How to Write a Helpful New Hire Welcome Letter [+ 2 Welcome Email Templates]

Starting a new job can be really overwhelming. But as a manager, there’s a lot you can do to make the onboarding process easier for new hires before their first day.

One simple thing is to send them a welcome email.

The perfect welcome email helps your new hire feel connected to the team, know what to expect on Day 1, and have an understanding of the company’s organizational flow.

7 Things to Include in a New Employee Welcome Email:

1. “Welcome!”

It may seem obvious but make sure you actually welcome your new hire in the email. Use this email to introduce the company’s culture. Let your new hire know that you are excited for them to join the team—try something like “We’re looking forward to your first day next Monday.”

2. We hired you because …

Call out a few specific reasons why you hired them. Mention their previous experience, skills, or anything else you noticed during the interview process that helped you with the hiring decision. This personalizes the email, showing your new hire that it really is their unique talents and experience that you’re excited about. Try something like “We’re excited to learn from your history of …”.

3. Who they work with

A welcome letter is the perfect opportunity to introduce your new hire to the rest of the team. Org chart software can help your new hire put a face to a name, making the first-day introductions more likely to stick.

Improve new employee’s experience by equipping them with Pingboard. They’ll learn who’s who, who does what, and where they fit in.

Help onboard new employees with an org chart today. We’re always here to help you get started!

4. Their start date

Let new hires know when (and where) to go on their first day. A simple, “We are looking forward to starting your onboarding next Friday, March 6 at 10:00 am” will go a long way in preventing miscommunication and easing any first-day anxiety about the details.

5. What to expect on day 1

Depending on your industry and what your new employee onboarding looks like, some welcome emails include an hour-by-hour orientation schedule. Others just provide a brief overview of the Day 1 plan. Either way, your new hire will appreciate having some idea of what their first day will include.

6. The dress code, if any

One sentence about the dress code will save your new hire from stressing about their outfit. This is also a key part of helping them understand the company’s culture. Try something like “Don’t worry about what you wear—we’re casual here” or “Don’t forget to wear black slacks with your company shirt!”

7. That questions are welcome

A new hire might have questions even after reading your well-thought-out email. Let them know who they can reach out to regarding any additional questions or concerns they might have prior to the first day.

In addition to these 7 questions, consider including any onboarding paperwork that can be done before orientation. By helping your new hire “self-onboard,” they can take care of the less-exciting parts of the process at home if they choose to. That way, you can use orientation to help the employee get a feel for the culture and expectations of their new job.

Sample New Hire Welcome Emails

Now that you’re more familiar with welcome emails, let’s look at a few examples:

[Source]

Mr. Smithers covers most of the 7 questions in this welcome email. He welcomes Homer, explains why he was selected, mentions the start date, explains what to wear, and briefly discusses what will happen on his first day.

While this (admittedly silly) welcome email covers the main points, it doesn’t really help Homer understand company culture. Let’s look at another:

[Source]

This second welcome email also covers most of the 7 questions. But, unlike the last email, it also does a good job of introducing the company’s positive culture. As you read this email, you notice that the onboarding includes multiple coworker meetings. This tells us that ACME Retailers values cross team collaboration.

Welcome Email Templates

New Hire Welcome Letter Templates

Welcome Letter #2

This version of the welcome letter is a little longer and covers the new hire’s scheduling for their first day.

Final Thoughts on Writing a Welcome Email

Before you start your new hire email, get in the mindset of a new employee. What are your concerns? What do you wish someone had told you before you started? Think through the onboarding process and take a mental note of anything that would be helpful to know before day 1. This email is a great place to introduce your new hire to the culture and organization of your company. And including an org chart in the email will let your new hire start getting familiar with the company structure and who their coworkers are—even before their first day.

Ready to write a new hire welcome letter? Download our new hire welcome email templates to get started.