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HR Pro: Contract templates

In this article, we will explain how to create and polish employment and extension contracts to be signed digitally for Hiring.

Premium Plan

To use HR Pro it's Hiring functionality, contract templates are essential for the flow, whether hiring a new or former employee or extending the contract of an existing employee. 

 

Contents

About e-sign

Adding a new template

Preparing the contract template

 

About e-sign

HR PRO uses Simple Electronic Signatures (SES) provided by DocuSign — a secure and legally binding way to sign employment contracts that complies with EU regulations. An SES is:

  • Is legally valid under the eIDAS regulation
  • Includes an audit trail with key signing details (such as timestamps and signer information)
  • Protects the document against changes after signing

E-sign lets you:

  • Send contracts for digital signature from within Shiftbase
  • Have both parties sign in order, first the employer, then the employee
  • Store the signed PDF automatically in the employee profile

 

Adding a new template

To get started, go to Hiring > Templates and select Add new template on the top right.

Before adding your template, you will select the type of template you want to create. Either a full employment contract or an extension letter.

Add contract template EN-shdw

 

How to prepare your template

Once you have selected a category, you will now customize your 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}.

  1. Get your contract file ready in .docx format next to your Shiftbase screen.
  2. Copy and paste the dynamic fields like {first_name} from the left side, next to the static fields in the .docx contract.
  3. Add new fields if you require additional fields in the contract. Click on Create new field to make your own.
  4. Insert the E-Sign fields for the digital signature. To use e-signatures, your contract template must include the following required fields:

      • {signature_employee}

      • {signature_employer}

      • {signing_date_employee}

      • {signing_date_employer}

  5. Upload your updated file right there on the page.

HRplus create new template EN-shdw

💡 Tip: If you’re unsure how the fields work, download our example template directly from the upload screen.

Example contract EN

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 template and re-upload it or add custom fields to fit any type of data you may need to use in your template.

 

Template ready-1