Smarter Week

How to automate it

How to automate “prepare offer letters and get them approved”

Here are 2 ways to spend less time on this, best first. Each comes with steps you can follow today.

30 min
typically, a few times a week
65%
of the time can be automated
Easy
to set up

Fix 1 of 2

Software featureBest fix

Generate offers from a template and send them for e-signature

Offer templates with merge fields in the ATS, an approval step and e-signature cut offers from half an hour to a few minutes.

Typically saves about 55% of the time2 h to set up
  1. 1Get legal to approve one offer letter template per employee type.
  2. 2Load it into your ATS or HRIS with merge fields (name, title, pay, start date, manager).
  3. 3Add an approval chain by level or pay band.
  4. 4Send through DocuSign, Adobe Acrobat Sign or Dropbox Sign, connected to the ATS.

Tools: Greenhouse, Ashby or Lever offers · DocuSign · Adobe Acrobat Sign · Dropbox Sign

Fix 2 of 2

Automation

Move approvals into a tracked workflow with reminders

Approvals in Teams/Power Automate, Slack Workflows, or your e-signature tool remind people for you and show what is stuck.

Typically saves about 60% of the time1 h to set up
  1. 1List the approvals you chase most.
  2. 2Set up an approval flow (Power Automate Approvals, Slack Workflow Builder, DocuSign or your HR/finance system).
  3. 3Add automatic reminders after 24 hours.
  4. 4Agree a default: no answer in 48 hours means it goes ahead (where safe).

Tools: Power Automate Approvals · Slack Workflow Builder · DocuSign or Adobe Acrobat Sign

Who does this task

Roles in our library that list this as one of their common tasks. Each guide covers the rest of that role’s week.

RecruiterHR generalist

HourLeak · the 8-minute work audit

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Other common tasks for Recruiters