What is a New Employee Welcome Kit?
A new employee welcome kit is a package of materials, swag, and resources given to new employees on their first day at work. These kits provide an introduction to your business and its culture, while also showering new employees with welcome gifts that demonstrate your commitment to employee appreciation.
Welcome kits often contain branded company merchandise. You might include a branded journal for your new employees to take notes in or a custom backpack they can use on their commute.
Pair these items with resources that employees need as part of their onboarding process. That might include items like a company laptop as well as important documents like employee handbooks and organizational charts.
The Importance of a New Hire Welcome Kit
When an employee starts a new job, they’re likely feeling a mix of nervousness and excitement. A great welcome kit quells any feelings of apprehension and gets employees even more excited about the new opportunity that lies ahead of them.
A welcome gift for new employees breaks the ice, demonstrating your culture to your newest team members in a fun, engaging way. By filling onboarding kits with high-quality and unique gifts, new employees will intuitively know your business invests in its workforce.
A strong onboarding program is key to building high levels of morale and promoting increased employee retention. That’s especially true today, in a time when many employees work remotely. Sending a new employee a swag box communicates the culture and team spirit of your business, no matter where your new employees are based.
24 Items to Include In an Employee Welcome Kit
If you’ve been tasked with coming up with new employee welcome kit ideas, you’ll know by now you have plenty of options. Below, we’ve listed 24 of the best items to include in a new employee welcome kit.
You’ll find options for every business and budget, from thoughtful, personalized gifts to stylish branded apparel your new employees will wear with pride.
1. Personalized Welcome Letter
A general welcome letter from your business’s leader might be well-intentioned, but it’s often more meaningful for employees to receive a letter from their direct supervisor.
In this letter, express how happy your team is to be welcoming the new employee, highlighting areas of the role you’re excited to see the employee work on. These letters don’t just make your new hires feel welcome, they inspire them to help your team reach its goals.
2. Company Immersion Booklet
Every company has a unique story. Tell yours with a company immersion booklet: a short, branded book that summarizes your business’s journey, showcases its values, and highlights key elements of its culture.
3. Backpack
If your employee has to commute to work or spends time working or traveling outside of the office, you can bet they’ll be thankful for a reliable backpack. There’s no shortage of custom branded backpacks available, including options from top brands like Samsonite and Cotopaxi.
4. Reusable Water Bottle
A reusable water bottle will have your employees sipping in style while offering them a sustainable way to stay hydrated. You’ll find options for every budget, from trusted favorites brands like Nalgene and Stanley to high-performance insulated water bottles that keep drinks cool all day long.
5. Journal
During their early days at your company, new employees have a lot to take in. To have any chance of remembering all the new information they’re taking in during their onboarding sessions, they need to take notes. And where better to take notes than in a custom journal embossed with your business’s brand? It’s the perfect welcome gift.
6. T-Shirt
Branded t-shirts are the perfect match for everything from casual Fridays at the office to summer weekends. If you can blend comfort and style to find the perfect fit for your new employees, you can be sure they’ll proudly represent your business everywhere they go.
7. Pen
From their tax documents to their employment contracts, new employees sign a lot of autographs during their first few days. A branded pen is the perfect addition to a welcome kit, making for a budget-friendly gift that’ll be used time and time again.
8. Charger
From the home, to the car, to the office, there can never be enough chargers for devices. That’s especially true in a time when employees are more reliant on their phones, tablets, and laptops than ever. Including an extra charger in an employee welcome kit ensures your new team members will never run out of juice.
9. Snack
It doesn’t matter whether you’re the summer intern or the CEO: everyone loves snacks. They’re an affordable new employee welcome kit idea. For bonus points, opt for shareable snacks that your new team members can enjoy with their new colleagues.
10. Die Cut Sticker
Another budget-friendly gift is a die cut sticker. You can customize them with anything you like, from your business’s logo to icons for specific teams or departments. Employees will add them to laptops, water bottles, journals, and more.
11. Cap
Caps are a classic employee gifts for a reason: they never go out of fashion. Unless you have a casual dress code, your new employees might not wear their caps in the office, but when they turn up to a golf tournament or beach day in their new hat, you can bet they’ll be attracting admiring glances.
12. Earbuds
If you’ve ever started a new job, you know a major part of the process is getting to know everyone. In our era of remote work, many of those meetings might happen via video conference. With that in mind, you can bet new employees will be delighted to receive a high-quality set of earbuds.
13. Laptop Sleeve
If your new employees are in an office-based role, they likely have a brand new company laptop to get their work done. Including a laptop sleeve for your employees ensures that their laptop stays in tip-top condition, regardless of where their new job takes them.
14. Power Bank
Between phone calls, emails, and virtual meetings, your phone battery rarely lasts all day. That can be a problem for employees who are away from their desks, but not if you give them a power bank that’ll help them keep all their devices topped up.
15. Hoodie
Branded apparel choices don’t come much more popular than a hoodie. It’s a popular choice for every season, and your new employees will wear it everywhere from chilly winter afternoons in front of the fire to breezy summer evenings at the beach.
16. Coffee Tumbler/Mug
Few things taste better than that first swig of morning coffee. And while we have no scientific evidence, it’s our firm belief that your cup of morning joe tastes that little bit better when it comes from a cool coffee mug. There’s no shortage of options, from custom-branded mugs to reusable tumblers.
17. Desk Lamp
If your employees work from home, help them jazz up their home office with a desk lamp. Even if you don’t expect them to be burning the midnight oil, a stylish desk lamp can elevate their space.
18. Mouse Pad
Mouse pads are an essential gift for every new employee who uses a computer, helping them get their work done more efficiently. There are all kinds of options, from classic branded options to high-tech mouse pads with built-in wireless chargers for your employees’ devices.
19. Desk Plant
Bring a splash of nature into your employee’s home office or cubicle with the gift of a desk plant. It adds vibrancy and life, making spaces more welcoming and relaxing. Plus, you can choose from real and artificial plants, meaning everyone can be a successful plant parent.
20. Tech Case
If you’ve ever had to untangle a mesh of cables, you’ll know that traveling with your devices can be a challenge. Gifting your employees a tech case helps them stay organized, keeping their devices secure and all of their cords tangle-free.
21. Phone Stand
Emails, messages, meeting reminders – today, everyone gets a lot of notifications. When you include a phone stand in your employee welcome kit, you’ll give your employees the best chance possible of never missing an important message. These stands don’t just hold your employees’ phones vertically, they’re also chargers too.
22. Electronic Business Card
Your new employees now represent your business, and it’s important you give them the tools they need to go out and make new relationships. One of those tools? An electronic business card that enables them to seamlessly share their contact information with everyone they meet.
23. Lip Balm and Hand Cream
Welcome kits don’t have to be all business – the best kits include products that help employees wind down and relax. Items like lip balm and hand creams fit right into that category, providing a sprinkle of self-care to your employees’ daily routines.
24. Lunch Cooler
From sandwiches to snack packs, a lunch cooler is a versatile new Employee welcome gift that employees can use in all kinds of ways. Regardless of whether they use it for bringing lunch to work to weekend camping trips, you can bet they’ll be grateful for this gift.
Ready to Build the Perfect New Employee Welcome Kit?
Creating a great employee experience for your new hires is vital to their success at your business. A welcome kit is a fantastic opportunity for employers to help their new team members feel right at home from day one, pairing thoughtful gifts with high-quality branded merchandise.
If you’re struggling to select welcome gifts for new employees, get in touch with a GoDelta Brand Consultant. Our team will help you find the perfect welcome gifts for new employees. Leave the details to our experts and focus on creating relationships with your new team members – the future is bright.
