The Online Signing stage lets you send documents for e-signature during the hiring process. It’s most commonly used for offer letters, but you can also use it for other important documents that require signatures.
You can upload, prepare, and send documents to applicants and company signers, track signing progress, and download signed copies and audit trails.
Key features include:
Offer letter creation and management
Electronic signatures
Customizable signing order
Real-time tracking and downloadable audit trails
The Online Signing stage of the hiring process.
Step 1: Add the Online Signing stage to your hiring process
In Admin View, go to Hiring Processes.
Select the name of the hiring process you want to edit.
Note: If you don’t see it, you can create a new one.
Select ⨁ Add new stage, then select Online signing stage.
Give this stage a name, and drag it in its place in your hiring process.
Select Add.
Step 2: Add a document to the Online Signing stage
In this stage, you can choose one of three document options:
Draft template - A friendly, editable offer letter that you can customize with merge tags (name, pay, start date).
Upload file - You already have a PDF/Doc you want to send as-is.
Standardized form - Fixed, pre-built official forms; minimal editing, just fill & sign.
Select ⨁ Add new document, then choose the desired option.
Option 1: Use Workstream’s draft template
Option 1: Use Workstream’s draft template
Workstream gives you a prewritten offer letter with smart placeholders like {{applicant_full_name}}, {{position_name}}, {{salary}}, and {{start_date}}. When you move someone into the Online Signing stage:
Those placeholders auto-fill with the applicant’s info.
You can edit the wording, add your own notes, and decide who signs (applicant only, or applicant + company).
You can set default salary/start date so offers can be sent automatically without retyping details.
Here's how to set it up:
Select ⨁ Add new document, then Draft template.
Review the content of the template and customize it as needed.
Use predefined merge tags to auto-populate fields in the document.
If you want Workstream to automatically send the signing request, specify a Default salary and Default start date.
This will ensure that the{{salary}}and{{start_date}}merge tags in the template are automatically filled with the information you provide.Tip: If you'd rather set the salary and start date when sending the offer letter, leave these fields blank for now. When moving an applicant to the offer letter/online signing stage, you'll need to fill these in.
Specify if only the applicant or both the applicant and the company need to sign.
If you select Company:
Choose a company signer.
Role/staff: Assign signers based on roles.
Custom: Assign a specific user by entering their name and email.
Add company-specific merge fields like
{{company_signature}}or{{company_initial}}in the body of the template.
Select Save.
Option 2: Upload your own file
Option 2: Upload your own file
If you already have your own offer letter or document ready (for example, a PDF that your company uses), you can upload it directly into Workstream for e-signature.
This option gives you full control over your document’s layout and wording. Workstream simply helps you collect signatures electronically.
Select ⨁ Add new document, then Upload file.
Select Click to upload and add the offer letter file from your device.
Specify if only the applicant or both the applicant and the company need to sign.
If you select Company, choose a company signer:
Role/staff: Assign signers based on their roles.
Custom: Assign a specific user by entering their name and email.
Select Prepare document.
Make sure everything is correct, then Save.
Option 3: Use a standardized form
Option 3: Use a standardized form
If you need to send an official government or tax form (like the WOTC Form 8850 in the U.S. or TD1 forms in Canada), you can use Workstream’s standardized forms.
These are pre-built, compliant documents so you don’t have to upload or design anything yourself.
This option makes it quick and accurate to collect legally required forms from new hires right inside the hiring process.
Select a standardized form.
Select ⨁ Add new document, then Use standardized forms.
Select Choose standardized form to open the list of available options.
Choose your country (United States or Canada).
Pick the form you need (for example, Form 8850 – Work Opportunity Credit Pre-screening or TD1 – Personal Tax Credits Return).
Tip: You can click Preview to open and review the form before selecting it.
Select Select form.
Choose who signs the form
Decide whether only the applicant needs to sign, or if both the applicant and company must sign.
