How to Welcome New Employees: A Guide for Leaders and Executive Teams

First impressions matter, especially when it comes to onboarding a new hire into your organization. The hiring managers have already taken the time and effort to interview several candidates, so why not spend the time making sure that the onboarding process sets up the new hire for success?

According to a Gallup study about onboarding, most companies struggle to onboard new employees successfully, with 12% of new hires reporting that their company did not do a great job with the onboarding process.

Excellent onboarding ensures every employee feels prepared to do their job and aligned with your organization’s culture. As a company leader, it also helps you ensure that your company values and guidelines are communicated well from day one.

Read on to learn how to effectively create an onboarding process that welcomes new employees.

6 employee onboarding best practices that managers at your organization can implement today

Employees starting a new job are often nervous about where they’ll fit in, need guidance on who to turn to for help, and are unfamiliar with your company. Your onboarding process should help them feel like a member of the team right away and arm them with the necessary information to succeed. Here are five employee onboarding tips to help you accomplish this.

1 Send a welcome email before their start date

A welcome letter from the leadership team sets the right tone, showing that communication and encouragement are encouraged on all levels and that managers care about their people.

In this letter, express why they’re a great addition to the team. Start with this positive affirmation to mitigate any imposter syndrome they might be feeling in those first few days and assure them that they belong.

2Schedule a 1-on-1 meeting

Make managers in your organization responsible for scheduling 1-on-1 meetings with their new direct reports. This is a great opportunity to answer any questions the new hire might have and present their onboarding plan to them.

Fellow’s first one-on-one meeting template below can help managers prepare for the conversation. During the 1-on-1 meeting, the AI Meeting Copilot can transcribe and document key decisions so attendees can focus on the conversation.

3 Share the onboarding plan

New employees should never spend their first day of work wondering what they’re meant to do. The first week at a new job can be overwhelming, so it’s crucial to have a structured onboarding process. Make sure that you have a clear onboarding checklist and that you have some training and preparations ready for your new hire. This will show your employee that you want to catch them up to speed on their position-related knowledge and properly prepare them for the job to feel confident and supported to take on their new role.

Fellow is a great tool to store your employee onboarding checklist and apply it easily whenever a new hire joins your team.

4Provide the necessary documentation for their role

Equip new hires with the right toolkit so they can familiarize themselves at their own pace throughout the first week. Provide access to important documentation like workflow outlines, communication cadences, and platform use best practices.

If possible, pair them up with an onboarding buddy for the first week. This person will be their go-to for asking questions and receiving advice regarding company tools and processes.

5 Stay patient and available

It’s called an onboarding “process” for a reason—it takes time for new hires to feel autonomous and productive. This can be especially true for remote employees who might feel disconnected from the team or shy about reaching out via unfamiliar communication platforms. Follow onboarding best practices like being readily available (or ask the direct manager to do so) to answer questions and offer support in the coming weeks.

One best practice that managers can implement is scheduling check-ins with the new hire every afternoon during their first week of onboarding.

6 Encourage coffee chats with their team members

Initial relationships fostered during early coffee chats and casual meets make communication and collaboration easier going forward, as employees have a baseline of familiarity with each other. Fostering positive relationships among staff members also improves the company culture, which, in turn, reduces turnover. The coffee chat template in Fellow is a helpful way to prepare talking points for these welcome coffee chats.

20 welcome message examples 

Your welcome message is likely the first impression this new hire receives. Make it count by customizing one of these 20 examples.

Simple and concise

• “Congratulations on joining our team, [Name]! Looking forward to sharing many wins with you.”
• “A huge welcome from the whole team at [Company]! We’ve worked to build a strong and passionate community, and we think you’ll fit in perfectly.”
• “[Name], we’re so excited to welcome you to our team! Considering your background and expertise, you’ll be a great addition.”
• “On behalf of the leadership team here at [Company], I’m thrilled to welcome you to our team. I hope you’ll enjoy working with us.”
• “[Name], best wishes for your first day at [Company]! Let us know how we can best support you.”

