Welcoming a new employee goes deeper than filling out paperwork, making a company announcement, and setting up a workspace.
Think about it: Starting a new job can be nerve wracking. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to make new employees feel comfortable and welcome on their first day. Here, we show how to deliver a great onboarding to new hires and make them feel welcomed from the get-go.
Employees with an effective onboarding experience are 29% more likely to feel satisfied at work, leading to higher productivity and a positive work culture.
But that’s not all: clear communication, solid preparation, and a little hand-holding motivate employees to work harder, which promotes engagement and improves employee retention. In fact, providing a great onboarding experience can persuade 69% of employees to stay with the company for at least three years.
Onboarding officially starts when the selected candidate signs their offer letter. That’s why it’s important to take advantage of the 2-3 week window between offer acceptance, and their first day.
Sending impactful welcome messages during this time gets new employees engaged and excited while affirming they’ve made the right choice to become a part of your company.
Every word you say matters. Your welcome message inspires employees to share their fresh perspective and empowers them to experiment. Think of it as a “we’ve got your back“ statement on their first day at work.
Here are some thoughtful welcome messages for new employees you can use:
The next step is to send a welcome email informing new employees about the things to be done before Day 1. It can include salary, what to wear, when to arrive, what to bring, and a checklist of assignments and goals for the first week.
Other things to include are:
Knowing what to expect eases first-day anxiety among new hires. The tone of your email should be warm and approachable, and employees should understand that they can ask questions at any time. Try to offer assistance and minimize insecurities.
You can keep your welcome email template for new employees short and to the point, like this example:
…or make it fun and laid-back like this welcome email example:
Draft your welcome email in a way that exemplifies your brand. Adding a few high-quality pictures of staff members can work wonders to show positive company culture.
Want to take your welcome email for new employees up a notch? Make a welcome video featuring employees and upper-level management for a more personal touch.
Getting a head start on admin and other tasks is important because it makes employees feel appreciated and valued. It also means they can jump right into work without having to nag anyone about password details.
This involves giving your new hire access to all the necessary accounts, tools, and resources they need to do their job. Think: access to Slack and company email, setting up direct deposit for their salary, and other logistical updates. So, if your employee needs a parking pass or swipe card, it should all be ready and in their hands.
A warm and inviting welcome from team members is a super-effective way to get the new employee at ease and comfortable. Even small gestures, like a small wave and friendly smile, contribute to a good first impression on the employee, making it more likely for them to continue working at your company.
Here are a few ways the rest of the workforce can extend a warm welcome to the new employee:
The sooner you introduce a new employee to the greater team, the sooner they’ll be comfortable and start producing their best work. You don’t want to throw a lot of names and faces at them all at once, so take care to create multiple opportunities throughout the day and the remaining week to avoid overwhelming them.
These meetings can be a good bonding opportunity instead of just talking about paperwork and HR requirements.
Icebreakers make new employees feel comfortable around their new co-workers. In addition to being fun, they help veteran employees get better acquainted with the new hire and break down any barriers.
We highly recommend playing ‘Name that person,’ which allows team members to learn many facts about each other at once. Here’s how it works — make everyone write down five surprising facts about themselves on an index card. For example, “I‘ve climbed Mount Kilimanjaro” instead of “I’m married.”
Once everyone is done, put all the cards in a pile and mix them up. Take turns grabbing a card and reading the facts aloud. Your team then decides which employee fits the description best. Be sure to keep track of how many things each employee gets right, and give them a small reward in the end.
Set up a small morning meeting with breakfast for new employees introducing them to the rest of the team members.
Make sure the team meeting setting is casual. As for the breakfast, offer a diverse menu with mouthwatering munchies, healthy options, and delicious beverages. You can also do this virtually if you have a remote workforce.
