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HR onboarding

Digital signatures eliminate the lag of printing, mailing, and scanning onboarding paperwork. New hires can sign their entire onboarding packet before their first day — from anywhere, on any device.

Common onboarding document types​

CategoryExamples
EmploymentOffer letter, employment agreement, confidentiality agreement
TaxW-4, state withholding forms, direct deposit authorization
BenefitsHealth plan enrollment, 401(k) election, beneficiary designations
PoliciesEmployee handbook acknowledgment, code of conduct, IT acceptable use
ComplianceI-9 Section 1, background check authorization

Typical onboarding workflow​

Step 1: Create the onboarding package​

Using templates (recommended):

  1. Go to Templates > your HR folder.
  2. Select the appropriate onboarding template or template set.
  3. Fill in the new hire's details — with merge fields configured, entering data once populates the information across all documents.

Without a template: Upload each PDF individually or combine multiple forms into a single agreement. Templates are strongly recommended for onboarding because the document set is consistent across hires.

Coming Soon

Screenshot: HR template library with onboarding folder selected

Step 2: Add the new hire as a recipient​

Enter the new hire's:

  • Full legal name (as it should appear on signed documents)
  • Personal email address (work email may not exist yet)
  • Start date and position title (for merge fields)

If HR countersignature is required:

OrderRecipientPurpose
1New hireSigns first
2HR representativeReviews and countersigns

Step 3: Configure and send​

Set expiration and reminders to create a deadline that aligns with the start date:

  • Expiration: 5–7 days (creates urgency; most new hires sign quickly when motivated)
  • Reminders: Daily reminders for onboarding materials — the timeline is short
  • Authentication: Email link is sufficient for most onboarding; SMS can be added for sensitive forms

Personalize the email message to set expectations: what they are signing, approximately how long it will take, and who to contact with questions.

Timing

Send onboarding documents 1–2 days before the new hire's start date — not earlier. Sending too far in advance leads to documents sitting unsigned until the last moment.

Setting up onboarding templates​

Offer letter​

Use merge fields for variable data:

  • {{candidate_name}}, {{position}}, {{start_date}}, {{salary}}, {{manager}}

Tags: candidate acceptance signature, date signed, manager countersignature.

Benefits enrollment​

Use conditional fields to show or hide sections based on selections:

  • Health plan election (dropdown)
  • Dental and vision coverage (checkboxes)
  • 401(k) contribution percentage (number)
  • Dependent and beneficiary information (shown only if elected)

Policy acknowledgment​

Checkboxes for each policy reviewed:

  • Employee handbook received and read
  • Code of conduct accepted
  • IT acceptable use policy understood

Signature and date tags to confirm overall acknowledgment.

Coming Soon

Screenshot: Policy acknowledgment template with checkboxes and signature tag

Bulk onboarding for multiple hires​

When onboarding multiple new hires at the same time, use Bulk Send to send each person their own personalized copy in a single operation.

  1. Create a template with merge fields for per-hire variable data.
  2. Prepare a CSV file — one row per hire:
Email,Name,Title,StartDate,Salary,Manager
john@personal.com,John Smith,Engineer,2024-03-01,75000,Jane Doe
sara@personal.com,Sara Lee,Designer,2024-03-15,70000,Marc Chen
  1. Go to Templates > select the template > Bulk Send.
  2. Upload the CSV and map columns to template tags.
  3. Preview one recipient's document to confirm the data looks correct.
  4. Send — each hire receives their own personalized agreement.
Availability

Bulk Send may need to be enabled for your account. Check Settings > Billing or contact your account team.

Compliance considerations​

I-9 verification​

Electronic signatures are permitted for Section 1 (employee attestation). Section 2 (employer document inspection) typically requires an in-person review of the employee's identity documents.

A common workflow:

  1. Send Section 1 electronically before the start date.
  2. Schedule an in-person (or video) session for Section 2 document review on or near the first day.

State-specific forms​

Use conditional fields to show state-specific withholding or disclosure forms based on the new hire's work location. Configure the condition on a state field — when the recipient selects or enters their state, the relevant forms appear automatically.

Remote hiring​

For fully remote new hires:

  • SMS authentication adds a layer of verification when you cannot meet in person
  • Include equipment acknowledgment tags in the onboarding package
  • Add a remote work agreement if applicable

Tracking onboarding completion​

Go to Agreements and filter by your onboarding tag or folder to see completion status across all current new hires.

Key things to monitor:

  • Sent but not viewed: The new hire has not opened the email — follow up directly
  • Viewed but not signed: They are in progress — give them a day before reaching out
  • Completed: Ready to download and file
Coming Soon

Screenshot: Agreements dashboard filtered to onboarding, showing completion status per hire

After signing​

  1. Download the signed documents from the agreement detail page.
  2. Add to the employee's HR file or your document management system.
  3. Initiate payroll and benefits setup.
  4. Grant system access and send the new hire's equipment.

Retention: Keep signed onboarding documents for 7 or more years per applicable labor laws. Consult your legal counsel for jurisdiction-specific requirements.

Troubleshooting​

New hire cannot access the agreement Verify the email address is correct and check whether it went to spam. If the deadline has passed, extend the expiration or resend.

New hire is unsure how to sign electronically Point them to the signing overview page. Most issues are resolved by clarifying that they can draw, type, or upload their signature.

Required fields not completed Review the completed agreement for any skipped fields. If the agreement is already submitted, review your template to add required field validation before the next send.

Deadline approaching with unsigned forms Reach out personally — a quick call often resolves hesitation. Extend the expiration deadline from the agreement detail page if more time is needed.

Best practices​

Before sending:

  • Test the template by sending to yourself first
  • Verify tag assignments — each tag must be assigned to the correct recipient
  • Preview the document on mobile — most new hires sign from their phone

Communication:

  • Notify new hires that the documents are coming before you send
  • Include the HR team's contact information in the email message
  • Set clear expectations: "This should take about 15 minutes to complete"

Follow-up:

  • Configure daily automatic reminders for onboarding (shorter timeline than standard agreements)
  • Contact personally if unsigned after 3 days
  • Keep a backup set of paper forms for edge cases