Here’s How to Use Electronic Signatures for Employment Documents

Quick Summary

This article explains how electronic signatures simplify employment document management, reducing paperwork delays and ensuring legal compliance. It provides a step-by-step guide on using SignWell to upload, send, track, and securely store signed documents, streamlining HR workflows. Learn more about PDF e-signature solutions on the SignWell Resources Page.

Struggling to Manage Employment Paperwork?

Managing employment documents can be a hassle, especially when dealing with multiple new hires, contracts, and compliance requirements. Electronic signatures simplify the process, helping you finalize documents quickly and securely, without the back-and-forth of traditional paperwork.

In this SignWell article, we’ll explain how electronic signatures work for employment documents, their legal validity, and how to implement them seamlessly into your HR workflow.

But first…

Why Listen to Us?

At SignWell, we’ve helped over 61,000 businesses, including HR teams, streamline their workflows with secure, legally binding e-signatures. Our expertise in electronic signatures ensures your employment documents are signed efficiently, securely, and in compliance with international laws.

What is an Electronic Signature?

An electronic signature, or e-signature, is a digital alternative to a handwritten signature used to sign documents electronically. It provides a secure and legally binding way to confirm agreement or approval without the need for physical paperwork. Unlike traditional methods, e-signatures allow you to sign and manage documents anytime, anywhere, using any device.

Benefits of Using Electronic Signatures for Employment Documents

• Faster Hiring Process: E-signatures eliminate delays from printing, scanning, and mailing offer letters, contracts, and onboarding documents, allowing HR teams to secure signatures quickly.
• Cost Savings: Digital signatures reduce expenses related to paper, ink, and courier services. SignWell offers a free plan for small teams and affordable pricing for growing businesses, making it a budget-friendly solution.
• Enhanced Security: SignWell ensures employment documents are encrypted, legally binding, and protected against forgery. Detailed audit trails provide a clear record of every signed agreement.

• Legal Compliance: E-signatures meet strict legal standards, including the ESIGN Act and eIDAS, ensuring employment documents are valid and enforceable across jurisdictions.

How to Use Electronic Signatures for Employment Documents

Step 1: Identify Key Employment Documents for E-Signatures

Before implementing e-signatures, determine which employment documents should be digitized. Common HR documents that benefit from electronic signatures include:

• Offer Letters: Quickly send and receive signed job offers to streamline hiring.
• Employment Contracts: Secure legally binding agreements without the hassle of printing and scanning.
• NDAs and Confidentiality Agreements: Ensure sensitive company information is protected with signed agreements.
• Tax Forms (e.g., W-4, I-9): Digitally collect required tax and identity verification documents.
• Employee Handbooks & Policy Acknowledgments: Confirm employees have read and agreed to company policies.

Step 2: Choose a Reliable E-Signature Solution

When handling employment documents, it’s crucial to use an e-signature platform that is secure, legally binding, and easy to use. That’s where SignWell comes in.

Our electronic signature solution is designed to simplify the signing process while ensuring compliance with U.S. and international e-signature laws, such as the ESIGN Act and UETA. With built-in security measures, audit trails, and automated workflows, you can trust that every document is signed and stored securely.

Since we’ll be using SignWell for the rest of this process, you’ll also have access to a library of employment templates; including offer letters, NDAs, and tax forms, so you can quickly prepare and send documents without starting from scratch.

Step 3: Set Up Your E-Signature Workflow

Now that you have a reliable e-signature solution, it’s time to set up your workflow and start signing employment documents digitally. With SignWell, the process is simple, secure, and efficient.

Step 3.1: Upload Your Employment Document to SignWell

1. Visit the SignWell Website: Go to SignWell.com and sign in.
2. Create an Account (If You Haven’t Already) – You can sign up using:

• • Use your Google account for a quick and seamless setup.
  • A unique email and password.

3. Access Your Document Dashboard: After logging in, you’ll be directed to your Documents Dashboard, where you can upload and manage your files.

4. Click “New Document”:  This button allows you to upload a new file.

5. Upload Your Employment Document:  Click the “Upload Document” button and select the employment-related PDF from your device.

6. Need a ready-made template? Click the “Use a Saved Template” button instead.

Once your file is uploaded, it’s time to add recipient details and prepare the document for signing.

