The Human Resource department has always played a decisive role in the overall functioning of a company. This department has an everlasting urge to increase the productivity of its company and its people. This also includes incorporating the roles of e-signatures and digital documentation into the complete process of the company’s workings. An e-signature or electronic signature is an efficient, legally binding way to get approval on electronic documents. Secure and verifiable, it can replace a handwritten signature in virtually any process. With the introduction of E-signatures into the Human Resources Department, organizations can make the process of signing NDAs, insurance forms, tax and other documents entirely paperless, which in turn increases efficiency and reduces the time involved.
By speeding up the entire work process and reducing the cost of productivity, E-signatures have facilitated a lot of ease in all the processes and functions involved in the Human Resources Department. There are a lot of pros of e-signatures making their way into the functions of the Human Resources Department. We have talked about a few of them below:
- Speeds up the employees onboarding and recruitment processes: The onboarding processes of employees into a new company involve a lot of steps from getting signatures on Non-disclosure Agreements (NDAs), insurance forms to completing the whole process of tax and other documents. All this work can be sped up if a company shifts to digital signatures. This process also increases productivity of the company and its employees. The complete recruitment process can be done online which also facilitates easy storage and privacy of data. This creates an easy flow of work in the complete department.
- Accuracy of data is maintained and errors are reduced: If all the processes and procedures of the HR department including the recruitment process, the onboarding process, employees records, etc. is done manually on paper, the chances of error, inconsistencies, and delay of work is extremely high. However, if the same process is shifted to digital platforms with the facilitation of e-signature as approvals on these documents, the complete process remains error-free to a high extent and accuracy and efficiency of all the data is thoroughly maintained. This facility avoids all the discrepancies that could have occurred otherwise. This will also let you stay compliant with laws, audits, and other vital processes.
- Tracking of documents in real time becomes simpler: Keeping a record of everything manually on paper or maintaining a track of all the documents of each employee or clients in paper could turn out to be a very tedious and incompetent task for the Human Resources Department. There is a high possibility of loss of data, piracy of confidential data, hampering of data, etc. It could take hours for people to search through the bundles of files to reach their required file or document. Therefore, if all the documents are maintained on the web and updated from time to time with proper time and work schedule and are approved only through E-signatures, it would not only be easy for the employees to find the desired work but it would also be easier to maintain those records and get them approved.
- Facilitates remote work: Remote work or work from home could easily be facilitated if all the data of a company is available on a software. A lot of time the heads or managers of a company might not be available in person when needed, due to prior work commitments. If the work is digitally available, the manager of the head can simply assign the documents or give their approval on the web only. This does not hamper the workflow of the Human Resources Department in their absence. Even if a person is not available in the office due to some reason, he or she can do their work from their home at ease. This facility helps in increasing the productivity of the company and its employees massively.
- E-signatures are cost effective and secure: With the entry of E-signatures into the Human Resources Department, the cost of production of a company or its overall cost minimises to a large extent. When all the data of a company is shifted to the web, the cost of pen, paper, extra stationery, printers, faxes, etc is almost nullified. In addition, e-signature software can significantly reduce all courier fees, various administrative costs, and office space rents that will otherwise be required to store all those files and documents. Another major benefit of e-signature software is the confidentiality and security of data that it brings along with itself. The data can only be accessed with people who have the authority and identity to enter the system so the chances of tampering with the data is extremely low. Therefore, maximum privacy and security is ensured.
E-signatures are becoming more popular by the day and its use has facilitated great benefits for the Human Resources Department in particular. Therefore, if used within the laws and in their full capacity, e-signatures can continue to prove extremely beneficial.
