Collecting Employee Information

After an applicant accepts a position with your business, you'll need to gather some personal information about your new employee. Presumably, you already have the person's name, address and phone number, from either their resume or your application form. It's good practice to set up a personnel record that gathers the following information.

You must report each employee's name, address, Social Security number, and your business's name, address, and federal employer identification number. The easiest way to do this is to use a copy of the Federal W-4. Where you file the reports varies by state, so consult a phone directory to identify the appropriate agency. Under the federal law, reports must be submitted to the appropriate state agency within 20 calendar days of the date of hire, although some states may have shorter reporting windows.