Welcome Gifts for New Employees

Gaining new employees is an event worth celebrating. It’s great when all the open roles are filled and your new team members are excited about successfully passing the interview process. You can ensure your new employees feel welcome during the onboarding process with promotional gifts.

It is always a little overwhelming to start a job and meet a whole new team of coworkers. Plus, learning everyone’s names, new procedures and everything else that comes with onboarding may be daunting. New hires often feel like they are starting new lives when they first begin their jobs. A welcome gift can help them keep calm and foster a smooth transition.

The Benefits of Gifting a Welcome Kit to New Hires

Your new hires will appreciate receiving welcome gifts as they are getting used to their new workplace and responsibilities. Below are some of the advantages of taking the opportunity to provide these special gifts:

Familiarizing Your New Hires With the Company Culture

Your welcome gift can reflect the company’s culture with a theme of your choosing. When you provide onboarding gifts for new hires, you can include promotional items with your company’s logo, items that other employees frequently use around the office or items that suit your industry.

Your welcome kit can be informal and fun, with chocolates, coffee packets or other snack items. A themed kit shows your new hires that they are now valued members of a team.

Showing Your Appreciation and Generosity

Providing free gifts and kind words shows that you care about your employees. New hires will know they’ve made it to a workplace where their superiors want them to feel included. Your welcome package shows that you are grateful for their decision to work for you and happy to be able to hire new people.

Creating a Positive First Impression

Providing a welcome gift sets the tone for your new hires to have a positive overall experience on their first day. This gift may be a pleasant surprise to give them a moment of relief from the stress and nerves they may be experiencing. Hopefully, your gift will encourage them to be excited and feel more engaged through the onboarding process.

Reducing the Potential for Employee Turnover

When employees feel welcome and appreciated, they are more likely to enjoy their new jobs. Getting a gift as soon as they begin lowers their initial stress level and creates a positive impression of the team they are now part of. They are more likely to stay loyal if they feel the company is being good to them and they will want to give back by performing well.

4 New Employee Welcome Kit Ideas

Show your new team members you care with a creative welcome kit that reflects the company’s values and community. Below are some new hire welcome kit ideas that may work for you:

1. Apparel

Quality apparel items can demonstrate an active community who value sports and fitness or simply encourages unity, team-building and belonging. Give your new employees these promotional apparel items:

  • T-shirts: A t-shirt is a classic gift and can be worn for many purposes. Adding your logo to the shirts displays your company’s unique style and will help new hires feel like they’re a part of your company culture.
  • Golf and polo shirts: These items are great if the office dress code favors a casual but sporty style or if you offer occasional outings to sports games or other outdoor events.
  • Sweats: If your company is immersed in a fitness culture or has its own private gym. If you’re are in a colder climate, sweatshirts and sweatpants will make great welcome gifts for new hires.
  • Footwear: You can provide new hires with promotional socks or similar items without knowing their exact shoe sizes.

2. Coffee Kits

If your office has a break room or a coffee machine set up, providing a welcome kit of coffee blends and creamers can help new hires feel right at home. Coffee mugs are a popular item with employees across the industries, and they come in many colors to match your brand.

Employees save a lot of money and time in the mornings by skipping the coffee shop and heading straight to the office. If your workplace allows coffee machines, have a fun design printed on your promotional coffee mugs, and let your employees take them to work. New hires will feel like they have everything they need to get their day started right from the beginning.

3. Drinkware

Other than a coffee mug, drinkware such as water bottles also make thoughtful gifts. If your company values eco-friendly routines and healthy lifestyle choices, promotional drinkware items are a great choice for welcome gifts. Below are some ideas:

  • Tumblers: This universal drinkware item can store many different types of drinks, keeping them cold or hot.
  • Travel mugs: Perfect for keeping drinks hot, a travel mug is practical to have in a colder climate.
  • Water bottles: This is one item that will save a lot of plastic bottles, and your employees can bring them to work every day to stay hydrated.

4. Office Supplies

Every new employee will need the tools for the job. Giving away helpful and practical office supplies will ensure that they have everything they need and can focus on their new roles. They will be happy to see these fitting items in their welcome kits:

  • Writing utensils: Pens, pencils, highlighters and other tools are always good to have, even when most of their work will be on a computer. Promotional pens for your company help create a professional image and can act as great marketing tools.
  • Office tools: Scissors, staplers and tape might not be necessary for your line of work, but they can come in handy if new hires need these supplies.
  • A lanyard: These items make it easy for your employees to hang their name tags, key cards or IDs.
  • Notepads: With their own notebooks, employees can jot down any important information from day one. Handwritten notes are helpful to look back on, whether they store these items at home or in their office.
  • Sticky notes: These items are great for communicating with coworkers when someone will be out of the office or for taking down quick, important notes.

5. Snack Kits

For an office immersed in food culture, a snack kit is a fun gift that can have so many options. You can find onboarding packages that work for anyone, whether your employees might enjoy decorated cookies and fun candies or an elegant selection of cheeses, crackers and wine samples. It’s always a great treat to pair a snack kit with the promotional items you offer new hires so they get the best of both worlds!

Create Customized Onboarding Gifts With ePromos

Want to make sure your new hires feel appreciated? We provide custom promotional products for corporations and other specially-designed custom items for employers to give to their hard-working employees, customers and guests. Get items with your company’s colors and logo to promote your brand while offering valuable gifts to your team.

Contact us to learn more about our products, or browse our selection to place an order online.

About Author

Katie Salerno Avatar

Katie S.

Reviewed By: Kaite S. - Marketing Brand Specialist

Tenacious brand warrior who is laser-focused on boosting our brand through effective social media presence and multiple resources. Principal producer of marvelous messages and email exposés. Message + Creative maestro who has an opening for a puppy co-worker with the expectation they stay clear of her pommes frites.