Step 3.2: Add Recipient Contact Information

To ensure that the right people receive and sign your document:

1. Enter the Employee’s Email Address: Add the email of the new hire or staff member who needs to sign.

2. Add Additional Recipients (If Needed): If managers, HR representatives, or legal teams need to sign, enter their details.

3. Include Your Own Information (If Required): If you also need to sign, make sure to add yourself as a recipient.

4. Click “Prepare”: This will take you to the document editor, where you can set up fillable fields.

Step 3.3: Add Fillable Fields to Your Employment Document

With your document uploaded, it’s time to add interactive fields so recipients can complete and sign the form. In the SignWell document editor, you’ll find tools to place fillable fields on your document.

Here’s how to add each field:

• Text Fields: Drag and place a text box where the employee needs to enter details such as their name, job title, or start date.
• Date Fields: Select a date field so employees can enter the signing date.
• Checkboxes: Use checkboxes for agreement confirmations (e.g., “I acknowledge the terms of this contract”).
• Signature Fields: Drag a signature field to the designated spot where the employee and other signers will sign.
• Initial Fields: If initials are needed (e.g., for acknowledging specific clauses), add these fields as required.

Step 3.4: Customize Your Fields for Accuracy

To ensure a seamless signing experience, customize the form fields with the following settings:

• Mark Required Fields: Make sure critical fields (like signatures and names) must be completed before submission.
• Adjust Field Sizes: Resize text and signature fields for a clean, professional layout.
• Apply Validation Rules: Ensure email fields require a valid email format and number fields accept only digits.

Step 4: Send Employment Documents for Signature

Now that your employment document is set up with all the necessary fillable fields, it’s time to send it out for signatures.

• While still in the SignWell Document Editor, navigate to the top-right corner of the screen and click the “Send” button to begin the sending process.
• Before sending the document, you’ll have the option to personalize the email that recipients will receive. A clear and professional message helps ensure quick responses and minimizes follow-ups.

• Set a Sending Order (If Needed): If multiple recipients need to sign in a specific sequence (e.g., an employee first, followed by HR or legal), you can enable this feature.

Once your message is ready:

1. Review Recipient Information: Double-check that all email addresses are correct.
2. Click “Send”: Your document will be emailed to the recipients for signing.

Each recipient will receive a secure email link to review and sign the document. They can complete the process from any device, without needing to download software or create an account.

Step 5: Track and Manage Signed Documents

Once you’ve sent your employment documents for signature, the next step is to track their progress and manage completed agreements efficiently. 

With SignWell’s Document Dashboard, you can track:

• Who has opened the document.
• Who has viewed the document.
• Who has signed the document.

To stay informed without constantly checking your dashboard, SignWell provides automated notifications throughout the signing process. You’ll receive alerts when:

• A recipient opens the document.
• A recipient completes their signature.
• All required signatures are collected, finalizing the document.

If an employee or stakeholder hasn’t signed the document within a certain timeframe, SignWell’s reminder feature allows you to send a gentle follow-up, automatically.

This ensures that:

• Documents are signed promptly.
• No critical employment agreements are delayed.
• You don’t have to manually chase down signatures.

Step 6: Save and Secure Your Signed Employment Documents

Once all required signatures have been collected, it’s essential to store and manage your signed employment documents securely.

After all parties have signed the document, you can download the finalized PDF directly from SignWell. Here’s how:

1. Navigate to your SignWell dashboard.
2. Locate the completed employment document.
3. Click the Download button to save a copy to your device.

This ensures you have an offline backup for HR files, legal purposes, or printing if necessary.

For added convenience and security, SignWell allows you to store signed employment documents in the cloud. This eliminates the risk of lost paperwork and makes it easy to retrieve files when needed. To save a signed document in the cloud:

1. Click the “Save As” button, located next to the “Send” button in your SignWell dashboard.
2. Choose your preferred cloud storage option or keep it securely within SignWell’s document management system.

Streamline Employment Document Signing with SignWell

Managing employment documents shouldn’t be a time-consuming, paper-heavy process. With electronic signatures, you can eliminate manual paperwork, reduce delays, and ensure a seamless hiring and onboarding experience.

SignWell makes it effortless to handle employment agreements, offer letters, and compliance forms with legally binding e-signatures. Our secure platform simplifies document preparation, tracking, and storage—so HR teams and employees can focus on what truly matters. Plus, with automated reminders and real-time tracking, you’ll never have to chase down missing signatures again.

Get started with SignWell today and experience a faster, more efficient way to manage employment documents.