How to write welcome emails and messages to new employees

Just starting as an entrepreneur or in HR and wondering how to welcome a new employee? Welcoming new colleagues to the team every week and out of ideas? Want to make an impression when welcoming a new manager?

You've come to the right place.

Our guide to writing welcome emails, messages, and letters to new employees covers everything you need to know about making new joinees feel welcome:

1. First, we'll cover the typical ways companies welcome new hires to the team.
2. Then we'll break down the welcome email format and the process of writing a welcome message for a new employee, including welcome greetings, phrases, and quotes. We'll also provide you with more than a dozen welcome email examples.
3. Finally, to top it off, we'll show you how to make new team members feel welcomed with the help of Flowrite (test it out below). Ready to get started?

Say 'hi' to a new hire with our guide to writing new employee welcome emails. New employee welcome emails are messages a colleague, boss, or leader sends to a new joinee welcoming them to the company. In this guide, we break down the process of creating new employee welcome emails and provide 12 examples that you can use.

How do companies welcome their new employees

Suppose you're new to HR, recruiting people department for the first time, or starting as an entrepreneur. In that case, you may be wondering how companies welcome new employees. 

As well as traditional welcome emails and welcome messages to new employees, innovative firms have different practices for ensuring a new hire feels at home from the very first day. 

Employee orientation, onboarding processes, buddy systems, and other informal ways of integrating the new joiners are essential at fostering a positive and thriving company culture where everyone feels comfortable and can perform at their best. 

If you're searching for some new employee welcome inspiration, we have listed 10 ideas and examples to inspire your approach for welcoming new co-workers aboard.

New employee welcome gift

A welcome gift for a new employee is a sure-fire way to show that you care about your team members. 

Welcome baskets for new employees often include brand merch and utilities that new hires need when starting the job. Some companies even let employees pick and choose from a catalog of options to ensure that they cater to a diverse employee base. 

Check out Intel's new employee welcome gift box if you're searching for some inspiration. Think welcome gift boxes are a waste of money? The best boxes can go viral, with thousands of shares and likes on social platforms such as LinkedIn.

New employee welcome kit

Welcome kits for new employees are similar to gift baskets but are stacked full of the latest tech. Welcome kits can include a phone, tablet, laptop, and more. 

Tech companies and start-ups have made an art out of welcome packs, creating an incredible experience. Apple, Facebook, LinkedIn, and similar tech leaders invest time and money in creating welcome packages that are precise to the last detail. 

Check online, and you'll see thousands of unboxing videos from eager new employees wanting to share their swag.

We recommend watching a video of Google's new employee welcome kit for new employee welcome kit ideas and examples.

Welcome card for new employee

Call us old-fashioned, but nothing quite says 'welcome' like a physical card even in our technologically advanced age. 

A welcome card message for a new employee is typically the same as you'd use in an email. But, welcome cards can be sent to the staff member's home before they begin, left waiting on their desk, or included as part of a welcome package.

Welcome cards enable you to be creative and inspirational with designs and branding for your business. Use your welcome card to make a statement!

New employee welcome banner

If your team works in an office, a welcome banner for a new employee is a celebratory gesture that can be a welcome surprise.

However, a sign or poster waiting in the lobby or at their desk can make those who don't enjoy being at the center of attention feel uncomfortable. So even though you would consider a welcome aboard sign as a fun way to welcome a new employee, think about how the employee will think of it before going ahead.

New employee social media post

Well, how to welcome a new employee on social media then? A LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook post announcing new hires is standard in smaller companies. 

It feels good to know that your company is proud to have you, doesn't it? The same approach can be used for a website in a blog post or short interviews introducing new talent.

New employee meet and greet

Many companies organize meet and greet for new professional family members to meet their immediate colleagues and co-workers from other teams and departments. 

These laid-back and informal gatherings are an excellent way for staff to get to know each other outside of the daily grind. HR pros or managers typically organize meet and greet events.

New employee meeting invitations are distributed via email to those who want to welcome the new starter. Snack, nibbles, and drinks are optional (but appreciated!).

New employee breakfast or lunch

A welcome breakfast or lunch for a new employee is an even more informal way to bring co-workers together and get to know each other. 

