How to Write a Welcome Email to New Employees
According to SHRM, effective onboarding isn’t just nice to have—it’s crucial to company success. And BambooHR’s 2023 onboarding survey revealed that companies only have 44 days to persuade new hires to stay. So why not get a head start on the statistics by sending a stellar welcome email to new employees?
A welcome email is your organization’s opportunity to reassure your new hire that they made right decision choosing your company. Knowing how to write a welcome email may help to curb some of the top new-hire frustrations uncovered in our report:
- No clear points of contact for questions (65%)
- Not enough training on company products and services (62%)
- Lack of access to essential tools (58%)
Our survey also highlighted that nearly half of new hires regret their decision to join within their first week. Getting employee onboarding wrong could lead to dissatisfaction and increased risk of employee turnover.
To get you started, we’ve put together some free welcome email templates and top tips for writing a winning welcome email to new employees. And if you’re ready to make your onboarding process really sing, from offer letter to fully up-and-running employee, explore how BambooHR® Onboarding helps you create better first days.
Free Resource: Welcome Email Template
No need to start from scratch! Download our free new employee welcome email template and get your welcome email for new employees up and running before onboarding your next batch of hires.
How to write a welcome email to new employees
It couldn’t be easier to create your welcome email to new employees when you follow our free welcome email templates. But a little customization can go a long way to making your email feel personalized and authentic.
Here are a few key elements we recommend including in your welcome email:
- Congratulate and warmly welcome your new hire. Choosing to start a new job is a big deal. If you want your new employee to feel welcome and know how excited you are to have them join the team, you have to tell them.
- Remind new hires of their start date and time. Confirm these details with your new hire. If they’ll be in the office, remind them of location, parking or public transit info, and what time they should arrive. If the employee will be working remotely, let them know what time they should log on (in their local region).
- Clarify the dress code. you didn’t already share this during the interview process, include a quick blurb about your dress code or general standards to help new employees feel more comfortable on their first day.
- Include the first day schedule. Giving a run-down of the first day can go a long way toward putting a nervous new employee’s mind at ease.
- List any items new hires need to provide or bring in. This may include their ID, SSN, or paperwork you sent them ahead of time.
- Confirm their manager or onboarding buddy’s contact details. Let them know they can reach out to HR, their manager or an assigned onboarding buddy to help guide them through the process.
Welcome email ideas to get started
Now you know why nailing a new hire welcome email is so important, here are a few examples to spark some inspiration. Have a browse of these welcome email templates:
Formal welcome email to new employees
On behalf of [xxx], I want to warmly welcome you to the team. We are thrilled to have you as our new colleague and are excited to see what we can achieve together.
Our People Manager, [xxx], will be in contact soon to schedule your orientation. Prior to this, please carefully read the attached documents.
In the meantime, please let me know if you have any questions.
Fun welcome email to new employees
Welcome to the [xxx] team! We can wait for you to join us.
Before you get started, [xxx] will be in touch to schedule your orientation and set up your system assess. They’ll also be able to answer any questions about your new team, role or our company in general!
In the meantime, have a read of the attached documents. Please keep an eye on your emails, as we’ll send more paperwork throughout the week.
If you want to know more, have any questions at all, or just fancy a chat, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Team-focused welcome email to new employees
Congratulations [xxx], you’re officially part of the [xxx] team! We are looking forward to getting to know you better and can’t wait to hear your fresh ideas.
You can meet your teammates at [xxx] later this week. You should already have a meeting invite in your calendar. I’ve attached some documents for you to look through before your first day.
If you have any questions, or just want a chat before you get started, don’t hesitate to reach out!
When's the best time to send a new employee welcome email?
It’s all well and good perfecting your new employee welcome email, but when is that perfect sweet spot to hit send?
At BambooHR, we send our new employees their welcome email seven days before their start date. This gives new hires time to ask and get answers to questions, gather any materials they need to send in or bring on their first day, and mentally prepare for their new role.
You don’t have to follow this exactly, but aiming for a week before is a good ballpark. You may also consider having a second welcome email waiting in your new employee’s inbox, ready for them to check when they log in on their first day. This could remind them of their onboarding schedule and how excited you are to have them officially on the team.
Beyond the new hire welcome email
A welcome email to new employees is just the start of an incredible onboarding process. For further resources on onboarding, you can download our Definitive Guide to Onboarding or our New Hire Onboarding Checklist.
And if you want to create a truly five-star onboarding experience, consider implementing BambooHR Onboarding. Our tools help your team complete paperwork quickly for more meaningful introductions, gather e-signatures with customizable preboarding packages, and set new hires up in advance with ‘getting to know you’ emails and IT checklists.