Let’s be honest: onboarding new hires is a pain. It’s a pile of repetitive paperwork, email reminders, and “Did you sign that yet?” follow-ups. If you’re in HR or handle hiring, you know how much time this eats up—and how easy it is for something to slip through the cracks.
The good news? You can automate the bulk of this slog. This guide will walk you through using Hellosign templates to smooth out your employee onboarding process. You’ll save time, cut down on mistakes, and make sure everyone gets what they need (without 18 back-and-forth emails).
Why Automate Onboarding with Hellosign Templates?
Before you dive in, here’s the deal: Hellosign (now part of Dropbox, but still its own product) is a digital signature tool that lets you create templates for documents you send over and over. Think offer letters, NDAs, tax forms, and company policies.
Automating onboarding with templates means:
- No more hunting for the right version of a doc.
- No more “Oops, forgot the signature field.”
- Staff get documents fast, and you get them back without nagging.
But let’s be real—Hellosign isn’t magic. It won’t fix a broken onboarding process. If your paperwork is a mess or nobody knows what needs to be signed, templates won’t save you. Clean that up first.
Step 1: Map Out Your Onboarding Documents
Don’t touch any software yet. First, figure out exactly what documents every new hire needs to sign. This might include:
- Offer letter or employment contract
- NDA or confidentiality agreement
- Tax forms (W-4, I-9, etc.)
- Direct deposit forms
- Employee handbook acknowledgment
Pro tip: Talk to payroll and legal if you’re not sure what’s required. It’s better to ask now than to have someone chasing down a missing W-4 later.
Once you’ve got your list, gather the latest versions—no old PDFs from last year. Store these in a single folder. This step is boring, but skipping it leads to headaches later.
Step 2: Create Your Hellosign Templates
Now you can jump into Hellosign. Here’s how to turn your documents into reusable templates:
1. Log in and Find “Templates”
- In your Hellosign dashboard, look for a “Templates” tab or button.
- Click “Create Template.” (You might see “Create Template” or “Create Template from File”—either works.)
2. Upload Your Document
- Upload a clean, fillable version (PDF, DOCX, whatever you’ve got).
- Make sure it doesn’t already have someone else’s name or info filled in.
3. Add Fields
This part matters. Drag and drop fields onto the doc:
- Signature: What everyone needs to sign.
- Text: For names, dates, addresses, etc.
- Checkboxes: For “I agree” confirmations.
- Dropdowns: If there are choices (not always needed).
Assign each field to a role. For example, “Employee” signs here, “HR Manager” signs there.
What to avoid: Don’t assign every field to “Me” or “Sender”—it’ll mess up routing later. Use clear role names.
4. Save and Name the Template
Give it a name you’ll recognize, like “2024 Offer Letter” or “Standard NDA.” If you make changes next year, create a new template instead of overwriting the old one.
Repeat for every document you need in onboarding. Yes, it’s tedious. You only have to do this once.
Step 3: Build an Onboarding Workflow
Now you’ve got templates, but you need a process. Here’s how to string it all together:
1. Pick Your Method
You can:
- Send each template manually every time. Simple, but still repetitive.
- Bundle templates into a “Template Link” or “Workflow.” This lets you send several docs at once and track them together.
- Integrate with HR tools (like BambooHR, Workday, or Zapier). If you’re fancy or have an IT team.
If you’re just starting, use bundled workflows. Integration is overkill unless you already use those systems.
2. Set Up a Workflow
- In Hellosign, look for options like “Create Workflow” (sometimes shown as “Bulk Send” or “Template Link”).
- Add all the templates (offer letter, NDA, etc.) into one package.
- Set the order: sometimes you want the employee to sign first, then HR, or vice versa.
3. Assign Roles
- Make sure each document knows who’s signing what.
- For example, “Employee” role signs the NDA, “Manager” signs the offer letter.
4. Add Instructions
- Include clear, friendly instructions for new hires. If a field is confusing, explain it.
- You can often add a custom message to the email Hellosign sends out.
Pro tip: Test your workflow by sending it to yourself or a teammate. You’ll spot missing fields, confusing instructions, or routing mistakes before a real new hire does.
Step 4: Automate Sending (Optional, but Powerful)
Once you’ve got workflows, you can automate sending them out. This step isn’t required, but it’s a big time-saver.
Using Integrations
- Zapier: Set up a “Zap” so that when you add a new hire to a Google Sheet (or HR tool), Hellosign automatically sends the onboarding packet.
- HRIS integrations: Some systems (like BambooHR or Gusto) have built-in Hellosign hooks. If your company already pays for these, see if it’s worth connecting.
- APIs: If you have developers, Hellosign’s API lets you trigger templates from pretty much anywhere.
Reality check: Integrations can be finicky. If you only hire a few people a month, it might not be worth the setup. For larger orgs, it pays off.
Step 5: Track, Remind, and Archive
Automation doesn’t mean “set and forget.” You still need to keep an eye on things.
- Track status: Hellosign shows you which docs are signed and which are still pending.
- Send reminders: Instead of emailing your new hire again, use Hellosign’s “remind” feature. It’s less awkward and keeps things logged.
- Archive: Download signed docs and store them in your HRIS or a secure folder. Hellosign keeps copies, but don’t rely on it as your only backup—especially if someone leaves the company or you change vendors.
What Works (and What Doesn’t)
Here’s the truth after setting this up a few times:
What Works Well
- Templates save a ton of time for repeat docs.
- Tracking and reminders take a mental load off.
- New hires feel the process is more professional.
What’s Annoying
- Setting up templates the first time is a slog.
- Hellosign’s interface can be clunky if you have a lot of documents or roles.
- Some integrations are fragile—expect to tweak or troubleshoot.
What to Ignore
- “Advanced workflow” features you don’t need. Start simple.
- Fancy branding or custom fonts. No one cares.
- Over-customizing emails or templates. Clarity beats cleverness.
Common Pitfalls (and How to Dodge Them)
- Outdated templates: Review them yearly or when laws change.
- Wrong roles assigned: Double-check who can see and sign what.
- Missing fields: Test before rolling out to actual hires.
- Over-automation: Don’t automate a broken process. Fix the steps first.
Keep It Simple and Iterate
The goal isn’t to make onboarding “seamless”—that’s marketing fluff. You just want fewer mistakes and less busywork. Get your basics set up, test with a real hire, and fix what breaks. Don’t get sucked into optimizing tiny details before you see what actually matters to your team.
Start small: build your templates, get one good workflow running, and only add bells and whistles if you really need them. Most of the time, simple wins.