How to Put Together a New Employee Welcome Kit (With Ideas)

When new hires start to work for your company, a new employee welcome kit can help make the whole process smoother. Not only does it help your new worker with the transition into the new role, but it also saves time and money on your side.

When you're putting together one of these welcome packages, there are certain core components that you'll want to include. The employee handbook, paperwork and forms, and other essentials are all must-haves that communicate valuable information to your new hire.

At the same time, it can also be nice to add a few extra things to the kit. We'll explore what you need to know about the basic components as well as ideas for optional elements you might choose to add.

Why Should You Bother to Make a New Hire Welcome Kit?

Giving out new employee welcome kits is a great way to set the tone when onboarding new hires. This is a way to communicate information about the company and the new position and create a welcoming experience through swag or other useful goodies.

The benefits of going through the effort to design and send out welcome kits include:

• Saving time and money
• Helping new hires adapt and learn quickly
• Helps boost new hire job satisfaction
• Reduces employee turnover
• Increases trust
• Creates a positive first impression of the company culture

Welcome kits can be more than just paperwork and some company merchandise. When you give a welcome package to new hires, you engage with new employees, create a memorable first impression, and introduce them to the company. We all know just how expensive it is to hire a new employee versus keeping an existing one, and setting the right tone from the get-go can ensure that your new workers will stay on for the long haul.

You can design your welcome kit so it serves as a strong communicator of the company's culture. Consider being thoughtful when selecting the colors, fonts, packing, and contents of the package, as they reflect a sense of what it's like to work with the company.

Many companies invest in branding their welcome kits so that design elements or the company logo can be found on the kit and its contents. That doesn't just make your new employees feel like a part of the team, but it also helps to promote brand awareness as newcomers might be motivated to share photos of their kit on social media.

You'll find that welcome kits also serve as a source of motivation for new employees. There can be tons of helpful information in the kit that makes it easier for them to know what is expected of them and jump right into the role. Without a clear sense of where to begin, productivity and motivation can start to flounder right from the get-go.

New Employee Welcome Kits: The Basics

All new employee welcome kits should contain certain basic information to help give your new hire as much information as possible about their new role and the brand.

Here are some must-haves when you're putting together your kit:

• Paperwork and forms: There will always be some paperwork for new hires to fill out and turn in when they're first showing up. Including this paperwork as a part of their welcome kit can make the onboarding process easier. You could even make as many forms as possible available to employees online to simplify the process further.
• CEO welcome letter: This is a great way to welcome someone to the team and communicate a sense of the company culture. A note from the CEO is the perfect way to further introduce the long and short-term goals for the company.
• Copy of new hire press release or email: It can be nerve-wracking for people to start a new job, and sending a copy of the message you sent out to announce their hire can make them feel like a part of the team right from the start.
• Employee handbook: Your employee handbook is a place to collect all of your organization's policies, board members, staff, legal information, mission, and more. This is a great way to offer new employees a resource they can look to when they have questions. It also helps to reduce miscommunication when a new person joins the team, as there is a clear set of expectations in writing.
• Ongoing training: You can also include information about ongoing training you will provide them in their new role to help them grow within the company.
• Pre-onboarding survey: A pre-onboarding survey is a way to get some immediate feedback that also helps to show your new hire that you want them to have a voice at the company. 
• Personal information worksheet: It can be challenging to integrate into a new team, and having your new hires fill out personal information worksheets can help you and the rest of the team get to know them better. You can ask them questions about themselves, such as their favorite foods or any hobbies they have. Then, you can use the information as an icebreaker when introducing them to the rest of the team at your next meeting.
• Culture and strategy: Giving your new employees a little preview of what to expect from the company culture can be highly beneficial when they are settling in. It's hard to know what to expect when you're starting to work at a new company, and a copy of the employee newsletter or a short introductory video can help them settle in faster.
• Management and team structure: To help make the structure of your company more easily understandable, you can illustrate the management and team structure in a simple flow chart that you give out in your new employee welcome kits. That gets new employees up to speed immediately and gives them a better grasp of who they will communicate with and in what capacity.
• Technology: You'll want to outline the company policy regarding technology. That could include topics like how employees can access the company intranet, if certain types of websites can't be accessed during work, and security protocols.

Are you researching how to take your onboarding process to the next level? Check out these tips for training new employees and setting your new team members up for success.

For more information about essential info to include as a part of onboarding, take a look at this ultimate employee onboarding checklist.