Especially if you are a CEO of a small company, it doesn't take much effort to send out a new employee welcome lunch invite. Instead, you can sit down and share sandwiches, but breaking bread outside the business premises is even better.

As the business owner, it's up to you whether you pay, but it's not expected in most cases. Just make sure to let everyone know to avoid any misunderstandings.

New employee press release

A press release to welcome a new employee is a formal way to introduce someone; they're often used for high-profile executive hires or roles in the public interest.

Press release announcements are less about the new employee and more about the company's interest and public profile. However, who wouldn't enjoy being newsworthy and having their (brief) moment in the spotlight?

New employee speech

Welcome speeches are a traditional and formal way to announce and welcome hires to a business. Most often given by the CEO, member of the leadership team, or the person's manager, a welcome speech can be a powerful way to motivate the worker and the whole team and organization. 

Welcome speeches can do more, too, acting as a creative way to underline the company's value, culture, and mission. This can help bring the whole group together to work towards common goals.

Fun ways to welcome a new employee

The first day in any new job can be a little stressful, regardless of how long you've been working and how skilled you are. Luckily, humor is an excellent way to break the ice. 

Team building activities and games that allow (or force, depending on your perspective) people to get to know one another are a great way to introduce new team members. If it fits your company culture, a welcome new employee meme or gif can be just what the doctor order to lighten up the mood.

Humor is personal, so be sensitive when sending messages or creating memes.

How to welcome a new employee virtually

The employee welcome examples typically take place in an office setting. However, as many organizations embrace hybrid working or have staff working entirely at home, do they still work? 

While staff may not have met their colleagues in person (and may never do so), they should still feel part of the team. In addition, many of the ideas above can be implemented virtually and performed remotely.

There are a plethora of tools that allow organizing engaging virtual events that don't feel like yet another Zoom call. For example, some solutions randomly pair team members for virtual coffee breaks or lunches to help build new connections or strengthen existing ones. 

So, the sky (or the internet, to be precise) is the limit for your imagination. The good news is that even if none of these ideas fit your workplace, welcome emails, messages, and gift boxes all work remotely. Even in our flexible working world, these tried and tested ways to welcome new employees play a crucial part in the onboarding experience.

Welcome email format for new joinee

So, you've decided to write a new employee welcome letter, but unsure of the format. The welcome email format for a new starter is straightforward. It should be familiar to anyone who has written a formal email or letter before. 

There are four core elements to any welcome email for new employees:

• Email subject line
• Email greeting
• Body
• Email sign-off
  

Next, let's look at how that works in practice.

New employee welcome email subject line

The new employee welcome email subject line should be personalized and positive; beyond, it's up to you!

You can be serious and formal, creative, or even funny if you want to. The subject line should suit your culture be clear and positive. 

The easiest solution is to select a greeting from our 30 welcome phrases for new employees below. Just remember to personalize each message and use the person's name if you can.

Expert tip: check the spelling and then double-check it before sending.

How to greet a new employee

When deciding how to greet a new employee, the standard is to use their first name and surname. Beyond that, it's up to you!

When writing a formal email, you'd typically use "Dear", followed by the person's name. However, the formal rules on how to start an email don't apply to internal emails.

You'll want your email to be warm and welcoming, not cold and impersonal. You can go with  'Hi' or ' Hello' and use one of the 30 welcome phrases for new employees below.

Writing a welcome email for new employee

Unlike a formal email to a customer or client, the welcome email format for a new employee is flexible. You can be creative, funny, or stick with a more formal approach with the body of the email.

The body of the email essentially consists of only two parts:

• Welcome greeting
• Self-introduction
  

The examples later in this guide demonstrate how to be creative when using the new employee welcome letter format. You'll see how we create several example emails and letters that are professional and show a bit of personality.

Sign-offs for welcome messages

When it comes to deciding how to end an email, the rule of thumb is to go with the same tone you chose to begin your email with.

Let's make it simple: If you went with "Hi," you can end the welcome email with "Best", or in case you opted for "Dear," it's good email etiquette to close with a more formal sign-off such as "Sincerely,".

