported
Integrations: Connects to HRIS, payroll, and cloud storage
Authentication: Email, SMS, or advanced signer verification

Key timelines and critical deadlines to observe

Keep these timeframes in mind to comply with tax, immigration, and state reporting rules during onboarding.

I-9 Verification Deadline:

Complete Section 1 by first day; Section 2 within three business days per USCIS Form I-9 guidance.

W-9 Provision:

Provide W-9 upon request—no statutory submission deadline to the IRS.

W-2 Distribution:

Employers must issue W-2 to employees by January 31 each year.

State New-Hire Reporting:

Report new hires to the state directory within the state-specific window, typically 20 days.

Record Retention:

Retain employment records according to federal and state retention rules.

Onboarding milestones from offer to record retention

Track these milestones to coordinate payroll setup, benefits enrollment, and compliance checks across departments.

01

Offer Acceptance

Candidate signs offer and returns completed employment paperwork.

02

First Day Paperwork

Employee completes New Hire Info Form and Section 1 of Form I-9.

03

I-9 Completion & ID

Employer reviews ID and completes I-9 Section 2 within three business days.

04

System Setup & Retention

Payroll and HRIS are provisioned and documents stored per retention policy.

Common mistakes that delay onboarding

Entering nicknames or abbreviated names that do not match government ID and thus delay I-9 verification and payroll tax setup.
Failing to capture an accurate SSN/TIN format or transposing digits, which can trigger backup withholding or tax-reporting errors.
Not setting required fields as mandatory in digital forms, allowing incomplete submissions that require manual follow-up.
Using an insecure transmission or storage method for sensitive data and exposing employee personal information to privacy risk.

Short summary of penalties and compliance risks

1099 Filing Errors: Penalties $60–$330 per form

Incorrect TIN: Triggers 24% backup withholding

I-9 Paperwork: Fines $281–$2,789 per violation

Intentional Noncompliance: Higher penalties, no statutory cap

Privacy Breach: Potential HIPAA or state fines

Late State Reporting: State-specific penalties apply

Essential data fields to collect on the form

Full Legal Name: Exact name as on ID

SSN or TIN: Required for tax reporting

Home Address: Street, city, state, ZIP

Date of Birth: MM/DD/YYYY format

Employment Start Date: MM/DD/YYYY format

Emergency Contact: Name and phone number

eSignature vendor pricing and capability snapshot relevant to new-hire workflows

Compare basic price points and feature availability for typical eSignature needs used in onboarding and HR workflows; signNow is listed first for parity across comparisons.

	signNow	DocuSign	Adobe Sign	PandaDoc	HelloSign
Starting Price	$8/user/mo	$15/user/mo	$14/user/mo	$19/user/mo	$15/user/mo
Free Trial	7-day free trial	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan	Varies by plan
Bulk Send	Yes (Business Premium)	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Audit Trail	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
HIPAA Compliant	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Envelope Cap	No envelope cap	100 envelopes/user/year	Varies	Varies	Varies

Real-world examples of onboarding with electronic forms

Below are concise examples showing how organizations use completed new-hire forms to accelerate onboarding and maintain compliance.

Optica Ventures — COO

The interface is simple and easy-to-use for our team; more importantly, it is just as easy for our customers.

Streamlined onboarding reduced manual follow-up.
The result was faster employee activation and fewer payroll data errors, saving HR time and improving new-hire experience across the firm.

Fertility Centers of Illinois — Founder

The airSlate SignNow team has been exceptional, responsive, the API has been great, and we're extremely happy that we chose airSlate SignNow as a company.

Integrated eSign reduced paper handling.
That integration enabled secure storage, consistent audit trails, and simplified compliance with privacy and retention obligations for patient-facing staff.

Best practices for accurate, compliant new-hire recordkeeping

Adopt these practical steps to reduce risk, speed onboarding, and ensure records meet regulatory and payroll requirements.

Validate identity early

Verify identity documents and complete I-9 Section 2 within required timeframes to avoid inspection penalties and to allow timely payroll setup.

Enforce required fields

Make critical payroll and tax fields mandatory in digital forms to prevent incomplete submissions and downstream corrections.

Secure sensitive data

Use encrypted storage, role-based access, and audit logs to protect SSNs and personal data consistent with privacy laws.

Maintain retention policies

Implement retention and disposal workflows that follow federal requirements and extend for any applicable state or industry mandates.

Frequently asked questions about the Employee New Hire Info Form

Answers to common operational and legal questions about completing, signing, storing, and updating new-hire forms.

Need help? Contact support

Can the form be signed electronically?
Yes. Electronic signatures that demonstrate intent, consent, attribution, and retained records generally satisfy ESIGN and UETA requirements for employment records, provided any consumer-facing disclosures required by federal law are followed.
When must Form I-9 be completed?
Section 1 should be completed by the employee on the first day of employment; the employer must complete Section 2 by examining documents within three business days of the employee's start date, per USCIS Form I-9 instructions.
How long must I keep the form?
Keep employment and tax-related records for at least three years from filing for tax purposes (IRC §6501(a)), and retain I-9s for 3 years after hire or 1 year after termination, whichever is later (8 CFR §274a.2).
What if an SSN is entered incorrectly?
Correct errors promptly. Incorrect SSNs can trigger 24% backup withholding and IRS information return penalties; employers should obtain corrected W-9 data before submitting tax forms.
Is notarization required for the form?
Notarization is not generally required for standard new-hire information forms. Use notarization or RON only when a specific legal attestation or state requirement mandates it.
How do I update employee information later?
Use a controlled amendment process: obtain employee acknowledgement, record the date of change, and maintain previous versions for the retention period defined by your policies and applicable law.

be ready to get more

Join over 28 million airSlate SignNow users

Sign Now