AI for Human Resources: How to Succeed with Modern Employee Onboarding

The more digital our work becomes, the more important it is to design processes not only efficiently but also intelligently. A prime example of this is the digital onboarding of new employees – a process that can be significantly optimised through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and modern software solutions, such as those offered by d.velop.

Why does employee onboarding benefit particularly from AI?

Onboarding is a complex, cross-departmental process – from signing the contract to providing work equipment and onboarding into daily operations. At the same time, it’s an ideal use case for automation: recurring tasks, clearly defined workflows and numerous stakeholders make it perfectly suited for digital support.

A well-structured onboarding process not only ensures that new employees feel supported and welcome, but also enables them to become productive quickly. It’s a win-win situation for both employee and employer. What sounds simple is, in practice, a collaboration between many stakeholders – HR, IT, and specialist departments. Only when everyone works together smoothly and completes their tasks on time can a positive onboarding experience be created.

Digital Solutions as the Key

Modern software solutions that harness the power of AI make it possible to automate many of these steps – from document creation and reminders to task allocation. This transforms what was once an organisational challenge into an efficient, digitally supported process that saves time and boosts employee satisfaction.

An Overview of the Onboarding Process

Between the verbal job offer and the employee’s first day, there’s a lot of ‘work’ involved – work that can be broken down into individual process steps:

1. The personal details of the new colleague must be collected in order to create the employment contract.
2. The contract must then be signed in accordance with legal requirements.
3. After the contract has been signed, the appropriate hardware must be ordered and shipped.
4. At the same time, communication with the new colleague must continue – for example, they will need a personalised onboarding plan even before their first day.
5. Once the colleague has settled into their daily work routine, the goal is to bring them up to speed as quickly as possible by providing access to company-relevant knowledge.

Process Step 1) Collecting Personal Data

The following video demonstrates how the process can be fully modelled, how forms can be created using drag-and-drop, and how they can be seamlessly linked to external systems (e.g. HR software, Active Directory).

What are the benefits?

1. Clear Processes Instead of Coordination Chaos
2. No Duplicate Entries, No Media Disruptions
3. Fewer manual routine tasks, more automation – process components can now even be generated at the push of a button using AI (including input and output parameters)

Based on the recorded data and information, the employment contract is now being generated. And with that, we move on to the next step in the process.

Process Step 2) Digitally sign the employment contract of the new employee

Whether it’s the reform of the Proof of Employment Act or the Bureaucracy Reduction Act – the digital signing of an employment contract has become possible thanks to these new initiatives. Organisations now finally have a way to simplify HR administration while also addressing the skills shortage through faster recruitment. Digital signature processes not only accelerate onboarding and reduce time-to-hire by up to 50%, but also cut costs associated with HR procedures. Companies save time as well as expenses for paper, printing, and postage. This also supports concepts such as remote work and the digital workplace.

This is how easily an employment contract can be digitally signed in under 10 minutes:

1. Upload the employment contract to the signature software.
2. Create a new signature workflow.
3. The signature workflow can be customised: list recipients, define the signing order, add a personal message, include attachments, set the signature standard, and much more.
4. Start the signature workflow and digitally sign the employment contract.
5. The applicant or employee receives a signature request via email and digitally signs the employment contract as well.
6. The final signed employment contract is automatically delivered digitally to both the employer and the employee via email.

Everything is fully traceable, legally compliant, and completed within minutes. Once the employment contract has been successfully signed, IT and procurement processes can be initiated in the next step.

Process Step 3) Provide hardware for the new employee

Every employer wants new colleagues to feel welcome from day one and to start their new role well-prepared. That’s why it’s important to ensure a smooth onboarding experience. The laptop is ready to use, all access credentials are set up, and work tools are available. Here too, digital software solutions powered by AI can provide support by automatically:

Let’s summarise: Software supports the setup of the workplace by automatically:

• Hardware orders are triggered automatically.
• User accounts are set up.
• Access rights are assigned.
• Any required software products are licensed as needed.

At this point in the onboarding journey, the professional induction of the new colleague begins – ideally even before their official first day with the new employer.

Process Step 4) Establish communication with the new employee (for example, by sending an onboarding plan via email)

The use of artificial intelligence can help compile the optimal onboarding plan for the new employee even before their official start date – for example, based on their job role. The plan can then be sent automatically as a document via email or even delivered to a digital employee mailbox – such as the d.velop postbox. Later on, the employee will also be able to access their digital payslips there.

Process Step 5) From day one, the employee must be able to access and acquire company knowledge

Now the employee has settled into her new role and is faced with the challenge of quickly acquiring company-specific knowledge. Additionally, she needs to understand which topics and projects are currently being worked on within the team or across departments. That’s not always easy – especially since knowledge documents are not always stored and managed centrally. Many pieces of information are now shared via fast-paced communication tools and chat rooms (for example, in Microsoft Teams). However, smart document management can help here too, supporting new colleagues in finding and accessing existing knowledge quickly and easily.

Conclusion

We realise: Digital transformation only unfolds its full potential when it becomes tangible in everyday work – where processes run more efficiently, coordination becomes easier, and employees are relieved of unnecessary burdens. This is precisely where the strength of intelligent process automation combined with AI becomes evident: it connects people, systems, and organisations. Those who already rely on digital signatures, AI-driven process automation, and intelligent document workflows are not only preparing for the future – they are already creating noticeable value in their daily operations.

The advantages are clear to see:

• Significantly shorter process lead times – reduced from weeks to days or even hours
• Legal certainty through certified digital signatures and transparent, traceable processes
• Less manual coordination effort, thanks to structured and automated processes
• Scalable quality, as automation ensures consistently high standards
• Relief for employees through intelligent support with routine tasks

All of this is achieved without cumbersome large-scale projects or lengthy IT rollouts. This is made possible by modular, quickly integrable, and user-friendly solutions – such as those provided by the d.velop platform – tailored to meet the needs of modern businesses.

What used to be complex, expensive, and exclusive is now simple, fast, and scalable.
Digitalisation is not a project – it’s a new standard of working.
And those who actively shape this transformation benefit not only technologically, but also culturally.

Why not ask your (new) employees? 😉