Welcoming a new employee goes beyond simply filling out a checklist—it is the foundation for their entire experience at your company. From engagement to retention, the first few days are critical. That’s why starting with a nice welcome is important. It helps your new hire feel like part of the team from day one, which leads to faster ramp-up times, stronger relationships, and a more productive workplace overall.
At Survale, we specialize in gathering and analyzing feedback from new hires to understand what’s working and what’s not with your onboarding processes. But in this guide, we’ll focus on the core tactics that should be in place at every company and walk you through exactly how to welcome a new employee to the team, with practical steps, onboarding best practices, and real-world ideas you can start using today. From there, you can measure, gather feedback and refine what you’re doing.
Why the First Day Matters
The first day at a new job can make people feel anxious—for better or worse. According to Gallup, only 12% of employees strongly agree that their organization does a great job onboarding new hires. That failure to make a first impression is a missed opportunity.
A great first impression builds confidence and connection. It also shows new hires that your company knows what it’s doing, is focused on people, and has invested in their success. When employees feel welcomed and supported early on, they’re more likely to stay long-term, become high performers, and contribute meaningfully to your culture.
So yes—the welcome really matters.
Pre-Onboarding Essentials
Even before your new team member arrives for work (or logs into Zoom), make sure everything is ready. A smooth start begins with preparation. Here’s what to have in place:
- Workspace setup: Whether remote or onsite, ensure their desk, equipment, and supplies are ready to go.
- Login credentials: Email, Slack, Zoom, HR software—whatever systems they will need to use—have all accounts created and passwords shared securely.
- Meeting invites: Add them to team calendars and schedule any introductory sessions in advance.
- Org chart and team intros: Help them understand who’s who and how your org is structured.
- Tools & systems: Make sure they have everything they’ll need to hit the ground running on day one.
When these details are handled in advance, your new hire can focus on people, culture, and purpose—not logistics. And they will feel more connected and useful faster.
How to Welcome a New Employee
Once the basics are handled, it’s time to go beyond the checklist and create a warm, memorable welcome. Below are six key ways to do just that:
Send a Formal Welcome Message
A simple but meaningful step is to write a welcome message that goes beyond “Welcome aboard.” Personalize it by mentioning their role, the impact they’ll have, and a few friendly faces they’ll meet. If you can, have this come from their direct manager or even the CEO for an added touch of care. By having the welcome message come from a visible person in the organization, the new hire feels more valued.
Example:
“Hi Sarah, we’re thrilled to have you join the marketing team! Your experience with brand storytelling will be a huge asset. You’ll be working closely with Mark, who leads our content strategy. We’ve got a team lunch planned on Wednesday to celebrate your arrival—can’t wait to get started!”
Assign an Onboarding Buddy
Assigning an onboarding buddy is one of the most effective ways to help new hires to connect with the company and feel more comfortable quickly. This peer-level partner can answer questions, offer guidance on company culture, and help them build internal networks organically.
A good onboarding buddy:
- Is in the same team or department
- Knows the ropes and enjoys mentoring
- Is available during the first few weeks for casual check-ins
It’s an easy way to humanize the onboarding process and reduce that first-week awkwardness.
Create a Welcome Packet
A great welcome packet combines practical information with a touch of personality. Think of it as the new hire’s go-to resource in their first month.
What to include:
- Employee handbook
- Company swag (mugs, t-shirts, stickers)
- Mission and values statement
- Onboarding checklist examples
- Benefits overview
- Key policies (hybrid work, time off, etc.)
Whether it’s printed or digital, this packet helps communicate culture, professionalism, and preparedness.
Provide Business Cards & Essentials
The little things matter. Creating business cards for new employees, setting up their email signature, and having branded materials like name badges, ID cards, and notebooks can make a new team member feel more welcome.
For remote teams, you can mail a “remote essentials kit” that includes:
- Laptop and accessories
- Headset or webcam
- Company swag
- Welcome letter
These touches may seem small, but small things add up and go a long way to make a new employee feel valued and welcome.
Organize a Team Welcome
A public, social welcome with the whole team begins the process of building connection. Some good (and low-effort) ways to welcome new employees publicly include one or more of the following:
- Slack or Teams announcement with a fun fact about the new hire
- Casual team lunch or coffee meetup
- Welcome Zoom call or happy hour
- Department-wide email introduction
This lets the team know it’s time to reach out, say hello, and start building rapport.
Use a Structured Onboarding Checklist
Having a detailed, repeatable onboarding checklist helps keep important tasks on track and ensures that things happen the same way each time a new hire is welcomed.
Your checklist should cover:
- Admin tasks (paperwork, accounts)
- Orientation and onboarding meetings
- Product or role-specific training
- Key performance expectations
- First week and 30-day goals
There are plenty of onboarding checklist examples available online—or you can customize your own based on role and department. A structured process reduces stress for everyone involved and supports long-term success.
Track Onboarding Success
The best onboarding processes keep going well beyond the first day or week. That’s why it’s important to track onboarding success through hiring manager and new hire feedback and follow-up on that feedback.
Use 30-60-90 day surveys to ask:
- How prepared did you feel on day one?
- Did your onboarding buddy help you feel supported?
- What could have gone more smoothly?
This creates an open channel of communication that results in continuous improvement. Tools like Survale make it easy to collect employee feedback and surface insights over time. Even Google Forms can provide basic survey capability which is better than nothing.
Onboarding isn’t a one-time event—it’s a continual strategic investment.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Welcoming a new employee is about more than logistics—it’s about building trust, boosting engagement, and showing your culture in action. With a little preparation and a lot of heart, you can turn the first day into the first win.
FAQs
How do you professionally welcome a new employee?
Welcoming a new employee starts with a personal message from a key person within the company. You also want to make sure that all the tools they need to do their job have are easily available. Their manager should introduce them to the team whether in a stand up meeting, a lunch, etc. Finally, it’s always a good idea to assign an experienced peer to the new employee as a resource for navigating the ins and outs of the new employee’s job and the company.
What is the best employee welcome message?
A welcome message should be personal and warm. It should convey the organization’s excitement that the new employee is here and it should refer to their role. It should outline what the next steps are for the initial week or two and it should reassure the employee of the organization’s support for them as the acclimate.
How do you say “welcome to the team” professionally?
The key is to convey excitement the team has in anticipation of the new employee’s arrival and for what the new employee can contribute going forward. Examples: “We’re thrilled to have you on board” or “Welcome to the team—excited for what we’ll achieve together.”
How do I welcome a new member in the group?
First, a public acknowledgement of their role sets the stage for showing the new member that they are important, beyond just their proximal work contacts. Sharing their background lets them know that you value what they bring to the group. Finally, encourage other members of the group to reach out and connect 1-on-1.
