How to Welcome a New Employee: 12 Thoughtful & Fun Ideas
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Remember your first day at a new job? The butterflies and the hope of fitting in? A thoughtful welcome can turn those nervous moments into excitement and belonging. When people take time to give a proper welcome to new hires, they aren't only being kind, but also giving new employees hope and a proper work foundation.
Based on my past experience at JLL, I recognized that a warm welcome builds confidence and creates lasting relationships, which shows new employees that they matter. This helps increase their engagement level and shape their retention period.
Key Takeaways
- Explore 12 thoughtful and fun ideas to welcome a new employee.
- Learn the science behind a warm welcome, including research-backed results.
- Know what the industry experts say about first impressions.
- Avoid the onboarding mistakes that cause new hires to disengage in the first few weeks.
Personalized Welcome Kit
A welcome kit filled with a thoughtful selection is among the best ways to say, "We're nice to have you here." Skip generic company swag and opt for a personal touch with stuff that proves you listened during the interview. Maybe local coffee if they mentioned being a caffeine lover, or a plant if they talked about their green thumb.
Things you may want to consider:
- Notebook and pen with company logo.
- Local snacks or treats from nearby favorite places.
- A personal welcome letter written by the manager.
- An accessory for the desk that captures the recipient's personality.
- A voucher for a restaurant near the office.
Friendly Team Introduction (with a Twist)
Those awkward "tell us about yourself" moments? Let's turn that around. Instead of using the standard round-table intros, you can try something fun that actually gets everyone chatting and laughing. A Two Truths and a Lie game can really help break the ice and make real connections happen.
Here's how to make introductions memorable:
- Have each team member prepare three statements about themselves.
- Mix in surprising hobbies, travel stories, or unique talents.
- Let the new hire guess which statement is false.
- Share funny stories behind the truths.
- Keep it light and voluntary, no pressure to overshare.
You'll be amazed how quickly someone goes from new person to part of the team.
Decorated Desk or Workspace
Imagine your new hire arriving on their first day to find their workspace turned into a little celebration. It's like a party for that key career milestone. Simple desk decoration will lift away what's normally an ordinary Monday and make it a day to remember forever.
Some easy options to dress up their spaces:
- Colorful balloons tied to the chair.
- A hand-drawn poster from the team welcoming the new hire.
- Fresh flowers or a little potted plant.
- Streamers in the company colors.
- A collage of photos of team moments that they will soon be part of.
Don't go overboard in the very place meant for welcoming. The message is straightforward, which could be "Today matters, and so do you."
First Day Buddy or Mentor
The first day of a job is like a new kid in school. You may ask Where is the bathroom? Do we sit together for lunch? Is it weird to ask again about the coffee machine? and so many other questions. The new hire starts feeling misplaced until an assigned buddy helps explain important things.
What makes a fine first-day buddy?
- Someone friendly who remembers what it feels like to be fresh.
- Doesn't restrain someone from asking questions, but also doesn't treat it like babysitting.
- Knows the unwritten rules and culture.
- Can answer work questions, and also answer Where does one get the best pizza around here?
- One who really enjoys having the opportunity to help someone settle in.
Welcome Lunch or Coffee Meetup
This would be something sweet for new employees joining. It breaks down barriers faster than any team-building event. A casual lunch or coffee meetup provides everyone time to relax and step away from work talk. This helps us know each other on a human level. Just good conversation and good food without any agendas or presentations.
Some tips to make the welcome gathering successful:
- Keep it small and intimate. Something like 4-6 people is good.
- Pick a place that encourages talking.
- Let the new hire pick the restaurant if they're local.
- Mix work chat with personal stories and shared laughs.
- Make it way too tempting to skip, so no pressure will be placed on anyone to attend.
Company-Wide Introduction Email or Slack Post
Walking into a building where nobody knows your name feels isolating. A well-crafted introduction email changes that instantly. It makes a stranger into someone with a story worth knowing.
Elements of a great introduction post:
- Professional but friendly headshot.
- Brief background and role overview.
- One interesting personal detail that sparks conversation.
- Something they're excited to work on or learn.
- Their work skills and enthusiasm in joining the new team.
Keep the intro short and genuine. The goal isn't a full biography. It's giving people a reason to smile and wave when they see the new face around the office.
“Get to Know You” Icebreaker Games
Sometimes the best way to learn about people is through a little friendly competition. Icebreaker games give your new hire a natural reason to chat with colleagues they might not otherwise meet, from the quiet designer in the corner to the sales rep who's always on calls.
Fun game ideas that actually work:
- Office bingo with squares like Find a person who speaks 3 languages.
- Team trivia mixing work history with silly personal questions.
- Scavenger hunt to discover company traditions and inside jokes.
- Find your match cards pairing people with shared interests.
- Virtual coffee chat roulette for remote teams.
The bond gets stronger when someone discovers their new teammate also loves hiking or has the same favorite TV show. Suddenly, work conversations become so much easier.
New Hire Wall of Fame (Digital or Physical)
There is something really cool about having your name on a wall. It's proof you've arrived. And an office wall that specifically recognizes new hires sends a powerful message, like "We don't just hire new employees, we are welcoming them into our story."
Some creative ideas for recognizing new team members:
- Lobby display with Polaroid photos and handwritten welcomes.
- Digital slideshow rotating on office TVs or monitors.
- Dedicated Slack channel where new hires get their moment to shine.
- The company newsletter features their photo and favorite coffee order.
- An interactive wall that colleagues can access to add welcome messages.
Whether it is a physical board or digital wall, there is instant community when you see yourself recognized among other new faces. You're not just an employee, you're a piece of something bigger.
First Week Learning Plan
Nothing can damage enthusiasm faster than information overload on day one. A properly paced learning plan signals to your new hire that you respect their time to absorb and actually retain what they're learning.
