Technical basis
eIDAS compliant: Supports SES (Simple Electronic Signature)
Based on DocuSeal, Trusted Signature Service, certified by Adobe
Signed documents are archived as PDF
Form templates
Click on the Form templates menu item in the navigation to go to the document management of the onboarding software.
Since this area is initially empty, then select “Create new form template”.
⚠️ Do you want to create a form template involving multiple participants? Click here for the relevant guide.
Create a new form template
First, assign a title to the form template (e.g., acknowledgment of receipt) and, optionally, a brief description.
Then, upload a document to be used as the template.
You cannot create your own documents within the onboarding software. Instead, upload an existing document (MS Word or PDF) and add interactive fields to it.
Importing fields
If you upload a PDF that already contains form fields, they are automatically detected and imported. In this case, the system asks whether the fields should be retained.
In most cases, simply saving the template after importing the fields is sufficient.
Tip: For more complex documents, it is advisable to carefully check all fields—especially your labels.
Save template
Save the template after checking all the fields.
Manually adding form fields
If your document doesn't contain interactive fields, that’s no problem.
Our solution offers a wide range of field types to cover every use case. You’ll find a list of available fields in the left-hand column. In most cases, you’ll only need text fields and a signature field.
To place a field, click the 6-dot icon to the right of the field, hold down the mouse button, and drag and drop the field to the desired location in the document.
Format field
Adjust the size of the field by dragging the circle icon in the bottom-right corner.
Then, click the field title to edit it. This title will be displayed to the person filling out the document, so a clear label is required.
Select the "Required" checkbox if the field must be filled out.
Finalizing the template configuration
All fields you have placed are clearly listed in the left-hand column, where they can also be edited.
Once all fields have been placed, click "Save" and then the "Back" arrow next to the section title "New Form Template."
Done!
The new form template has been successfully created and is now ready for use in task templates.
To do this, navigate to the "Task Templates" section and select a task where the newly created form template is to be used.
Add a form to the task
Create a new task or open an existing one as usual.
Then, add a new field, assign it a suitable label, and select "Form" as the field type. Now, select the form template you created earlier.
Optionally, you can mark this field as mandatory or use the "Use as variable" option to pass the content on to another task later.
Please save at the end.
Open document
If the task is part of an active flow, the person responsible can complete it by clicking the "Open document" button. The form template will then open in a modal window.
Please note: For data protection reasons, the document may only be opened, filled out, and signed by the person responsible for the task. This represents a key difference compared to tasks without attached forms.
To test the process of filling out and signing the document, you can simply assign the task to yourself.
Fill out the document
The responsible person must complete every mandatory field and sign the document if required, so that a legally binding signed PDF can subsequently be generated.
Once all fields have been filled in, the responsible person clicks "Sign and complete." A copy of the document is then immediately available for them to download for their own records.
Complete task
Once the modal window is closed, the task can be completed.
You can find the completed and signed document in the "Collected Data" section, as usual, and download it from there.
Signed PDF
The signed PDF is formatted to be legally binding in accordance with Adobe’s specifications and meets the requirements of the European eIDAS Regulation (No. 910/2014).
When the document is opened in Adobe Reader, the message "Signed and all signatures are valid" appears in the top left corner.
You can view further details about the signature—such as the certificate issuer or the time of signing—by using the "Signature Panel" button.
Note on Legal Validity
Signed documents generated within the onboarding software meet the requirements for a simple electronic signature under the European eIDAS Regulation (No. 910/2014).
This means:
The signature can be uniquely linked to the signatory via login using a one-time password (preboarding) or a username and password (onboarding/offboarding).
The signatory applies the signature under their own control.
Subsequent changes to the document invalidate the signature.
The signed PDF contains all technical evidence (e.g., timestamps, file integrity) that can be verified in Adobe Reader.
Please note:
For most HR documents—such as personnel questionnaires, acknowledgments of receipt, policies, or internal agreements—a simple electronic signature is legally sufficient and binding.
However, a special rule applies to employment contracts: while such contracts can be validly concluded digitally, the German Act on Proof of the Existence of an Employment Relationship (*Nachweisgesetz* or NachwG) requires the employer to provide the essential terms of the contract in writing, bearing an original handwritten signature. A purely electronic signature—even an advanced electronic signature or a qualified electronic signature (QES), which requires a secure signature creation device (e.g., smart card, token, mobile signature app with 2FA)—does not currently satisfy this statutory requirement for written proof in Germany.
We therefore recommend continuing to execute employment contracts in paper form with original signatures. The onboarding software can be used for all supplementary documents and confirmations that are not subject to the statutory written form requirement in Germany.