Onboarding a new team member is about more than informing them of the dress code or handing out a copy of the employee handbook.
It’s about setting up new team members for long-term success — and that means introducing them to coworkers, helping them settle in, and guiding them as they learn their way around your organization.
Whether your team is remote or working in the office, the welcoming process is one of the most important parts of onboarding. A proper welcome can make new team members feel comfortable and confident right from the get-go!
If you want to learn more, check out our in-depth guide to onboarding and welcoming new members to your team below.
The importance of providing a warm welcome to your new team members
Apart from it just being a nice thing to do, there are many good reasons to give new team members a warm welcome. Among the top reasons is that it shows professionalism.
Professionalism can make the difference between a new team member staying on board long term or quitting within a week. In fact, Gallup reports that only 12% of employees think their company does a good job with onboarding new team members.
Further research shows that 43% of HR professionals cite a lack of managerial involvement as the biggest challenge in the onboarding process. When you give a warm welcome, you illustrate that you have a great company culture with leadership that cares, for starters. It also speaks to good organizational skills.
First impressions count, too — and a welcome is the best way to make a great first impression on a new hire. It helps build genuine excitement at this new opportunity, setting new team members up for long-term success.
5 actionable tips for welcoming your new hire
You want new employees to get off to a great start during their first week — and so do they. If you’re unsure how to provide the best welcome possible, we’ve got a few tips to help make a great first impression and give new team members the best possible chances of success.
1. Craft welcome email and messages for the email/messaging apps your team uses
Welcome emails and messages are essential, especially for teams working asynchronously. The same way you'd greet a dinner guest to make them feel at home, you need to welcome your new team member on their first day to help them settle in.
In your welcome email or message to your new team member, make sure you include the reasons why you hired them. Let them know that you’re excited to see the skills and know-how they bring to the table. It’s a good way to make new team members feel recognized right from the start.
If you use apps like Slack or another group messaging app, include a welcome message here, too. New team members might feel a bit shy about jumping into a group chat, and welcome messages serve as an excellent icebreaker.
2. Schedule introductions and training before a team member’s first day
Have you ever started a new job where the first few days feel like a hectic orientation process as managers rush you between training, introduce you to everyone, find you a workspace, and tend to all the other necessities? It’s an intimidating experience for new hires and one that speaks of a disorganized environment.
Smooth out your new hire's first day by scheduling intros and training before they start. This gives the new team member a roadmap to follow, and it assures them that your organization is prepared to bring in new people.
3. Provide new team members with all the essential tools before they start
Much like disorganized training and intros can be intimidating, it's also intimidating for new team members to have to set up their workspaces on day one. Worse, not preparing in advance can make new hires feel unimportant. Make sure their workspace is ready to go before their first day so that they can jump in confidently.
If your team members are working remotely and need certain pieces of equipment — a PC, printer, phone, webcams to connect to meetings — have those items sent to them well in advance of their first day on the job. Offer assistance to get the new tech set up if necessary to help the first day go as smoothly (and as technical-difficulty-free) as possible.
4. Make your team available to answer questions
Think back to when you were the new hire and how difficult and stressful it was, even if you had a wonderful onboarding experience. With that in mind, make sure that you extend some empathy toward your new team member. This means being available and patient.
New team members will likely have a lot of questions. Whether their concerns are significant or fairly minor, make it easy for them to ask those questions, and make sure they know how to contact you synchronously and asynchronously to ensure that they get the assistance they need. Encourage them to come to you with anything they need, be ready with answers, and be patient as they navigate their new environment.
5. Encourage casual 1:1s with new team members and existing team members
One-on-one time with their direct manager is one of the most important parts of the onboarding process for many new hires. The reason why is simple. You’re their primary source of information for everything: how to do the job, how various processes work, what the company culture is like, and how to interact with people.
This means that it should be a top priority to carve out some one-on-one time with your new hire. It doesn’t have to be anything official. Make it casual, offer whatever assistance your new team member may need, and spend some time chatting to get a better feel for each other’s personalities.
Set up your first one-on-one meeting with your new hire in Range. Start for free.
Be sure to create opportunities for your new team members to meet one on one with existing team members, too. This is one of the best ways to get everyone acquainted and help the new person feel comfortable with their new coworkers.
For remote workers, this could mean setting up Zoom meetings for everyone to jump in and say hello to the new hire, or creating a welcome message board within your async communications platform. You can also set up some fun video call activities to help everyone get acquainted.
8 welcome new team member messages
A great welcome message is essential to kicking off that first week just right — but what's the best way to word your message? Making a new team member feel welcome doesn’t require a lengthy letter — just a quick, congratulatory note that gets their first day off to a great start.
If you need inspiration, we've compiled eight simple, personable message templates that you can customize and send easily via your team's communication platform.
[Name], welcome to our team! With your background, you’re going to be an amazing addition. Welcome aboard!
[Name], congratulations on your new role! We’re so happy to have you as part of the team, especially with the skills you bring to the table. Looking forward to working with you!
[Name], we’re excited to have you here at [Company Name]! Take some time to get to know your new colleagues, and reach out to me with any questions. Welcome aboard!
Welcome, [Name]! We’re so thrilled to have you as part of our team. We know that it takes time to settle into a new role, so please reach out with any questions you have. We hired you to help us make an impact, so don’t be shy!
Hi, [Name]! I’d like to extend my warmest regards for your first day of work here at [Company Name]. With your skills, you will be a valuable asset to our team. Best of luck in your new position!
Congratulations and welcome aboard, [Name]! We selected you because of your impressive background, and we're excited to have you help us reach new heights. Looking forward to your contributions!
Dear [Name], welcome to our team! I want to make sure you’re set up to do the best work possible, so feel free to reach out to me with questions! I’m always available to help. Congrats on the new role!
Hi, [Name]! Congratulations on taking the next step in your career journey. We hired you because we see amazing things in your background — and in your future, too. Welcome aboard! We’re looking forward to working with you in the coming years.
How to make your team members feel right at home with Range
One of the keys to helping new team members settle in is performing regular check-ins to see how they’re doing — especially during that first week.
Range can help you do just that. Our async check-ins allow your team members to communicate seamlessly, helping new hires stay in touch with you and vice versa, so nothing slips through the cracks in those critical early weeks.
With Range check-ins, you can:
- Easily share your plan and what you accomplished
- Integrate tools from across your workflow, including Asana, Github, Google Docs, Google calendar, and more
- Reduce meeting load by keeping every team member informed and connected
- Share updates via Slack or Microsoft Teams
- Start your free team check-in with a template
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