Employee Welcome Kit Ideas

Once you've put together the core components of your new employee welcome kit, you might consider adding some extra content and goodies.

When companies warmly welcome new hires, it helps them feel like they are a part of the team immediately. Putting in some swag, small gifts, or useful desk gear can help give a positive sense of the culture right off the bat.

Office Supplies

Many tools are required to work efficiently at a desk, and supplying essential workday items is a great way to show them you're glad to have them on board.

You could include pens, notebooks, staplers, highlighters, business cards, and so much more. When you stick some office supplies in the welcome kit, you're making the transition easier for your new employees, which is always something you'll want to prioritize.

Essential Gadgets

A lot of technology is required for every job these days, so you'll want to ensure that all of the essentials are something your new hires have easy access to.

On top of including things like a mouse, keyboard, and the wifi password, you'll also want to ensure all of the required permissions and programs are already set up on their workstation before their first day.

Branded Swag

Another great addition to your new employee welcome kits is some company swag.

Any type of branded products that your company makes– from t-shirts, coffee mugs, and water bottles to pens, keychains, and paperweights.

Headphones

To help your new employees focus on the task at hand, consider including a good pair of headphones that they can use to carve out some quiet space even in a busy office.

Snack Boxes

Snack boxes or a bunch of healthy treats can be nice, affordable additions to an employee welcome package. 

Desk Plant

Desk plants are a wonderful extra treat you can include in your welcome package. Few things can brighten up a workspace like a beautiful, lively plant. Beyond that, some studies have even found that plants can help to reduce feelings of anxiety and stress.

You're not just giving your employees a nice-looking thing to put on their desks, but you're giving them something that can help to improve their well-being.

Books

You might find that it would be helpful to give your new employees a few books that have to do with their new positions and their field as a whole.

If you have a guiding philosophy in your business that you feel is well-exemplified in a specific book from one of the great motivational minds, you can pass on a copy to each new hire when they come on board.

Tote Bags

Tote bags are an excellent gift for all employees, but it's a particularly good addition to your new hire kit if most of the people joining your company are on the younger side.

Both millennials and members of Gen Z have an affinity for eco-friendly, reusable bags.

Photo Frames

When new hires show up for their first day, they often don't have much to decorate their desk or make their space their own.

Adding some picture frames to the welcome kit can be a nice gesture– it shows that they should feel comfortable adding personal touches to their desk and helps them get settled in more quickly.

Wellness Items

Employees and employers alike are increasingly aware of just how important it is to prioritize the health of workers, both physically and mentally. You could include everything from yoga mats, water bottles, fitness bands, and a gift certificate to a local spa.

Another great addition that is affordable but useful to just about everyone is a welcome-kit stress ball. You might think that this gives the wrong impression of your workplace– that it is a stressful place to work. However, if you frame it within a larger wellness package, your employees will see that you're giving them a helpful tool to reduce stress and anxiety while on the clock.

Gift Cards

It can be hard to purchase extra goodies for your employee welcome kit that everyone will like. Sure, there are some classic swag items that most people will be pleased with– sweatshirts, coffee mugs, etc. Beyond that, it can be challenging to pin down good gift ideas that offer the welcome you're looking to give.

In these cases, gift cards can be a completely appropriate option. You can give them the ability to spend the money however they please– it's hard for anyone to be unhappy with that! Gift cards are also small, non-fussy, and very easy to distribute to your new hires.

Integrating New Employees Is Key to Success

At first glance, a new employee welcome kit might seem like something that is nice but not necessarily essential. In reality, you can help the onboarding process go much more smoothly if you put together all the most important information in one central location and maybe even throw in a few extra goodies to give a warm welcome.

There are many moving parts when bringing a new employee onto the team. Of course, they need to become familiar with the processes and policies of the company. At the same time, they have to establish a network of colleagues and gain a full view of their role within the organization.

It's also essential to make a good first impression when new people join your team– how comfortable they are with the organization and how satisfied they are in their new position have much to do with the initial onboarding process.

If you want to ensure your new hires are being set up for success every single time, check out our Onboarding Customizable Course. Focusing on four key elements, managers can learn how to help their new employees build a strong foundation for success right from the start.

Recommended RTL Course

Onboarding Customizable Course

• Explains the purpose of onboarding
• Describes four key onboarding elements
• Virtual, classroom, or self-study

Learn more

Do you have any questions or comments about new employee welcome kits, what to include in yours, or anything similar? If you do, be sure to leave us a comment down below!