Why Has E-Signature Become an Essential Tool for Businesses?
The pandemic played a real role in accelerating e-signature adoption across HR departments. With lockdowns and remote work suddenly the norm, companies had to adapt fast to keep signing contracts and other administrative documents moving.
That shift has stuck. Remote work is now a widespread way of operating, and e-signature answers a real need to streamline recruitment and contract management processes.
Beyond those practical drivers, e-signature has also become something organizations see as essential if they want to offer employees genuinely efficient digital tools — and project the image of a modern company.
What Are the Benefits of Using E-Signature?
E-signature clearly saves time by shortening processing turnaround. It also improves cost management by cutting down on paper, postage, and archiving.
For recruitment specifically, e-signature is a real asset. It’s flexible, and it streamlines several steps of the candidate journey. Since candidates no longer need to travel in person to sign a contract, the time spent reviewing and finalizing documents drops considerably. On the HR side, that also means fewer administrative tasks and more room to focus on higher-value work.
What Makes SIGMA-HR’s E-Signature Different?
Our e-signature is built directly into our HRIS. It doesn’t require a third-party subscription or routing documents through an external platform. It also stands out for its security and integrity: it’s an advanced electronic signature, aligned with the eIDAS (Electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services) and PAdES (PDF Advanced Electronic Signature) standards. Our approach identifies the signer, confirms the signature hasn’t been altered, and detects any changes made to a document during the process. It lets you sign any HR document from a smartphone or desktop. We’re proud to offer this tool, which has become a cornerstone of today’s HR digital transformation.
This article originally appeared in the ANDRH magazine, a French HR professionals’ association.
FAQ
Yes. An advanced electronic signature — one that meets eIDAS requirements for signer identification, signer-exclusive control, and tamper detection — is recognized as valid for most employment contracts and HR documents.
By eliminating printing, mailing, and manual filing, e-signature cuts document turnaround from days to minutes, freeing HR teams from repetitive administrative work.
Yes. Candidates can sign their contract remotely instead of travelling in person, which shortens the review-and-validation timeline and speeds up onboarding.
An advanced electronic signature adds a higher level of security through digital certificates from recognized certification authorities, uniquely linking the signature to the signer and detecting any later changes to the document — something a basic electronic signature doesn’t guarantee.
No. A well-integrated e-signature solution lets anyone sign from a smartphone or desktop without a separate account or third-party platform.
