We already know how the classic employment process works – after the approval of all the stipulations, the employment contract (with other specific documents) is printed in two copies, the signature of the employer and the employee being mandatory. In the case of the first one, it may be necessary to send the copies by courier in order to obtain the signature and after receiving the papers (after a period of time that can be quite consistent), the documents must be kept in a physical file, scanned, archived, etc.. In the case of the employee, the problem of moving to the employer's headquarters for signing appears.

The good news is that, starting from the existing process, you can build a 100% electronic scenario with what is currently happening on paper, using the qualified electronic signature. The most important thing to remember? The employment contract and the other additional documents signed electronically have the same value as those on paper due to the existing legal framework (regulated at European level by the eIDAS Regulation no. 910/2014) which equates the qualified signature with the holographic one.

And because – depending on the size of the company – there are already tools currently used in the Human Resources department (CRM, ERP solutions, dedicated solutions for managing personnel and their data, etc.), why not opt for full digitalization of the HR processes by integrating electronic document signing solutions so that the entire flow is electronic and not ended with paper printing in two copies?

Solutions. How do we get to have an employment contract signed electronically, with legal value, by both parties?

The use of electronic signature with legal value is a transparent solution for the end user. For this reason, certSIGN offers to the companies that want to digitize 100% human resources processes an integrated service, compatible with the HR solutions offered by the vast majority of specialized providers in the market. And for those businesses for which an HR solution is not already present for objective reasons, we offer a platform that can orchestrate document signing flows.

The most commonly implemented model is the one where the user's electronic signature (employer or employee / future employee) is stored on certSIGN servers in unequivocal security conditions (only the user having access to it) with the possibility of use from the office or from the mobile phone.

How do the solutions for electronic signature of Human Resources documents work?

Company platform. Through the HR platform / solution already existing within the company (based on the user and password of the application access) where the already filled in document is displayed, the user chooses the option "Sign" with a simple click, receives a One Time Password (OTP – authorization code transmitted through an SMS or mobile application), it enters it and thus the document is electronically signed with legal value.

certSIGN platform. If there is no solution already implemented, the electronic signature of the document with legal value by the employee / future employee is done through a web platform that certSIGN provides to the company. The process is similar to the one described above, namely the document view, click "Sign", the OTP entry, the generation of the electronically signed document.

There are also situations in which the business assumes that access to a computer / laptop is only granted for a part of the employees (eg. production or distribution area). In these cases, the solution proposed by us is that of a centralized approach, using a mobile device and application:

• the contract is prepared by the HR inspector and presented on a tablet;

• the user reads it, agrees with the content and presses the "Sign" button;

• an OTP is transmitted to it by the certSIGN system, entered by the user and the document is electronically signed.

Digitizing and automating HR processes – benefits

Although the entry of the employment process into the digital transformation area may seem like a novelty, the reality is that this has already begun for several years, if we take into account that:

• we have the necessary tools for generating electronic documents (.word, .pdf etc);

• employee information is centralized electronically (in an HR solution, etc.);

• we have the same signatories on the documents in electronic format (they currently receive the classic "map" with documents);

• not infrequently, a scanned copy of the document hand-signed is made (this process being disruptive as a storage medium – it is born electronically, it is also printed on paper, it is subsequently scanned for an electronic copy / moved to the digital environment);

• the documents are sent to the archive repository after they are placed in the library, file, etc. (when, with a single click, they could reach the electronic archive).

Beyond 100% automation (process started and completed in the digital environment), integrating the electronic signature solutions of human resources documents in the HR processes of the company comes with a number of benefits, first of all the signing up being more operative – you don’t have to sign "x" copies on each page, but it is sufficient to sign electronically once.

Also, in addition to the advantages of reducing operational costs and wasted time (with printing, courier documents, physical archiving, etc.), the hiring process can take place, as before, both in the head office and in the points of work / production centers / branch offices in the territory through the mobile or web scenarios presented above.

Find out more on this topic from certSIGN specialists at Radio Guerrilla!

Podcast "From Digital Transformation to DIGITAL TRUST" @ Guerrilla Hub.

EP.5. Solutions for digitizing Human Resources processes

(invited Florian Poenaru, Account Manager certSIGN)