How to digitally sign a job offer letter.

Learn what digital signatures are and how they can help your ideal candidate quickly sign your offer letter.

You’ve reviewed dozens of applications, interviewed skilled candidates and finally found your ideal employee. Now, all you need to do is send them a job offer letter. But this particular position needs to be filled very quickly and you’d really rather not wait around for the applicant to print and scan the signed letter.

A question might pop into your mind: “Can you digitally sign an offer letter?” Good news —you can.

How to digitally sign an offer letter online

Ready to send your offer letter? Don’t forget your signature. You can digitally sign an offer letter online in a few simple steps.

What are Digital Signature?

Digital signatures — is a method to indicate acceptance of an agreement or a document digitally. They usually come in the form of a digitized handwritten signature. You can create one either by scanning a pen-and-paper signature or writing your signature digitally in an application.

Having a trusted tool to sign an offer letter digitally is very useful, since digital signature are now considered common practice for most companies, from large corporations to SMBs and even start-ups, so chances are your next job offer letter will require an digital signature.

Learning how to sign an offer letter digitally and what happens after you sign it can also help you move through the process faster.

Can a company withdraw a job offer after digitally signing the contract?

What happens after you sign an offer letter is generally up to the employer. An employer may choose to rescind their offer for any reason, whether or not there is an offer letter signed digitally. They also retain the right to do this whether the employee has formally accepted the offer or not.

Digital signature, in this case, don’t have a legal bearing on whether or not the employer can rescind the offer. Generally, offers may be revoked at will and are legally protected (unless they are due to discriminatory reasons.) What happens after you sign an offer letter is between the applicant and employer.

If you have any questions about the legality of the job offer process in your company or any clause in your contract, consider connecting with a lawyer for further legal context and additional clarification.

Are digital signature legally binding?

A Digitally-signed offer letter is fully legally binding. Digital signatures are recognized as valid in the U.S., the European Union, and most other industrialized countries. You can add a digital authentication certificate to them for additional legal validity to protect confidentiality and confirm the signer’s identity.

There are a few requirements that generally must be present in order for a digital signature to be legally binding. These can include:

Affirmative action. To sign an offer letter digitally and have it be legally sound, the signee will need a step that requires them to take affirmative action on the signature, such as a dialog box that appears, prompting them to complete the process through the touchscreen.
Intent. The document must indicate a level of intent that would show the signer did have interest in completing the contract.
A transaction record. There must be proof of process when you’re signing a digital offer letter. Generally, document services will send emails back and forth indicating the need for signature and confirming once all required parties have signed.
What other benefits do digital signatures have?
As you learn how to sign an offer letter digitally, it’s important to consider the many benefits and use cases these options can offer signees.

Digital signatures are faster to process than traditional signatures because they eliminate the need to print, scan and mail paper documents. Their form of identification is often enough to eliminate the need for any third-party co-signers, witnesses or software. They may also save both you and your candidate money in printing and paper costs. You can e-sign offer letters and other documents from just about anywhere with a mobile device.

Digital Signatures are invaluable to your recruitment process. Many job candidates appreciate the ease and convenience of signing an offer letter digitally, as well as the real-time confirmation and documentation for their records that they receive. Plus, they’ll see that your company is on top of the latest digital trends, potentially indicating a progressive and innovative workplace culture. This can be a particularly attractive perk for younger candidates.

How to start using a digital signature?

You can create and request digital signatures with digital signing software, like OpenSign, that lets you request and track signatures, share documents with multiple recipients, offer safety certificates and more.

To get the most out of your experience, consider preparing your document for digital signature and review. Double-checking that all necessary fields are ready for acknowledgment, reading through the contract and doing a final legal review can all be helpful steps for a seamless digital experience.

Create and sign the document digitally using OpenSign.

Step 1: Create an OpenSign account

Visit to the OpenSign website and create a account. In order to sign up, you must provide your basic information, such as your name, email address, phone number and password. Once you have filled out all these details, click the Register button.

Step 2: Upload the Offer letter

After signing up, you will be directed to the OpenSign dashboard. From the left-side menu, click on Request signature. Once the Request signature page opens, upload your Offer letter document, add a document title, add signers, set the document expiration duration, choose send in order and click next button.

Step 3: Add Signature widgets

Once your document is uploaded, you will need to add a signature widget to the Offer letter. OpenSign provides an intuitive interface for this task. Click on the signature widget and position it where the signature is required. If you need to add more signers, use the option on the right side to add recipients. You can add multiple signature widgets for each signer.

Step 4: Send email to signatories

After adding the signers and signature widgets, click the Send button. A pop-up will appear, allowing you to send an email directly to the signer or personalize the email if you'd like. After clicking the send button, OpenSign will send an email invitation to each signatory with a link to the document.

Step 5: Sign the Offer letter

Once the signatories receive the invitation, they can click on the Sign here button to access the document. OpenSign requires email verification before the signer open the document. The platform provides a user-friendly interface for signing, allowing signatories to create their digital signature by typing their name, drawing it using a mouse or touchscreen or uploading an image of their handwritten signature. After signing, they simply click Finish to complete the process.

Step 6: Download and store the signed Offer Letter

After all parties have signed the Offer letter, you will receive a notification. You can download the fully signed document from your email or directly from your OpenSign account. It’s advisable to store the signed Offer letter in a secure location for future reference. OpenSign also retains a copy in your account, allowing you to access it anytime.

Benefits of using OpenSign

Ease of use: Sign documents from anywhere, at any time, without the need for physical meetings or printing.
Protection: OpenSign uses advanced encryption to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of your documents.
Lawfulness: Digital signatures created with OpenSign are legally binding and compliant with international e-signature laws
Cost-effective: OpenSign offers a free tier, making it an affordable solution for individuals and small businesses.