What makes a great first week plan?
- Clear daily goals that build on each other.
- A mix of learning, meeting people, and hands-on tasks.
- Built-in breaks to process new information.
- Realistic expectations that don't assume superhuman focus.
- Flexibility to adjust based on their learning style.
The best onboarding feels like a guided tour. It shows them around at a pace that lets them actually enjoy the journey.
Welcome Memes or GIFs in Chat
A welcome meme or GIF is far from formal, but when you share them in the team chat, they can do wonders for new hire engagement. It shows the new employee that you are professionals, and at the same time, like to have fun and laugh together as other humans do.
Ideas for meme-worthy welcomes:
- A Welcome to the team meme or GIF.
- Custom meme featuring their interests from the interview.
- Classic memes with a twist that matches your culture.
- Reaction GIFs that capture the team's excitement.
- Inside joke memes, the new hires will understand once they're settled in.
It's all about reading the person. Some people crack up at workplace humor, while some prefer softer tones. When it's on point, a good meme does what all art does and says, We're glad you're here in the warmest way possible.
Surprise Swag Delivery (For Remote Employees)
Remote employees miss many office events like a freshly decorated desk, team lunch, work anniversary celebrations, and many more. Here's where the team manager's surprise package is delivered to remote staff, which restores some of that excitement from their first day directly to their home office.
What makes a great remote welcome box?
- High-quality items they'll actually use daily.
- Company swag that doesn't scream cheap promotional stuff.
- Local treats or snacks from your company's hometown.
- Handwritten notes from team members they haven't met yet.
- Something practical for their home workspace setup.
Opening that box should feel like Christmas morning. It's proof that distance doesn't mean they're any less part of the team. The surprise package has to get a little more creative to show it.
A Thoughtful Check-In After the First Week
This check-in is important when the newness has worn off and reality sets in. Checking in a week after the new employee starts is an effective way of showing them that you care about their success than just the first few days of their new job.
How to make a check-in meaningful:
- Ask open-ended questions that will lead to honest feedback.
- Consider the parts of the conversation they're not saying.
- Address concerns before they become bigger problems.
- Acknowledge smaller wins, and ask about these wins that they may not have recognized.
- Modify their experience based on what you've heard.
This type of conversation will hopefully also inform whether your welcome efforts truly worked or not. Are they wanting to connect? Did they feel overwhelmed? Are they excited? Are they ready for more? The answers to these questions will allow you to course-correct and help illustrate that their experience matters to you.
The Science Behind a Warm Welcome: Why It Actually Works
Great onboarding is a business necessity backed by solid research. According to Glassdoor research, companies with strong onboarding programs retain 82% of new hires and boost productivity by 70%. The Aberdeen Group found that organizations with structured welcome processes see 54% greater new hire productivity and 50% higher retention rates.
Gallup's extensive workplace studies reveal that employees who feel welcomed and engaged from day one are 2.3 times more likely to be fully engaged at work. Harvard Business Review research shows that effective onboarding can improve performance by up to 11% and reduce the time to full productivity by more than two months.
What the Experts Say About First Impressions
According to Sarah Chen, VP of People Operations at TechFlow Solutions, the first 90 days represent a critical time for new employees. Having a thoughtful welcome provides an emotional context from which everything else will follow. When everyone feels valued from day one, they are already on their way to caring about their organization.
According to Dr. Michael Rodriguez, organizational psychologist and author of The Engagement Factor, "Welcome rituals trigger a sense of belonging that has a psychological grip on performance that can better convert to success or higher engagement for their productivity. It's not, perhaps, how much is spent, but more about how deliberate it is."
Jennifer Walsh, HR Director at Global Dynamics, says simply, "The numbers continued to climb until we started treating onboarding as a celebration, not a paperwork exercise. The retention rate increased by 40%. Typically, people forget what was done, but they will remember the positive start."
Onboarding Mistakes I've Seen (And Made) Too Many Times
After years of refining welcome processes at JLL and at other reputed firms, I've learned that good intentions don't always translate to good experiences. Here are the biggest pitfalls I've witnessed and fallen into myself.
- The Information Avalanche: Cramming everything into day one because you're excited to share. New hires shut down when overwhelmed. I learned this the hard way when a promising candidate looked glazed over by lunch on their first day.
- One-Size-Fits-All Approach: Assuming all personalities want the same welcome style. This isn't true where introverts might cringe at surprise parties, while extroverts feel ignored by quiet desk setups. It's better to ask about preferences during the hiring process.
- Forgetting the Follow-Through: Creating a spectacular first day, then disappearing. It's vital to follow up after weeks two and three when reality sets in and they need continued support.
- Manager MIA Syndrome: Leaving new hires with HR while their actual boss stays buried in meetings. Nothing signals you're not a priority faster than an absent manager on day one.
Wrapping Up
Welcoming new employees is all about creating a better first impression and comfort. These 12 ideas help create big impacts when implemented correctly. You don't need to implement everything, but choose one or two good ideas to welcome your new employee in a better way. Your next hire is walking in nervous but hopeful. Make their first impression, which they'll thank you for years later.
FAQs
Q1: How much should I spend on welcome activities for new hires?
Focus on thoughtfulness rather than cost. A handwritten note, desk decorations, or assigning a mentor cost you little but have a lasting impact on your new hire. Choose to start with being thoughtful in what you can do for every new hire, regardless of what you can spend.
Q2: What if my new hire doesn’t seem comfortable with attention or celebrations?
Ask your new hire how they prefer to be celebrated during the interview. A lot of people don't want big welcome celebrations, instead preferring to be welcomed quietly. This means you have to set up their work station simply with some things and a few introductions.