In this article you can find out, how to get started with our new HR+ features.
HR+ is a new way to handle all the admin that comes with hiring someone — doing away with email chains, manual signatures, and document ping-pong. You can collect essential info, generate contracts, and keep everything on track, all from the HR tab in Shiftbase.
📓Note: HR+ is available at no extra cost for selected Basic, Premium, and Enterprise users while in early access. If you're part of the early access group, you’ll have full access to every feature — and we’d love your feedback as we build what’s next.
Contents:
Getting started with your first new-hire
What you can do with HR+?
Here’s how HR+ makes new-hire setup faster, easier, and a whole lot less stressful:
- Create contracts
Upload your own templates, fill in contract details automatically, and send out polished contracts in minutes. - Collect documents
No more chasing down ID scans, personal information, or bank details. New hires fill everything in through a secure form. - See what’s done — and what’s not
Keep track of every new hire with a clear dashboard that shows what stage they’re in — from form submission to final signature. - Get people scheduled faster
As soon as the paperwork’s in place, you can add the new hire to your schedule. No delays.
Getting started with your first new-hire
Before diving in, make sure you’ve got:
- Access to the HR tab (only visible to early access users — this replaces “Employees”)
- At least one contract template uploaded (don’t worry, we’ve got a reference document as an example)
- Basic details for the new hire: name, email, job info
- The right permissions — specifically:
- Manage new hire information
- Manage contract templates & generation
💡Tip: These permissions will be enabled by default for all admin and manager roles during early access.
How to use HR+
- Upload your contract
- Add a new hire
- Track their progress
- Generate the contract
- Convert them to an employee
1. Upload your contract
To get started, go to HR > Templates and select Create new template. This page includes a full list of supported fields you can use as placeholders in your contract — things like {first_name}, {address}, and {start_date}.
How to prepare your template:
- Get your contract file ready in .doc or .docx format
- Replace any static values (e.g. names, dates) with dynamic fields from the list
- Upload your updated file right there on the page
💡Tip: If you’re unsure how the fields work, download our example template directly from the upload screen.
Once uploaded, Shiftbase will scan your document and highlight:
- ✅ Identified fields that will be filled automatically for each new hire
- ⚠️ Unidentified fields that you may need to fix or manually complete later
If there are unidentified fields, you can:
- Edit your document and re-upload it, or
- Leave them as-is and fill them manually after generating the contract
2. Add a new hire and automatically collect their information
Go to HR > New hires and select Add new hire.
Start by entering:
- First and last name
- Email address
- Job title
- Start date
- Language (used for all communication with the new hire)
Once you click Send invite, your new hire will receive a secure email asking them to submit their personal details. You’ll be notified once they’ve completed the form.
📓Note: You don’t need a contract template in place to start — you can create it later in the flow.
2a. What the new hire sees
The new hire will receive a welcome email with a link to a secure online form. This is where they’ll submit everything needed to prepare their contract.
📝 The form includes:
- Personal details: full name, date of birth, birthplace, nationality
- Address: street, city, postal code, country
- Contact details: phone number and email
- Employment details: citizen service number, IBAN, Tax credit preference (with a link to download the Belastingdienst form to send back to you)
- Document: passport and/or national ID
They’ll also be informed that:
- Their progress won’t be saved (the form must be completed in one go)
- Their information is used solely for contract generation and stored securely
Once submitted, you’ll receive a confirmation and the hire’s status will update in your dashboard.
3. Track their progress
As your new hire submits their info, you’ll see it live in your dashboard. You’ll know:
- Who’s response you’re still waiting for
- Who’s ready for their contract
- Who’s signature is still pending
- Who’s signed and hired
4. Generate the contract
Once your new hire has submitted their details, go to the contract setup tab in their profile.
From there, you can:
- Select a contract template
- Add any final details based on the template you selected. These can include things like:
- Gross salary
- Start and end dates
- Contract duration
- Weekly hours
- Team or location
After reviewing all the fields, click Setup contract to create a complete, filled-in version.
At this point, you can download the contract and either:
- Send it manually for signing, or
- Print and sign it in person
✍️ Digital signatures are coming soon, and will be added in an upcoming update.
5. Once hired - convert them to an employee
Once the contract is signed, it’s time to make things official.
Click Convert to employee either from the:
- New hire overview page, or
- Individual new hire’s profile
Screenshot of converting to employee button / overview
This action will move the person to your regular Employee list, fully activated and ready to be scheduled. All their submitted details will carry over automatically. Sensitive fields such as IBAN, BSN, and uploaded ID documents will not transfer automatically due to privacy and compliance reasons. If needed, you can manually add these once the employee is created.
By default, the employee will be assigned Shiftbase’s “flex” contract. You can review and finalize the contract settings from the Employee profile > Contract tab after conversion.
⚠️Caution: Converting a new hire creates a paid seat in your Shiftbase plan
What’s next for HR+
We’re just getting started. Here’s what’s coming soon:
- E-signature support
- Contract renewals
- More form customization
- Integration with payroll systems (planned for later this year)
Questions or feedback?
We’re happy to help you set things up or walk you through anything. Just reach out to our support team via chat or email us at support@shiftbase.com.
Have feedback? We’d love to hear from you. Our product team is actively working on HR+ and would love to have a chat with you. Find a time here.
Want to give HR+ a try?
If this sounds like something your team could use, we’d love to hear from you. Fill out this short form to apply for early access. We’re currently accepting a limited number of users — so this will add you to the waitlist, and we’ll reach out if you’re selected to join.
