Sign On The Dotted Line: Empowering HR Services Through Digital Processes

HR services are increasingly working with a remote and disparate workforce. Joan Burke, Chief People Officer, DocuSign explores how digital processes and automation can help prioritise people over process management.

The ‘where, when, and how’ of work is fundamentally changing. The last two years have been a period of mass upheaval and change, as organisations have looked to redefine, and in many instances, accelerate digital transformation strategies.

The most evident example of digital transformation over the last two years has been around the increased reliance on remote and hybrid working. So much so, that a recent Gartner CFO survey found that 74% of decision-makers plan to permanently shift employees to remote working models. However, for remote and hybrid working to truly succeed, the processes that support the business, such as Human Resources (HR), also need to support remote working.

Therefore, as the world of work reopens, re-evaluating the processes put in place over the last two years has become vital. But what role do digital technologies and the emerging anywhere economy play in the hybrid present for those handling recruitment, workforce issues, and other workplace tasks?

Automating Process Efficiencies

Hybrid working should not be a barrier to managing a business, it should represent an opportunity to define digital processes, driving real change. For example, 86% of organisations recruited virtually and onboarded workers in 2021. By creating processes that improve efficiencies, while at the same time reducing the number of systems and redundant processes, smarter workflows can be shaped. HR, in turn, can focus on the most important aspect of the job, the people, instead of being weighed down by archaic processes and procedures.

This means making the most of cloud-based technologies, such as Slack or Google Drive for collaboration and file sharing, and integrating Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) software, such as DocuSign CLM, to manage the flow of agreements and documentation required throughout the hiring, onboarding and supporting of employees.

The CLM enables organisations to quickly manage contract handling, such as generating documents at the click of a button, by standardising processes and increasing oversight, saving HR teams time. Ultimately, the automation of manual HR tasks improves complex workflows, and eliminates errors and potential threats by standardising business processes.

Eliminate Manual Document Management

Being able to do business and operate from anywhere is now an accepted part of work culture. 85% of millennials, for example, understand that the ability to work from anywhere is important to their future careers. DocuSign is aware of this cultural shift, moving its in-person onboarding experience to a virtual format, helping to deliver a greater connection between distributed teams.

Organisations cannot expect to create a strong office culture with a sense of belonging if it is still focused on outdated initiatives that don’t take the remote nature of the workforce into consideration. Nor can it hope to attract the best talent if it still sends out physical contracts to be signed, which takes a long time during which a competitor with more agile processes might have already snapped the future employee up. For many the bottom line is simple; decision-makers must build flexibility into their HR operations if they are to support this anywhere economy.

As such, businesses should look to replace old, manual, paper-based systems by deploying digital alternatives, such as DocuSign eSignature for the approval of electronic forms or documents for a secure, and manageable approach to hiring and onboarding by HR teams. Digital workflows also reduce the finding and accessing of completed agreements, boosting productivity, and freeing up HR personnel to focus on other business strategies.

User Identity and Trust Services

Knowing who handles sensitive employment documents will be a key concern. In fact, 56% of HR professionals claim identity management is set to become increasingly critical to success over the next five years. However, there is still a lack of understanding about how e-signatures can add that additional level of security to the processing of documents.

Organisations more attuned to handling ‘wet signature’ documents for job acceptance offers, contract agreements, or promotions, often do not recognise the risk of sending such sensitive information in a physical manner. Once sent there is no longer a readily accessible audit trail. As a result, the document sender will not know who has seen, handled, or even processed the documents.

By contrast, e-signatures deliver a secure digital workflow, ensuring that a clear and defined process is followed. HR teams have complete visibility of the digital document from the moment it is sent, and onwards through its lifecycle until completion and safely filed.

The role of HR in any organisation is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the workforce. As we enter an era of increased remote working, organisations must be ready to rise to the challenge and support their resourcing teams with more flexible ways of working.

By streamlining HR processes, including e-signatures and complementary digital agreement technologies, organisations can ensure that recruiting, onboarding, and people management, are ready to meet the demands of an increasingly remote, discerning, and digital-first workforce.