HR e-signature

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated August 7, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of HR e-signature

    HR e-signature is a scoped application within ServiceNow that enables signing of electronic documents, knowledge articles, or HR document templates from any desktop or mobile device. It supports typed or drawn signatures, credential-based signatures, and acknowledgments. This capability is designed to streamline HR processes by integrating e-signature requests directly into HR tasks.

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    Key Features

    • Supported Document Types: Managed documents and knowledge articles attached to HR tasks.
    • Signature Types: Acknowledgment, Credential, and Signature.
    • Role Integration: Default mappings exist between HR roles and e-signature roles, such as HR administrators linked to e-signature administrators, and HR basic users linked to e-signature managers. These role assignments can be customized to fit organizational needs.
    • E-signature Templates: Users with HR administrator or basic roles can create templates that pair document types with signature types. These templates facilitate consistent and automated signature requests, for example, for agreements like NDAs.
    • HR Task Integration: E-signature templates can be embedded within HR tasks or task templates. Ensuring the HR task type is set to "E-signature" enables signature collection as part of HR workflows.
    • Migration Support: Existing HR task templates and open tasks can be migrated to use the new e-signature task type via a scheduled job, which updates task types and templates while disabling outdated types.
    • Activation: E-signature activates automatically with Case and Knowledge Management but can also be manually activated.
    • Administrative Safeguards: The plugin enforces a minimum number of active e-signature administrators to prevent accidental removal of all admin users.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    • Enable secure and compliant electronic signing within HR processes, improving efficiency and reducing paper use.
    • Maintain control over who can manage and configure e-signature settings through role assignments.
    • Leverage reusable e-signature templates to standardize signature requests across different HR document types.
    • Seamlessly integrate e-signature requests into HR task workflows to track and fulfill signature requirements.
    • Easily migrate existing HR tasks to use e-signature capabilities, ensuring continuity and leveraging new features.

    Sign electronic documents from any desktop or mobile device with e-signature. E-signature is a scoped application that enables users to sign managed documents, knowledge articles, or HR document templates with their typed or drawn e-signature, their credentials, or as an acknowledgment.

    Note:
    Find answers to some common questions on E-signature. See this KB0966931.

    The e-signature [com.snc.esign] plugin activates the sn_esign.min_admin_count system property [sys_properties.list]. This property prevents you from deleting your only e-signature admin user by requiring a minimum number (default is two) of active users with this role.

    HR e-signature is a non-embedded signature capability for managed documents, and knowledge articles, attached to an HR task for fulfilment. It supports three signing types (Acknowledgement, Credential, and Signature) and two document types (Managed Documents and Knowledge Articles).

    HR and e-signature roles

    By default, the following HR roles contain the following e-signature roles.

    Table 1. Properties for HR Roles and E-signatures
    HR Role E-signature role
    HR administrator [sn_hr_core.admin] E-signature administrator [sn_esign.admin]
    HR basic [sn_hr_core.basic] E-signature manager [sn_esign.config_manager]

    You can use the assignments as-is or change them. To change the default assignments, see Components installed with e-signature for information on how to assign a role to another role, group, or user.

    How to use e-signature templates with HR tasks

    Users with the HR administrator [sn_hr_core.admin] or basic [sn_hr_core.basic] role can create e-signature templates. Each e-signature template pairs a document type to sign (managed document, knowledge article, or HR document template) with a signature type (signature, credential, or acknowledgment). For example, you could create an e-signature template for a non-disclosure agreement that requires a typed or drawn signature.

    For more information, see Configure an e-signature template.

    You can then use the e-signature templates in HR tasks or HR task templates to request signatures from users.

    Note:
    On the HR task form, make sure that the HR task type sets to E-signature.

    Migrating existing HR task templates and open HR tasks to e-signature

    Migrate existing HR task templates and open HR tasks to the new HR task type for e-signature with the Migrate HR e-signature tasks scheduled job. The scheduled job automatically updates the HR task type and e-signature template based on your existing configurations. It also disables the old HR task types for credential, e-signature, and sign document.

    For more information, see Migrate existing HR task templates and open HR tasks to e-signature.

    Activation information

    E-signature automatically activates when you activate Case and Knowledge Management. If it does not activate, you can manually activate e-signature. For information on what components install with the feature, see Components installed with e-signature.