Send employees Hoppier’s virtual cards to order their favorite breakfast items from millions of vendors like Uber Eats, GrubHub, and Tim Hortons. Create a new program, customize your virtual card design, and voila! Your employees can enjoy a few of their favorite things — delivered right to their doorstep.
Remember back in the day when kids would decorate their friend’s locker with streamers and happy birthday decor? The same rule applies here.
Get team members to decorate the new employee's workspace with a welcome sign, colorful streamers, and really anything else that adds a pop of color to the desk. You can also add flowers or buy a cake to make the experience even more festive.
If you have a remote workforce, do a virtual version of this. Create a fun Zoom background, or have them wear party hats for a celebratory feel. This may seem silly, but it’s a super fun way to make everyone smile and make the new employee feel like a part of a team where they’re valued.
Below, we’ve curated a list of a few fun and creative ideas to welcome your new employee virtually. Let’s take a look.
Your new employee will appreciate a cup of freshly brewed coffee with pastries or bagels first thing in the morning. Nothing better to rejuvenate your senses and prepare for the day ahead!
Hoppier has partnerships with some of the best brands famous for their morning coffee and snacks, including Dunkin', Nespresso, and Starbucks.
A ‘rookie cookie’ program is exactly how it sounds — the new hire is given a stipend to bring in cookies, bagels, donuts, and other treats. Then, they set up the snack display at their desk. Other employees then stop by their desk to get to know the new employee over some delicious cookies.
This makes the whole "getting-to-know-each-other" process more effortless. Plus, the new hire is saved from doing all the hard work themself.
Remembering employee names and faces is a tedious task — more so, if you have large teams. Help new employees remember their team members by taking a picture of staff members and writing down their names to cut down on the awkwardness.
Partner a new employee with someone who has been with your company for at least a few months to show them the ropes. Another good tip is to pair them with people in other departments, so that they have a familiar face around the office and can learn things that go beyond their department.
Every company has funny moments and urban legends that eventually become “inside jokes.” This may make the new employee feel awkward and leave them confused as they'll have no idea what’s going on.
To avoid this in your company, organize a fun session to introduce the new hire to those little details and unique jargon they may not pick up otherwise.
Organize a fun scavenger hunt where the new employee goes through different departments to find items and meet new colleagues. You can also make these items small gifts they can use to do their work, such as office supplies for the desk, snacks, and gift certificates.
Although many offices have gone remote, we cannot rule out the power of in-person presence. Create 360° videos of the main office, including the lobby, meeting rooms, cafeteria, and office spaces. If you don’t have an office, you can always send the new employee around the city where you’re based.
Sending the new employee an unexpected and thoughtful care package will bring a smile to their face, reminding them they are valued.
Create a care package for the employee, taking into account their unique style, personality, and hobbies. You can choose from holiday drinks and food, subscription boxes, a healthy work lunch, Christmas decorations, craft kits, and spa boxes. If you’re feeling lost, consider having a brief chat with the new employee to get to know them better.
A post-work virtual theme party can be a great way to introduce a new hire to other team members outside of training and onboarding. After hours, everybody feels relaxed and is more open to getting to know each other on a genuine level.
Be sure to send out invites a few days in advance so that everyone can free their schedules accordingly. We also recommend encouraging veteran employees to take the initiative and make the new hire more comfortable.
You don’t have to give your employees regular company swag. Instead, make it weird and fun or choose something of cultural significance. Let the new hire in on the joke to make them feel a part of the team.
Even better if your team decides what to gift, which will boost excitement to welcome the new employee. Perhaps it can be a gift card to a restaurant where everyone at work prefers eating, or a voucher to the nearest pizza place.
Welcoming a new employee should be fun!
Get your team together to brainstorm inspiring and effective ideas and messages. Use the ideas we shared above and come up with a few of your own. You can also partner with Hoppier to make the experience more personalized and convenient. See it live in action!
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
Ready to 2x your global engagement at your next event, with Ox stress?
Make Hoppier your unfair advantage today, schedule a demo
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