This article provides an outline of the eSignatures feature, including how Company Administrators and Contract Managers can add eSignatures within contract templates.
Overview of Contract eSignatures
This feature allows employees and candidates to accept contracts using a digital signature that is either hand-drawn, or typed and converted to a handwritten font.
Drawing a signature can be done using the mouse on a desktop, or finger on a mobile:
Typing a signature will automatically convert into a handwriting font (font cannot be customised):
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eSignatures are only available to contract assignees / recipients.
How to add the ::SIGNATURE:: placeholder into a contract template
To display the signature directly in your contract(s), make sure to insert the ::SIGNATURE:: placeholder into your contract template. Until you do this, the signature will only be visible in the Audit Log/Offer Details.
This can be done by a Company Administrator or those with the Contract Manager (Security Profile).
Navigate to Administration → General → Contract library
Edit a manually created Contract and add ::SIGNATURE:: placeholder into the contract, you can add this using the available placeholder list. Search for Signature and then hover over the placeholder name and click Copy Placeholder.
Alternatively, you can copy and paste the placeholder by highlighting and copying and pasting.
Paste the placeholder where you wish the signature to display.
Click Save.
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If you've uploaded a contract as a .docx file using the Contracts Upload function, you'll need to download the Word document to make edits externally. Once updated, re-upload the contract to apply the changes.
How the Signature placeholder displays when previewing
When previewing a contract, the ::SIGNATURE:: placeholder will display as an image to indicate where the eSignature will display. This is what the employee/candidate will see when accepting the contract:
Accepting a Contract with a Signature
The experience of accepting a contract is almost the same for candidates as it is for employees. Both will use the following screen to review their assigned contract(s), with the option to either Accept or Reject:
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If there are multiple documents within the Contract Workflow, then they will all be displayed underneath each other.
When Accept is clicked, the following will pop up:
The eSignature field gives the option to either draw or type a signature.
The ‘Full Name’ and ‘Signature’ fields are required before the “Accept and Sign” button will become available.
Accepting a Contract as an Employee
When an employee is assigned a Contract Workflow, they will be presented with the contract acceptance page the next time they log in.
Once the contract is accepted, the employee is redirected to the 'Profile' section where they can optionally download their contract from the Contracts section:
The eSignature is visible everywhere the ::SIGNATURE:: placeholder was located in the contract, and as well as within the Audit Log PDF:
Accepting a Contract as a Candidate
When an offer is made to a candidate, they can view the contract(s) from the Offer section of their Profile page within the External Career Portal.
When the candidate clicks the ‘View’ button within the Offers section, they will be navigated to the contract acceptance page:
Once the offer is accepted, the candidate is redirected back to their Profile page where they can ‘View’ their contract(s) again, or download them by clicking Download from the drop-down menu.
The candidate can also view their eSignature within Offer Details, by clicking 'Details' from the drop-down menu:
Accepting a Contract on Mobile
Accepting a contract on a mobile can be done by the employee logging into ELMO on their device. They should be presented with a screen that advises them of the contract(s) and advises them to Download the contract file.
Once they press Download All, they can then Accept or Reject the contract
They are then presented to Enter their Full name and can Draw an Esignature to Accept the contract.
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ELMO users can view the Offer, including the eSignature, by clicking the 'View Offer' action within the Requisition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a user sign a contract on behalf of a candidate?+
No, only the contract assignee (the employee or candidate) can sign a contract.
Can contract Approvers also provide an eSignature?+
No, only contract assignees/recipients (employee or candidate) can provide an eSignature.
Are eSignatures available in other areas, for example Forms?+
No, eSignatures is only available for Contracts (Internal Contracts and Recruitment Offers).
What happens when a user accepts on behalf of a candidate?+
The user will not be asked to sign the contract, but rather provide their Full Name and Reason. Only the contract assignee can accept with an eSignature.
What happens if a Contract Workflow or Offer contains multiple documents?+
If a Contract Workflow or Offer contains multiple documents, accepting and rejecting works on an all-or-nothing basis. Either all the documents are accepted or all the documents are rejected. It is not possible to accept one document and reject another within a single Contract Workflow or Offer.
What happens when a contract contains multiple ::Signature:: placeholders?+
Each contract workflow can be signed only once, which means the same signature will be populated into every signature placeholder. This applies when a single document contains multiple signature placeholders, and also if the contract workflow contains multiple documents which each contain a signature placeholder.
What happens when a contract does not contain the ::SIGNATURE:: placeholder?+
The process of accepting a contract allows employees and candidates to accept using an eSignature, regardless of whether a contract contains a signature placeholder.
The eSignature will always be saved in the Audit Log PDF (for an employee) and in the Offer Details (for a candidate).