Settleware’s e-Signing Streamlines and Reduces Work for Human Resources

Human Resources is a key department in any organization. It is where practices and objectives meet in an attempt to provide an employee-oriented, high performance culture that emphasizes empowerment, quality, productivity, standards and goal attainment. HR guides and manages the overall provision of services, policies and programs for the entire company.

This is also the department where the greatest number of documents that require timely signatures are created. The single act of hiring a new employee creates the need for a minimum of 5 signatures plus counter-signing (application, W4, I9, handbook, benefits) in order for the new individual to begin work.

We have all experienced times when we wished there was an easier, faster way to get the job done—whether it’s obtaining that new hire’s signature, a department head’s approval or the CEO’s signature.

Welcome to Settleware’s e-Signing: the premiere web-based electronic signature service. Settleware’s e-Signing is able to provide you with a secure, streamlined, cleaner and faster way to get a signature on any document in minutes instead of days—even if the signatory is not in the city, state or country. What’s even better is that it all happens without generating one piece of paper or incurring great time and expense purchasing new hardware or software.

With Settleware’s e-Signing you can:

Sample HR Case Studies

Challenge #1: The Big Hiring Rush

Many organizations go through a seasonal yearly cycle when they need to hire additional employees for a specified period of time to augment their full-time permanent employees. This is a high stress time for the HR department as they not only have to advertise for the positions but must then interview at least twice, make job offers and proceed with intense amounts of paperwork all before the new hire can begin work. If there are any hold-ups anywhere in the cycle it means a department will be starting their peak time short-handed. Here is a sample of what that paper flow might look like in your organization at present:

This “before” scenario is handled by up to three different people in the HR department depending on the size of the organization, and can take two weeks or longer to complete the cycle. In some cases, additional employees must be hired within the HR department to handle the extra workload and paper flow.

Settleware’s e-Signing Solution:

With Settleware’s e-Signing this process can become paperless and streamlined:

Settleware’s e-Signing integrates with your company’s existing website so that all potential employees can be directed to the website to fill out the initial job application. If they pass the interview stage, and are offered a position, they would no longer have to return to the HR department to fill out the required paperwork nor would you have to fax it to them in order to expedite the process. You would simply direct them to your company website with a login name and password where they could fill out and sign the paperwork via electronic signature. If you prefer, you can simply email them the paperwork through your own secure “Signing Room” via ZapSign. Once the new hire has filled out the paperwork and signed the appropriate documents electronically, they are then automatically routed to:

• an automatic on-line background check
• directly into your SQL/ADP system
• any other place your organization requires

Paperwork is complete and all information is keyed in where necessary. This whole process took one person and hours to complete instead of weeks and many people.

Challenge #2: The New Mandate for all Employees

The CEO/Managing Director of your organization has requested the HR department implement a new company mandate. It is the HR department’s responsibility to ensure that all department heads and assistants read and sign this new mandate by a specific date.

Currently the HR department would need to create and print out the required number of documents, insert documents into inter-office envelopes and place envelopes into each department head and assistant’s mailbox. The recipients would pick up the envelopes on their next shift, read them, sign them and then return them to the HR mailbox. HR would then have to open and file each returned document as well as track who has signed and who has not. Inevitably there will be those who are tardy in returning the document and there will be those who are off property. In order to meet the deadline, HR would have to track down those who had not returned their documents by phone or by email and possibly fax out new copies to those who were off property.

This very time-consuming process requires one or more HR employees. Often the job goes right down to the wire when compiling all the employee-signed documents.

Settleware’s e-Signing Solution:

After the CEO/Managing Director’s request, the HR assistant would type up the document, log into the secure Settleware’s “Signing Room,” upload and name the document, insert the recipients’ email addresses using Auto fill, type a note stating the mandatory return date, add an electronic “Sign Here” tab to the document and hit the send button.

All recipients receive an email with the message from HR and a hyperlink to “Click Here to Sign.” When John Worker clicks the link, he is taken automatically to your secure “Signing Room” where he reads and electronically signs the document.

Once signed, the HR assistant will receive an email stating that John Worker has signed the document. John Worker will also receive an email with a PDF copy of the signed document. If Jane Worker is at another property; she can also electronically sign the document. All she needs is internet access and a web browser.

For those who are tardy, automatic reminders can be set up to be sent at whatever intervals you need. The HR assistant or their supervisor can also log into the secure “Signing Room” at any time to see who has signed and who has not.

This whole process can be handled by one person and completed in 24 hours or less.

Challenge #3: Multiple Approvers, Impending Deadline

The HR department has a set of documents that must be reviewed and signed by three different department heads at two different properties. The catch is that this set of documents must be reviewed and signed in a specific departmental order and hierarchy.

The HR department needs to create the document, create a cover letter as to the routing and insert it into an inter-office envelope. It gets sent to the first recipient, who signs and (hopefully) forwards to the second recipient, who signs and returns it to HR, where it gets couriered to the final signatory at the far property. Once signed, the document gets couriered back (finally) to HR for completion.

This process would take one HR employee and possibly a week or longer to complete. In addition, there needs to be constant phone calls and follow up to ensure the document’s progress through the approval chain.

Settleware’s e-Signing Solution:

The HR assistant creates the documents for signature, logs into their secure “Signing Room,” uploads and names the document, inserts all email addresses for recipients using Auto fill, specifies the routing as to who gets the document and in what order, types a note alerting all to the mandatory return date, adds “Sign Here” and “Title” tabs to the document and hits the send button.

Joe Manager receives an email with the message from HR and a hyperlink stating “Click Here to Sign.” He is taken automatically to the secure “Signing Room” where he can read and electronically sign the document.

The document is then automatically routed to Steve Director, the next person on the list, and the HR assistant receives an email stating that Joe Manager has signed off. Joe Manager will also receive an email with a PDF copy of the signed document.

Steve Director quickly signs without leaving his desk or waiting for the afternoon mail run.

If Jane Doe, the third signer, happens to be off property, she can still sign the document from wherever she is. She only needs internet access and a web browser. Miss Doe can even access the document using her iPhone or PDA.

All signers will receive an email with a PDF copy of the fully-signed document.

If someone in the routing is tardy, automatic reminders can be sent at whatever intervals are appropriate. The HR assistant or their supervisor can also log into the secure “Signing Room” any time to see the status of who has signed and who has not.

This whole process can be handled by one person and completed in minutes.