20 New Employees Welcome Letters (With Templates)

A welcome letter is written to help new employees feel comfortable in their new role in a company.

This document is meant to welcome the employee as a new member of the team and will give them relevant information about their role. The letter can be given in hard copy or emailed and may be several pages long, depending on the new employee’s job description and how much information they need to know to do their job well. 

Many new employees are excited to start a new job. Even if they have experience with this type of work in the past, they may not know exactly what to expect when they join your organization. Writing a welcome letter can help prepare them for their role, answer their questions, and ease the transition on their first day. 

Some of the items that you can include in this letter are:

• A welcome statement
• The start date and time for the new employee
• All of the need-to-know information before they begin working
• Any onboarding schedule and orientation
•  Names of colleagues the employee will need to know 
• A sample of their schedule each day
• Links to all of the tools the employee will need  

Providing this information will help the employee feel prepared for the first day on the job, giving them a chance to ask questions and learn more about the position ahead of time. 

Why Is a Welcome Letter Necessary?

A well-written welcome letter will ease the anxieties of a new employee on their first day of work. It could include information about the orientation and onboarding procedures, as well as any other pertinent information that a new employee may require. When possible, the HR team should personalize the letter, including the actual name of the new hire and the specific reasons they were chosen for the position. 

Such a letter can benefit both you and the new employee. It helps the new employee feel that you care about their well-being at the office and want to be there to provide them assistance and help in their new role. It also conveys important information to help the employee on their first day at work. New employees will have many questions about when they should start the work day, who they will report to, and other information that they will need to have a successful first day.

These welcome letters are more personal and warm because they will be less formal than contracts or appointment letters while still providing the employee with the important information they need. These letters are not only informative but also a nice gesture to help the new employee feel like a part of the organization.

Before you begin writing a welcome letter, you should know that it can either be very simple or very complex. Some companies choose to send a basic letter that welcomes the employee and informs them of the date and time when they should report for work. Complex letters are more detailed and include orientation schedules, login credentials, information on colleagues, and the employee handbook. With the right tools at your disposal, writing the perfect welcome letter for your new employees is easier.

Some of the steps to consider when writing this letter include the following: 

Step 1: Determine your goals and create an outline

The first step is to consider what you would like to say in the letter. Some of these letters will be really simple, maybe a page long, welcoming the new employee to your business and letting them know you are excited to see them. Other letters will be more in-depth, giving the employees information they need to know to start their job. 

Before writing the letter, think about its contents. Creating an outline can be a good idea if you need to convey a lot of information and want to ensure that you do not miss anything.  

For example, think about what your new hire would need to do on their first day at work. Your outline could include orientation information, supervisors’ names, the time and date to report for work, and any other information that will help the new employee on their first day.  

Step 2: Write a welcome statement

With the outline ready, it is time to write the welcome letter for your new employee. A simple “Congratulations and welcome to the team” can be a good opening line; it doesn’t have to be complicated. As opposed to merely writing a standard letter devoid of emotion, doing this helps to convey your excitement and can give the employee the impression that you value their inclusion in the organization.

Example:

“Congratulations on getting the job as Director of Information Technology at Brookings Hospital. We are excited to welcome you to the team!

Step 3: Introduce yourself

Tell the new employee who you are and why you are contacting them at this time. Often, the head of the HR department or someone in a similar position will write this. Mentioning your name and title can help dispel any confusion. You can include other information, such as whether the new employee should contact you or someone else when they have any questions.

Example:

My name is Margaret Thames, director of HR. While you will meet your supervisor, Jordan Spies, on your first day, I am always happy to help answer any of your questions, and I hope you will not hesitate to contact me at any time. 

Step 4: Provide basic need-to-know information

This section of the letter can be detailed or brief, depending on the job description of the new employee. Sometimes you will just need to welcome the employee and tell them where to report on the first day. Other times, you may need to provide details about orientation, where to meet, login credentials, finding the building where they will work, employee expectations, the dress code, etc. Consult the outline prepared earlier to determine what information to include in this section of the letter.

Example:

For your first day of work, report to Room 203 at our main offices, located at 987 N 8^th St., Brookings, SD 57006. Mr. Spies will be there to meet you, work with you through orientation, and answer any of your questions. We request that you bring your driver’s license and another form of ID so we can complete the necessary tax documents and get your paycheck information ready from the start. You will then have a chance to meet other members of the team and learn more about your daily schedule. 

Step 5: Include a reminder of the employee’s start date and time

At some point in the letter, take the time to remind the employee about the start date and time. This is something that should have been discussed with the employee during the hiring process, but it is nice to mention it again to make things more convenient for the employee. 

Example:

As a reminder, your joining date is July 15, 2022. We request that you arrive by 8 a.m. to begin the orientation session. 

Step 6: Add other information 

This is the place to include any additional information that the employee needs to know in order to begin working in the position. Again, explain all details as accurately as possible to ensure the employee is well prepared and excited about their first day of work. 

There is a lot of information you can include in this part of welcome letter. Let the new hire know about their orientation schedule, the names and positions of any immediate colleagues they will need to work with right away, and a sample of their daily schedule, so they know more about what to expect when they come to work the first day. In addition, consider giving them links to other information that could help them answer their questions, such as links to any employee resources you have, such as the employee handbook, and all onboarding forms so the employee can complete them before starting work. 

Example:

While I am always available to answer any questions, I am happy to provide links to our employee handbook and benefits package. I hope you will have the time to look through it all and ask any questions if you have any concerns.  

Step 7: Conclude the letter

You can wrap up the letter when all of the necessary details are provided. A welcome letter can be effectively concluded with a simple “sign-off” that includes your name and position once more. Follow the industry standards and end on a professional note. 

Example:

We are excited to have you as part of our team. Welcome again, and see you on 15 July! 

Writing a welcome letter is often the most difficult part of the process. When unsure how to begin or what information to include in the welcome letter, use one of our free downloadable templates. These can save you the time you would spend preparing a welcome letter by yourself, and you can easily customize the template to suit your needs. 

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