By
Sarah Harris
Hiring and retaining employees is one of the most important initiatives any business owner or manager can do. But in today’s competitive environment, that task is becoming increasingly more challenging.
As cliche as it may sound, first impressions make a huge difference! A great way to give all new employees a great first impression is to provide them with a welcome kit on their first day of employment.
But what are welcome kits? And how can you assemble one? Keep reading! We’ll go over everything you need to know.
What Is a Welcome Kit?
A welcome kit, also known as new hire boxes or an employee welcome box, is simply a gift set you provide all new hires during their onboarding experience. This new hire kit can contain various gifts and information.
Common ideas include a Yeti bottle with your company logo on it, hats, T-shirts, company jackets, a brand book, a personalized letter from the CEO or the employees’ direct manager, a staff directory, an employee handbook, and information about the company as well as company events.
Can Welcome Kits Help Boost New Hire Morale?
You may be someone’s first job out of college, or you may be hiring someone with decades of experience. Nonetheless, the employee is putting their trust in you and your company, and wants to be part of your team.
Regardless of who you are hiring, an employee can often feel intimidated joining a company. A welcome kit is a great way to make the new hire feel at home, and help boost the overall morale.
This welcome kit shows the employee that your company isn’t afraid to make investments, will go out of their way to make their staff feel welcomed, and that your company puts a strong emphasis on a healthy workplace culture.
Benefits of New Hire Welcome Kits
New hire welcome kits have a variety of benefits! Common benefits include the following:
- A welcome kit is a great ice breaker, and it will make your employee feel welcome on their first day of employment.
- The welcome kit is a great opportunity to reiterate the mission and vision of your business. The sooner you can get employees bought into the mission and vision, the better it is for your business!
- Employees can grow attracted to the personal touch your company provides, and will keep that in consideration if another employment opportunity presents itself from a different employer.
- The welcome kit can also serve as an educational kit. A staff directory, a calendar of upcoming events, and a pamphlet explaining everything a new employee needs to know will certainly come in handy!
What’s Inside of a Welcome Kit?
What do employees put inside of a welcome kit? There’s no precise science or exact formula when it comes to welcome kits, but these are some ideas for your welcome kit:
- A coffee mug or Yeti container
- A mousepad with your company logo
- Keurig coffee cups
- A giftcard to a great lunch spot near the office
- A calendar with upcoming cultural events already added to it
- A personalized letter from the CEO or hiring manager, welcoming the new hire to the team and congratulating them on their position with the company
- Apparel with the company logo:
- T-shirts
- Jackets
- Hoodies
- Hats
Deciding On Your Welcome Kit Goodies
If you are unsure what you should include in your employee welcome box, think back to when you first started in the company. What do you wish you knew? What made you feel like an outsider, and what would have made you feel like an insider?
As much as the welcome kit is used to make the new hire feel welcomed and comfortable with your company, the gifts inside the box can also serve as a great marketing and advertising tool. Employees talk to their friends, and will certainly share this welcoming experience. That may help you attract talent in the future.
Make Your Welcome Kit Feel Special
A welcome kit is more than just dumping nice gifts into a box and handing the box to the employee. The welcome kit should feel special. Everything should be neatly organized, and the box should even be designed to reflect your company. The employee should immediately be able to see the thought and care that went into assembling such a beautiful welcome kit.
How Do Welcome Kits Reflect Your Company?
In today’s competitive employment environment, you need to take every opportunity you have to properly reflect your company. Here is how a new hire kit helps to do just that.
Introducing Your Brand
First and foremost, a welcome kit is a great way to introduce the new hire to your brand. If your brand uses a specific color code, use those colors in the welcome kit. If your brand stands for quality, thought, and care, give the welcome kit those qualities.
Keep New Hires Informed
New hires need to be informed of what’s going on in the company, and how they can get involved. Imagine if a new hire started on April 1st and he or she didn’t realize there was a company BBQ on April 7th. You can easily communicate important dates like this as part of your welcome kit.
Motivate New Employees
A welcome kit can also serve as a great way to motivate employees. Going the extra mile for employees often pays a healthy dividend.
Promote Brand Awareness
Your brand is an important ingredient to the overall success of your business. Getting your staff bought into your brand early on within their employment is a great way to create brand ambassadors. A welcome kit is a great way to do so.
Commitment to New Hires
Last but not least, a welcome kit shows the employees how committed your business is to them. As mentioned above, going the extra mile often pays for itself, and then some. In today’s world, the competitive nature of business means it’s more important than ever for you to take the opportunity to show an employee how much they mean to the company.
Make a First Impression
You don’t get a second chance at making a first impression. Hiring the right candidate for your company or team is certainly no easy feat, but when the right candidate is identified, you should always go the extra mile for them.
A new employee welcome kit is a great way to show new hires how much they mean to your organization. Not only does a welcome kit make for an inviting experience for the new employees, but a welcome kit also serves as a great opportunity to promote your brand, educate the new hires on upcoming events, and reduce the length of time new employees spend in the learning curve phase of employment.
FAQ
Welcome kits play an important role in creating a positive first impression for any new hire joining your company or team.
Boosting team morale virtually is certainly possible! Setting up a remote meeting where you provide praise and encouragement to all team members, and engage in a fun activity or game is a great way to do so.
Employees want to hear that their work is noticed and appreciated. Finding a genuine way to provide consistent positive feedback is a great way to boost employee morale.