Working within DNN 8.2 I should mention that I do not have Host access. I do not know if that will hinder this process. I am new to DNN so please excuse my lack of knowledge.
I am working on a form that will pull from an external db and prepopulate a list of employees.
Since this list will be quite extensive I need to have a filter/autocomplete functionality to help the user find the correct name.
I found a great tool here: http://demos.telerik.com/aspnet-ajax/combobox/examples/functionality/autocompleteclientside/defaultcs.aspx?skin=Windows7
However it's not an option to buy a solution.
I am looking for code similar functionality that I could make work for my purposes if it is possible without Host access.
The short answer here is that the link you provided will not work, given your access level. If you were to develop a custom extension for this purpose you will need host access to install the module within DNN. Therefore not possible.
Another option might be to see if your installation has a form module already configured. Such as Action Forms or Dynamic Forms.