You can also include a functional email ending phrase before the sig-off. Here are some examples of phrases that can enhance the sentiment of your welcome wishes.

• Looking forward to working with you
• Excited to have you onboard
• Thanks for joining us, and welcome aboard
  

For more welcome phrases for new employees, check out the next chapter of this guide before diving deep into welcome message examples.

30 welcome phrases for new employees

So, what to say when someone joins your team? 

When a growing company regularly welcomes new hires, developing creative ways to say welcome can be challenging. It's tough to send out new employees' welcome messages every week. 

For all you CEOs, managers, and HR professionals searching for an alternative to "welcome on-board-board" or struggling to find an answer to the question: "What's another word for welcome to the team?" this is for you!

No matter how lost for words you are, these 30 welcome phrases for new employees will help you conquer writer's block. These can all be used in professional welcome emails, and you'll be adding to your vocabulary as you use them.

Here are 30 welcome phrases for new employees:

• Welcome to the team

• Welcome to our team

• Welcome to the firm

• Welcome to a new job

• Welcome to our team

• Welcome back to our team

• Welcome back and congratulations on...

• Welcome aboard

• Welcome and thanks for joining us

• Happy to have you on the team

• Glad to have you on the team

• Great to have you onboard

• Excited to have you onboard

• Delighted to have you join us

• All the very best in your new role

• Looking forward to you joining our team

• Super excited to work with you

• Congratulations and welcome to the team

• Congratulations on joining the team

• Congratulations and welcome aboard

• Welcome our new...

• We would like to extend our warmest welcome to...

• Today we welcome...

• Please join me to welcome...

• Please join me in welcoming our new team members

• Please join me in extending a warm welcome...

• Let's welcome our new employee...

• Warm welcome to our family

• We're excited to have you onboard

• We are thrilled to have you

• We are happy to welcome you...

How many times have you read (or written) "Please join me in welcoming..."? It's among the most common and overused welcome phrases you'll ever find. You'll find it's used repeatedly when a new colleague joins an organization. But, as we've detailed above, there are better ways to greet new employees (and provided 30). We hope that the following welcome email samples mean you won't be left scratching your head when you're asked to create yet another new employee welcome email. 

10 welcome quotes for a new hire

Using welcome quotes for new employees is an easy way to make new colleagues feel welcome and provide a little inspiration on their first day. 

Welcome message quotes can be hearty and warm to even funny depending on your personality, the company culture, and the new starter. 

When making a call on welcome quotes for colleagues, you should also consider how much you know about the new hire when you welcome them aboard. For example, you can crawl the internet for quotes or use one of the ten tried and tested favorites we've picked below.

Here are 10 welcome quotes for any new hire:

• "All strange and terrible events are welcome, but comforts we despise." — Cleopatra
• "Sometimes the hurdles aren't really hurdles at all. They're welcome challenges, tests." — Paul Walker
• "Welcome the challenges. Look for the opportunities in every situation to learn and grow in wisdom." — Brian Tracy
• "Welcome all experiences. You never know which one is going to turn everything on." —Jim Rohn
• "Welcome every experience the looms of fate may weave for you." — Marcus Aurelius
• "Extend your arms in welcome to the future. The best is yet to come!" — Anthony de Mello
• "I'm open for choices. I always welcome new ideas. I'm always eager to learn. I'm never going to close my mind from learning." - Cesar Millan
• "Welcome to my house! Enter freely. Go safely, and leave something of the happiness you bring!" -Bram Stoker
• "Embrace the truth. Speak the truth. Be the truth. When we welcome the truth, we live our lives like it's golden." -Iyanla Vanzant.
• "Confusion is the welcome mat at the door of creativity." -Michael J. Gelb.
  

Not sure if a quote will work? Don't worry. Sometimes a warm or humorous quote may not be suitable. In that case, stick to the standard welcome wishes in your message to a new employee. Want to see how to make it work? In the next chapter, we provide 10 example welcome emails to employees. 

12 welcome email to new employee examples

The best way to explain the concepts above is to put them into practice in our new employee welcome email examples. We've created 12 standard sample welcome messages for new employees. These new employee welcome letter samples can be cut and pasted. Still, we'd encourage you to personalize them before sending them. Here are 12 sample welcome emails to new employees.