Positive and encouraging

• “Welcome to the team, [Name]! Everyone here brings a unique perspective, which enriches what we offer our clients. We can’t wait to see what you’ll accomplish with us.”
• “Congratulations on accepting your job offer, [Name]! Welcome to the team, we can’t wait to see the great contributions you’ll make here.”
• “Congratulations and welcome aboard, [Name]. We selected you for this role because we love your unique expertise and collaborative approach. Your team can’t wait to work alongside you.”
• “Welcome to the team, [Name]! Starting a new job is overwhelming, so just know that we’re here to support you at every step. You’re a part of our team now, and we know you’ll do amazing things at [Company].”
• “Congratulations on taking the next step in your career! We hope you enjoy this opportunity to try new things and acquire different skills and competencies so we can all progress together.”

Personalized acknowledgment

• “We’re delighted to hear about your decision to join us, [Name]! Your application really stood out because of [characteristic 1] and [characteristic 2]. We know you’ll bring unique and innovative ideas to the company, and we can’t wait to act on them.”
• “Thank you so much for accepting the job offer with [Company]! We hope your onboarding process goes smoothly. If you need anything at all, please reach out. Don’t feel shy about sharing your valuable thoughts and ideas—we brought you on board because of how great they were during the interview process.”
• “Hey [Name], so excited that you’re joining the team. We heard so many great things from those who interviewed you, including how thorough you were when researching our company and how extensive your expertise is. We can’t wait to see how you’ll grow alongside us!”
• “Welcome, [Name]! Your interviewers raved about your [interpersonal and/or technical skills], and the whole team is delighted to have you. We look forward to learning from you throughout the years.”
• “Welcome and congratulations, [Name]! Our team is so excited onboard someone with your expertise in [topic/tool]. We look forward to helping you do your best work yet.”

Emphasizing team collaboration

• “Welcome to [Company], [Name]! We believe in sharing our unique perspectives and expertise areas to build each other up. And we can’t wait to add your skillset to the mix.”
• “Welcome [Name]! We know getting comfortable in a new job takes time, but we encourage you to always speak up, share your thoughts, and challenge us. We’re here to grow together, and we can’t wait to hear more about what you have to say.”
• “Welcome to the team, [Name]! We’re all so excited to collaborate with you, and we look forward to supporting your journey with [Company].”
• “Welcome to the crew, [Name]! We’re so happy you’re joining our work family. Ask questions, share your ideas, and know that we’re always here to help.”
• “Congratulations and welcome to [Company], [Name]! Please know that this is a supportive environment where questions are welcomed by all. We can’t wait to help you thrive here.”

FAQ: Why do you need to welcome a new employee? 

Aside from improving retention rates, here are a few more advantages of crafting a thoughtful and welcoming employee onboarding process. 

1. Set the stage

Being kind and welcoming during onboarding sets the tone for the new hire’s experience with your company. It also shows that this welcoming attitude is a cultural pillar you want portrayed throughout the team. You set an example for all employees that offering positive affirmation and support is important.

2. Save costs by retaining talent

Turnover is expensive, and as previously mentioned, poor onboarding causes employees to look for new work. Retain great talent and spend less time and resources on hiring by offering a warm welcome.

3. Prepare employees to contribute meaningfully

The sooner a new employee knows how to succeed (and has the tools to do so), the sooner they become a contributing team member. An organized onboarding process gets your staff operating at 100% faster so business operations continue at full speed.

Effectively welcome new hires with Fellow

Pair these tips and ways to introduce yourself to a new team member with Fellow, an AI-powered meeting management platform that ensures employees feel well-supported to do great work.

Fellow offers an excessive library of pre-built templates for welcoming employees, like the first-time one-on-one meeting agenda. And post-meeting recaps keep potentially overwhelmed employees up to speed on the most important information. Plus, the feedback feature encourages new hires to offer their thoughts on the onboarding experience so you can continuously enhance it.

Try Fellow today and enjoy an instantly improved onboarding process.