Do you remember your first day of your first job? It must have been stressful, you know no one, you don’t know where anything is, what you should be doing, nothing at all.
Now place yourself in the shoes of the new hire, s/he must be feeling the same or more. Though not a kid, anxious about everything.
So, how can you help your new hire feel at home?
You can guide the new hire yourself around the office or provide him/her with a mentor who can help them navigate everything around the office, introduce to everyone or add him to the team messaging group. If not this or in addition, you can leave a welcome message for a new employee with everything they will require on their first day.
Onboarding a new hire starts from the first day the new hire comes to the office. Welcoming the new hire is a part of the onboarding process. Creating a personalized welcome message to greet new employees is a great opportunity to make a positive first impression when mentoring new employees.
According to a survey by Brandon Hall Group on ‘the true cost of a bad hire’, organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.
Must read:
Employee onboarding activities to create an emotional connection
30-60-90 day plan to boost new employee productivity
When welcoming a new employee to your company, it’s important to make them feel valued and excited to be a part of the team. One way to do this is by creating a customized welcome package for them.
You can use these short welcome message examples to make them feel valued, that you are glad they’ve joined your team.
- We are delighted that you have decided to join our team. On behalf of myself and the entire team, I would like to extend a warm welcome and best wishes.
- Welcome [Name]!. We’re excited to get to know you and work alongside you.
- Congratulations and welcome aboard! We want you to know that we believe in you, and we can’t wait to see what you’ll make happen.
- A very warm welcome from the whole team here at [Company].We’re confident that we’ll work well together in the weeks and years to come.
- Congratulations! You’re going to be an amazing addition to this team.
You can refer to these welcome messages to encourage the new hires by letting them know you believe in them and the qualities you see in them.
- A great big warm welcome! We hand-picked you to join our team because we believe in you and the unique talents you have to offer. We know how much of an asset you will be within our company, and we can’t wait to see all that you accomplish.
- As a creative and passionate individual, we’re excited to see how you impact your team. Never feel shy about sharing your thoughts and ideas – that’s why we brought you on board!
- Welcome to the team! You bring a unique perspective to our team that can help us reach new heights. We know we’ll turn to you when we need your abilities and ideas.
- Welcome and congratulations on joining [Company], [Name]! Your unique talent and superb personality will make you the perfect addition to our team. We know you’ll accomplish great things here.
It is not all about making them feel valued, presenting your expectations from them. Welcome messages should also include a sense of belonging and a ray of hope so that employees can reach out to you if necessary. Combine these phrases in your next welcome message to show that you’re there to help new hires.
- Welcome and best wishes on your first day, [Name]! Starting a new job is never easy, but we hope you’ll ask for help, speak up, and push us to new heights. That’s what helps us grow together as a business.
- Please reach out to me or others with any questions you may have – we value teamwork and want to be there for one another.
- Welcome to the team! Starting a new job can be a daunting task. So we just wanted to let you know that we are here to support you and help you in any way we can. You are part of the team now and we know you will achieve great things here.
- Persist in your work, learn from your mistakes, cultivate positive relationships, and always give your all. We look forward to providing you with the best professional and personal opportunities.
Additional welcome messages to try out
Welcome messages don’t always need to be formal and serious. Try out these less formal or quirky welcome messages:
- We just heard that our company hired an excellent new employee to join our team, and guess what? That’s you. Welcome aboard!
- Welcome aboard, new buddy! Having you in our company is a great honor! Indeed, all of us here are very excited to work with you.
- “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” Warm welcome and congratulations on getting hired!
- Happy joining day! Please let me know if HR made you feel welcome because we have something better in the works. I am delighted you have decided to join us.
How can you make a new employee feel welcome?
You can make a new hire feel welcomed by delivering a customized welcome package in addition to a boring orientation meeting or welcome message. Welcome packages increase excitement in the new hires, they feel valued. It shows that you are concerned about the new hire and are willing to retain the new hires in your organization.
Some of the few common benefits of including a welcome package for your organization can be:
- Saves companies time and money
- Improves new employee satisfaction
- Increase ramp-up speed for new hires
- Reduce employee turnover
- Answer frequently asked questions
- Provides context for professional expectations and goals
Welcome pack ideas for new employee
Remember, a good welcome package is a thoughtful and helpful way to kick off a new employee’s tenure at your company. It is also a great way to show that you value their contributions and are excited to have them on board. Try to customise the package based upon the new hire’s preference and job title.
Here are a few examples of items that you can include in a welcome package:
A personalized welcome letter: This letter should be addressed to the new employee by name and should express your excitement for them to join the team.
It should also include information about their start date, job responsibilities, and any other important details they need to know. Refer to the above list of welcome messages to personalize the welcome message, to increase the new hire’s morale and satisfaction.
Employee handbook: Give the new employee a copy of the company’s employee handbook. This will provide them with information about company policies, benefits, and procedures.
Company swag: Include a few items with your company’s logo on them, such as a t-shirt, a mug, or a tote bag. This will help the new employee feel like a part of the team and will also serve as a reminder of their new job when they wear or use the items.
Including a customized piece of article will make the new hire feel they are a part of the company which will in return create attachment with the company’s brand and they will for sure stay with the company for a long period of time.
A small gift: A small gift can be a nice touch to show the new employee that they are valued. It is the part where you can get creative and personalize the welcome package.
Usually, employees like to customize their desk as per their personal aesthetic tastes, rather than having a plain boring one.
Harvard Business Review found that an employee’s “place identity,” or the feeling that the office is “yours,” benefits both employers and employees.
So, you can help them by providing the first piece of article they can put on their desk. Maybe a gift card, a photo frame or a plant anything you think is reasonable and will help to increase employees’ attachment with the company.
A team-building activity: Along with physical stuff, you can also include activities to help create social bonds among the existing employees and the new hires.
After an initial welcome meeting either in person or virtual setting, you can also organize a team-building activity like a lunch or a fun team outing, such as a bowling night or a team-building retreat to help the new employee get to know their colleagues better.
Remember adding a welcome package along with a welcome message will prove to be more worthwhile than costly.
Choose from the sample of welcome messages above, or customize your own and include a customized welcome package (if possible). Whatever you do, make sure your new hires find your onboarding process enthusiastic, supportive, and inspirational.