If you select Company, you can assign a signer by:
Role/staff (for example, Super Admin or HR Manager), or
Custom, where you enter a specific name and email.
Save your setup.
Step 3: Set up signing sequences
Workstream allows you to set a signing sequence for online documents, letting you choose whether all parties sign at the same time or in a specific order.
In the Settings panel on the right side of the page, select the 📝 pen and paper icon.
Open the Signing sequence.
Choose the Signing sequence option you want to use.
If you choose Set an order, the sequence will be in descending order; whoever's on top of the list will receive the documents first.
Select Cancel once done with the changes.
All changes are saved automatically; The cancel button only cancels the editing capability, not the changes you made.
Step 4: Automate actions
Go to the Automation tab in this stage to set up automatic actions, such as sending notifications, reminders, or moving applicants forward once documents are signed.
When an applicant enters this stage:
Send them a message (default: On) - Sends the applicant an email/SMS with a link to open and sign the document.
Mark them as hired (default: Off) - Automatically sets the applicant’s status to Hired when they enter this stage. (Leave off if you only want to mark them hired after signatures are complete.)
When a company signatory needs to sign the documents:
Send them a message (default: On) - Emails the assigned company signer with a link to review and countersign.
Send them a reminder (default: On) - Sends follow-up reminders to the company signer until they sign.
When the documents have been signed and completed:
Move the applicant to the next step (default: Off) - Automatically advances the applicant to the next stage in your hiring process.
Send the applicant a message (default: On) - Notifies the applicant that signing is complete. The completed document is attached.
Email the company signatory (defualt: On) - Notifies the company signer that the document is fully executed. The completed document is attached.
When an applicant has been in this stage too long without submitting the form:
Send them a reminder (default: Off) - Sends a nudge to the applicant to complete signing.
Reject them (default: Off) - Automatically rejects the applicant if they remain inactive in this stage.
Edit and manage offer letter templates
Once you’ve added your document (draft template, uploaded file, or standardized form), you can make changes at any time.
Go to Admin View, then Hiring Processes.
Select the name of the hiring process you want to edit.
Go to the online signing stage of the hiring process.
In the Documents tab, you can edit your draft template and any uploaded files. Just click the ✏️ pencil icon on the document you want to edit.
On the right side, you'll find the Settings, where you can set up the following options:
Company: Assign a company signer for the document. Remember that this setting will only be available if your document has the corresponding company signer fields.
Signing sequence: Determine the signing order by dragging the signers into the desired sequence.
Advanced settings: Define the salary and start date data that will be automatically added to the offer letter upon sending. You can also add your own merge tags, which are only applicable for draft templates.
Set up Automation.
Track and download signed documents
You can track the signing status and download signed documents directly from the Online signing stage. This applies to offer letters and other documents set up for electronic signing.
Check the signing activity in the Messages tab
You can view a full timestamped log of signing activity under the Messages section of the applicant’s profile. This helps you track progress at each step of the Online signing stage.
In Team View, go to the Applicants page.
Go to the Offers and hires tab, then find the applicant.
Select the Messages icon.
Look for updates under Applicant System Update.
See a chronological list showing key events, such as:
When the signing request was sent
When the applicant or company signer viewed or signed the document
When the signing request was completed
Download a signed document from the Online signing stage
In Team View, go to the Applicants page.
Go to the Offers and hires tab, then find and select the applicant.
Select the three-dot (•••) menu in the upper-right corner and choose View full application. This opens a new tab.
Go to the tab for the Online signing stage. The name of this tab depends on how you labeled the stage in your hiring process (for example, “Offer Letter Stage”).
Review the signing details:
See who the document was sent to, along with the current status (Sent, Completed, or Cancelled).
Check timestamps showing when each party signed the document.
To preview or download the document:
Select the 𓁹 eye icon to view the signed document as a PDF.
Select the Download (cloud) icon to save a copy.
When you download the document, you’ll get two files:
A PDF of the signed document.
An audit trail from Dropbox Sign, which includes timestamps and signer verification.