Welcome aboard message

Here's a standard and straightforward welcome aboard message for any new starter. We're welcoming them to the organization, putting their role in context, and opening an avenue for vital communication in those first few weeks.

Welcome to the team email sample

The generic example above is an organizational welcome; here's a welcome to the team example. We've gone with a different intro to the welcome to the team email template, as it's less formal and more friendly. Why? Because this is the person you'll be working with closely, and nobody likes a stuffy boss.

Welcome to the company email template

A welcome email from a senior leader should follow the formal email rules. We start with a professional greeting, a short welcome, and a sign-off. This formal email is likely to be followed by a more personal greeting from colleagues and managers.   Here's a welcome to the company email template.

Welcome email to new employee from manager sample

In this welcome email to new employees from the manager sample, we provide a more supportive message that reflects the role of a boss. A manager's job is to provide support and guidance personally and professionally, so the tone should be friendly and open. Here's an example of a welcome email to a new employee from a manager that's focused on building a relationship.

Welcome email to new colleague sample

Sending a welcome email to a colleague is a nice touch that sets the scene for a positive relationship from day 1. In this welcome email to new colleague sample, we offer some kind words from a new friend. Here's our welcome email to the new colleague sample.

Sample welcome letter to new employee from HR

A welcome email from the HR team is standard practice before the first day. It sets out specifics such as the date, time, and details of the first day. As you'd expect, a welcome letter from HR is written in a formal tone of voice.

It's also a great way to prep a new starter, getting them to learn more about the company and the culture before they begin. Check out our sample welcome letter to new employees from HR.

Sample welcome letter to new employee from CEO

An email from the CEO to a new employee can be inspirational, encouraging, and friendly, but it's unlikely to be personalized. This sample welcome letter to new employees from the CEO is a cookie-cutter template that you can use for each new hire.

Sample welcome email announcing new employee

This sample welcome email announcing a new employee is a short message to an entire organization. Imagine a small company where everyone knows one another and will come together to welcome a new employee, and you'll see what we mean.  Check out our welcome email announcing a new employee.

Welcome introduction email for new employee sample

So, your boss has sent out an introduction email like the one above; now, how do you follow it up? This welcome introduction email for the new employee sample is a friendly way to introduce yourself and explain what you do, your interests, and how you can help.

Welcome new boss email sample

A welcome email from an outgoing manager to an incoming one is a personal and professional courtesy. If you can't meet in person, you can provide handover details with important information they'll need to do their job. You can also provide some information on projects, personnel, and potential problems (if you want). Just be sure not to put them off in this sample email to a new boss (from the old one).

New employee welcome letter from IT department

A new employee welcome letter from the IT department is important at ensuring they have everything they need to be productive from the start. It's also a critical part of safety and security, keeping your files, software, and systems protected. Here's a sample welcome email to a new employee from the IT department.

Welcome message for a new employee with a quote

Earlier in the article, we provided inspirational quotes you might want to use in a welcome email. Here's how to use welcome quotes for a new employee in a professional email from a friendly manager to a new starter.

We hope you find these welcome letter to new employee samples useful. When using these welcome emails to new employee examples, personalize them. No new joinee wants a basic email, but spend a little time, and you can craft something rewarding that they'll remember throughout their time at your company.

Welcome email template for a new employee by Flowrite

Flowrite is an AI writing assistant that turns your instructions into ready-to-send emails and messages, like this:

It will help you save time, communicate effectively and achieve more. We even dare to claim that it's the fastest way to write welcome emails and messages to new employees.

Conclusion

Starting a new job is stressful, but a kindly-worded welcome to the team or welcome aboard email can work wonders in calming the nerves of the new hire.

When writing a welcome letter to new employees, focus on making them feel at home with the welcome greeting. Also, introduce yourself in the welcome message in a way that the new joinee knows when to turn to you at work and feel comfortable also in more casual exchanges with you.

You can also tell them something about the business and benefits of working at your company. Keep it brief, personalized, rely on welcome phrases for new employees, and spice things up with welcome quotes.

And if you're still stuck on how to welcome a new employee, Flowrite and our welcome email template are here for you.