Using eSignatures to Transform HR Processes

Are your HR processes starting to feel a little dated, inefficient and in need of a better way of getting things done? eSignature solutions can enable HR to be fast and responsive with a significantly increased degree of confidence in legal, regulatory and internal compliance.

HR business functions account for a significant weight of the staffing compliance burden that any organisation with employees (or contractors) carries. The single most important force in driving this compliance is the legislation that surrounds the employment, management and treatment of people in the workplace; this legislation means HR professionals have a duty to act fairly on behalf of both the employee and employer, providing employees with favourable conditions in which to work and ensuring employers are protected adequately in the case that anything goes wrong.

Usually, the protections take the form of signed (and countersigned!) documentation which provides an audit trail for organisations and employees to demonstrate procedural compliance, professional diligence and legality of actions should any aspect of the employee-employer relationship be called into question. For HR departments, the endorsement of documentation is usually routine work but it is often made into an annoying, drawn out process consisting many emails and phone calls to chase outstanding documents. There’s also the burden of administration for a department which is ‘paperwork heavy,’ with documentation requiring careful processing and archiving. Not to mention additional safe-keeping and security requirements.

However, the rise of technology and increasing cost-control has partially reshaped the way HR professionals conduct their work. Electronic document management allows for easier archiving and more accessible – almost instantaneous – recall of required papers. Online recruitment portals, local computer and cloud-based HR systems have also enabled tasks such as records management and payroll to become easier and quicker. Despite this, documents are still being printed to capture wet-ink signatures and the processing to get this ‘digitally born’ paperwork back into electronic formats is expensive and time-consuming.

So what’s the solution?

eSignatures are the final link in fully digitising HR processes. Affording you the ability to create documents digitally whilst maintaining control of their contents, SIGNificant from Icon UK enables you to get your documents signed quickly, conveniently and securely. Here’s just a few examples of how SIGNificant can streamline your HR processes:

• Recruitment

  You’ve advertised, you’ve interviewed and you’ve selected your new employee. Before they join your business, they’ll need to sign their employment contract and any other documentation your business requires. Traditionally, this would be posted to them as a printed pack, signed by the recruit and posted back to the employer. With eSignatures, documents can be sent securely across the internet, signatures can be captured across almost any device and, once signed, the documents are secured and transmitted back to the employer for simple digital filing.

• Onboarding

  Getting employees quickly into the way things work at your business is dependent on a solid induction process. You’ll likely be covering off the key areas in an effective way already, but the documentation that comes with the onboarding process could be quickly eSigned and implemented within your records management system, such as signed copies of important policies, health and safety documentation, occupational health declarations and similar.

• Performance Management and Disciplinary Processes

  Perhaps one of the key areas for employee versus employer in the courts centres around performance management and disciplinary procedures. Sensitive discussions regarding these matters take place and the effective and precise recording of outcomes can be the difference between a successful or unsuccessful legal challenge. eSigning records of these procedures provides securely encrypted documentation which is legally admissible – once an employee signs to agree the contents of the document, alterations to the original contents are prevented. No more ‘I didn’t agree to that’ challenges.

• Multi-Country HR

  Think things are time consuming enough in the UK? If your responsibilities span multiple countries you will know that the addition of multiple languages, legal systems, regulatory environments and working practices make life much more complex. The recent eIDAS legislation implemented EU wide means that signatures on documents in one country carry full legal weight in every EU country, including the UK post-Brexit. SIGNificant capabilities offer the highest level of certification and evidential weight across countries – and make signing processes easy, timely and straightforward.

eSignature capability within the HR function is a real driver of improved efficiency, security and compliance. The cost of mistakes using other processes can be heavy, so why risk it?

SIGNificant from Icon UK has the power to transform your HR processes, enabling HR departments to become more responsive and make better use of their over-stretched time and resources. SIGNificant Signatures not only enable paperless processing but uniquely offer real-time validation of the signer’s identity, helping to keep fraud out of the system.

Think eSignatures with SIGNificant could benefit your business?

Contact Steve Reynolds at Icon UK to discuss the opportunities available to you at 0203 150 1081 or email .