Continued

Share:WHITE PAPER

The Case for Electronic Signatures for Human Resources & Staffing

“Using DocuSign has solved the headache of getting employee documents completed and signed. Now the entire process is fast and easy for us and the signer. And the time-savings is huge as DocuSign automatic signing reminders eliminate the need for us to continually follow-up.”

Carrie Robuck, Human Resources Orscheln

It’s no secret that customers are a vital part of company

success. An equally fundamental and essential part of

a booming business is the employees. Companies can

differentiate themselves with potential job candidates

through their interactions with applicants. Given the

fluctuating job market, where health and tech sectors are

rapidly growing, small companies are hiring and large

companies are laying off, it is more important than ever to

gain and retain the strongest employees.

While there are countless ways to make a strong, positive impression on your candidates, a surprising—and cost-saving—way to build the relationship is by using electronic signatures in all your documented interactions with them.

Bring ‘Em on Board

Despite elevated unemployment rates, it’s not always easy for a company to find and hire good talent. According to Forrester research, while unemployment rates are at an average of 10%, within the tech sectors and related fields its closer to 4%. Baby boomers are retiring and there is a disconnect between open jobs and viable candidates, so holding on to the strongest talent you can is more important than ever—in fact, it’s being christened a “talent shortage.” In May 2011, the index for recruiting difficulty rose in both service and manufacturing sectors compared with a year earlier, based on the LINE employment index. Thus, perception is becoming even more important when it comes to employers looking to staff up, in order for them to compete with the industry giants who can offer benefits and salaries that younger companies cannot. Electronic signatures can enhance your company’s reputation as an innovative company that cares about making the lives of employees better.

Timing Is Everything

Time is money—and electronic signatures are the fastest and easiest way to sign documents, such as offer letters. No paper, no faxing or scanning and emailing. Electronic signatures show the applicant the speed and efficiency they can come to expect within your company. That speed and efficiency when applied to on-boarding also diminishes the window of time in which your talent can be found by and lost to another company.

The time consumed by paperwork and signing isn’t solely in the hands of the potential employee. There are layers upon layers of approvals required internally in order to finalize your new hire. A process that could take weeks in a larger company or days in a smaller could be shrunk to a day or just a few hours with an electronic signature solution.

The Green Effect

An underappreciated facet of electronic signatures being used as staffing solutions falls under the “green” umbrella. Electronic signatures virtually eliminate the need for paper for signing legally-binding agreements. And according to Time magazine, recent studies show that generations born after the normalization of recycling don’t want to work for companies known for polluting practices. Recent studies by staffing firm Adecco USA show that 33% of workers are more inclined to work for a green company, and more than 50% of workers wish their company were more environmentally friendly. So when it comes to the dividing line between your company and any other, electronic signatures could be the deciding factor.

Gain and Retain

Electronic signatures speed up the recruiting process while also reducing administrative time spent on other HR documentation—that way HR can spend time retaining the employees you’ve gained, offering a competitive advantage over other companies. After all, in a 2011 survey done by Lumesse, a projected one out of every three employees are expecting to leave their jobs due to dissatisfaction. A key way to improve satisfaction is to give employees resources that help them save time in things like annual open enrollment.

WHITE PAPER docusign.com

About DocuSignDocuSign® is the global standard for electronic signature®. DocuSign accelerates transactions to increase speed to results, reduce costs, and delight customers with the easiest, fastest, most secure global network for sending, signing, tracking, and storing documents in the cloud.

For U.S. inquiries: toll free 866.219.4318 | docusign.comFor European inquiries: free phone +44 (0) 800 098 8113 | docusign.com/europe

Copyright © 2003-2012 DocuSign, Inc. All rights reserved. DocuSign, the DocuSign logo, “Close it in the Cloud”, SecureFields, Stick-eTabs, PowerForms, “The fastest way to get a signature”, The No-Paper logo, Smart Envelopes, SmartNav, “DocuSign It!”, “The World Works Better with DocuSign” and ForceFields are trademarks or registered trademarks of DocuSign, Inc. in the United States and or other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Follow Us:

• 33% of workers are more inclined to work for a green company

• 52% of workers wish their company was more environmentally friendly

• Unemployment rates are at an average of 10%

• Unemployment rates in tech-related sectors are 4%

Employees’ Green Preferences

More Inclined to Work for a Green Company

Indifferent

Wish Their Company Was More Green

52%

33%

15%

What to Consider

When considering an electronic signature provider to reduce on-boarding cycles, it’s important to consider a few crucial aspects:

Ease of Use – When in discussions with a potential employee, the easier and more painless you can make the process, the happier and more accommodating they will be. Find an electronic signature solution that is efficient and simple, that doesn’t require expensive programs or delayed downloads. Remember, the easier it is, the faster it is to complete.

Visibility – It is important to track each step as the document goes through the levels of the on-boarding process. Instead of spending time personally going from approval to approval, find an electronic signature service that does it for you, one that enables you to have multiple people sign the same document in the correct order, as well as sending reminders to speed up the process.

Legally Binding – With the personal information used during the on-boarding process, you want a secure solution for both you and your new team member. A complete audit trail and tamper-proof virtual seal of the signed documents, as well as through a secure and encrypted web page.

Mobile – With the increasingly mobile way people are managing their lives and the relatively short window during which skilled professionals are on the job market, the speed and accessibility of a company can be the difference between them signing with you or signing with something else. Look for a solutions provider with a versatile and secure mobile option that lets you send, sign and track contracts and documents.

Branding – You want to provide a positive and consistent experience for employees—especially as they are looking to join the company. Look for a solution that allows you to incorporate your branding so the signers will feel the experience is consistent with your company’s identity: one that’s efficient and fast.

In It to Win It

It’s a dog-eat-dog job market out there, and only the strongest companies survive. To equip your company with the best candidates and the best tools for survival, you must begin to differentiate yourself from the competition. Prove to your candidates that you are efficient, establish yourself as green-friendly, and prove that there is a finite and simple process and solution within your company. When Human Resources spends their valuable time guarding your most pivotal resource instead of getting lost in the maze of approvals, signatures and paperwork, your company wins.