Using Two Forms in One Sheet

aschneiderheinze1025

I created a sheet that collects information for new staff members via a form called New Staff Member Information, which is information needed to start the actual hiring process. If the new staff member is to be hired as an instructor (among a set of roles), I want to send them a second form after they have been added to the HR system (indicated with an HR staff member checking a box in the sheet) to provide professional/academic background information. I'd send them an alert with a link to the form. The HR staff member would not check the box until several days after the first form submission, so I can't use conditional logic in the form, and leadership doesn't want to slow down the hiring process asking new hires to provide all the professional/academic background information in the first form.

However, I anticipate that with each new second form submission a new row would be created, which isn't what I want. I'd like the information gathered from the second form to fill in the columns in the row matching the new staff member's name. I'm guessing, however, this isn't possible, though it would be a great new feature!

My second thought would be to still send an alert with a link to the second form, but the form would submit to a second sheet, and I'd use cell references to "fill in" the missing columns in the first sheet.

However, in the second form, they are asked to submit a resume and professional headshot. So, these attachments would be included in the second sheet but I'd like them to be in the first sheet. I'm guessing if I set up an automation to move/copy the row it, too, would create a second row for the same staff member.

First, just to confirm, using two forms in one sheet will result in two rows in the sheet, right?

Second, if I used a second sheet and cell references to fill in the columns in the first sheet, how can I get the attachments in the first sheet?

If neither are possible, what could be a better approach? Ultimately, I'd like a sheet with everything in it, whether it gets there via more than one form and/or more than one sheet, or some other method.

Jennifer Kurtz

Hi @aschneiderheinze1025,

If I understand what you're after, I think setting up an "Update Request" automation would work well in this situation. An Update Request would get triggered to the new staff, and you could use it to collect the additional information you need in the same row that was created from the first form.

In other words,

New staff complete your first form & the information creates a new row on your sheet.

Then, the HR staff would check the box on your sheet. That could trigger an update request to the new staff.

Your update request would include all of the additional fields/data you need to collect.

Would that sort of thing work for you? (If i've misunderstood some part of your process, feel free to give more details and I or others can keep brainstorming!) 😊