How to Write a Welcome Letter to a New Employee
It is crucial to write a welcome letter to a new employee in the onboarding process. The letter will help the new hire settle in while giving you the ideal opportunity to lay out your initial expectations.
Statistics show that approximately 39% of new employees find onboarding confusing. So, your efforts to write a welcome letter to them will make their first few days more straightforward, and a well-crafted onboarding letter will help with this.
But how should you write a welcome letter to a new employee? What details do you need to cover? And is there anything you should avoid?
Join us as we take a closer look at the structure, content, and details you should always include in a welcome letter to a new employee to help them settle into your firm.
Structuring a welcome letter to a new employee: What to include
When welcoming a new employee to your organization, positivity is key. Your aim is to make them feel welcome at their new place of work while fostering excitement and positivity.
This is even more crucial in light of the fact that only 12% of employees feel like their companies do a good job of onboarding new hires.
So, with that in mind, here are some of the topics you should include when you write a welcome letter to a new employee to get the tone right:
Express your excitement
Your letter to a new employee should indicate that you’re excited for them to join the team. After a long hiring process, you can be content that you’ve hired the right person, so express this in the letter to foster engagement and boost your new hire’s confidence.
Provide useful information
Using your welcome letter to a new employee to list helpful information is a good idea. The letter should include things they need to know to get started in their new position. For example:
- Expected working hours.
- Location of the office and helpful tips for parking and entering the business.
- Who the new employee should report to on their first day at the office.
- Dress code for the office or recommended work attire.
If you don’t want to include all of this information in the welcome letter, you can attach a PDF with these helpful details. The more information you provide to your new employee, the easier it will be for them to settle.
Outline your initial expectations
Your welcome letter can include a few of your expectations. You don’t need to be overly specific, but laying out some things you’ve agreed to during the hiring process can be helpful. For instance, you could provide an overview of the initial tasks you will have them working on. Realistic expectations might include:
- Complete a simple task during the employee’s first week.
- Attend an orientation meeting with a line manager.
- Complete a tour of the office.
- Attend a welcome meal or drinks function.
Remember, easing your new employee into life at your company will pay dividends in the long run. Don’t expect too much of them in their first week, and give them enough time to settle in.
What not to include in your welcome letter to a new employee
Okay, so you now have a good idea about what to include in the letter. But what about things that shouldn’t be in there? Here are some things you should avoid including:
❌Too much information
You don’t want to overwhelm your new employee with too much information. Keep the letter short and concise, and don’t provide too much information. They’re unlikely to retain it all, anyway, so keep the letter brief.
If your employee needs to know specific things to start working, provide a new employee welcome pack to accompany the letter. The letter itself should just be an overview, providing a warm welcome and laying out some initial expectations.
❌Details already written in the contract
There’s no need to go over the key terms of the new employee’s contract in the welcome letter. For instance, you don’t need to mention things like salary or the name of the role.
The purpose of the letter is to welcome the person to the team. It’s your chance to include details that will make it as easy as possible for them to settle in. So, spend some time thinking about what to include before sitting down to write the letter, as there’s little point in repeating the information you’ve already provided.
❌Unrealistic expectations
A crucial part of welcoming a new employee to your team is to ease some of the initial pressure. If you expect too much from them in their first few days, you will probably overwhelm them.
So, if you choose to list some expectations for their first week in the office, keep them light and easy to achieve. This will help them tick off some initial tasks as they settle into the organization without feeling under too much pressure to perform.
❌Contradictory details
It’s also crucial that the welcome letter doesn’t contradict information you’ve already given your new employee. For instance, if you’ve agreed to a hybrid working model, only for the letter to explain that the person is required in the office 9-5, Monday to Friday, this will be a problem.
Therefore, you might need to consult with HR before finalizing the letter. This will cover all bases and ensure that you don’t send out conflicting information.
General tips for writing a letter to a new employee
Before we introduce you to some real-world examples, we want to provide some handy tips that will help you write the perfect letter:
Get the tone right
The tone of your letter is crucial. It should be formal, professional, and positive. You should follow standardized grammar and punctuation to ensure it’s formal. For formality, the letter should also be on the company’s headed paper.
Check for spelling and grammar mistakes
Failing to notice typos in a letter to a new employee is highly embarrassing, so you need to ensure your Grammar and spelling are on point. You can use our AI Grammar Checker to do this work for you. It runs through the letter, cleaning up any mistakes and making recommendations for improvements.
Use AI to help you
Our Email Writer and Writing Improver Tools can help you craft the perfect letter to a new employee. Whether you need some prompts or have no idea where to begin, these tools can get you off on the right footing. You can then personalize the letter with important information. This is much quicker and often more effective than writing the letter yourself.
Consult HR before sending
We recommend consulting your company’s HR team before sending the letter out. They can offer advice on anything else that you need to include in the letter. They can also compare the letter to the contract to make sure you haven’t included anything contradictory when welcoming your new employee
Examples: Welcome letter to a new employee ideas
Now that we’ve covered the basics, here are three examples that you can use to form the basis of your welcome letter. Note that we’ve included fictitious names, roles, and companies in these letters:
Example 1: Upbeat with a focus on getting started
Dear Sandra,
On behalf of ITM Solutions, I want to welcome you to your new role. The team can’t wait to have you in the office and is looking forward to showing you the ropes.
Starting Monday, December 2nd, 2024, your first week will see you meet your new colleagues and learn about our internal systems.
I have added you to your team’s Slack channel, and you will find your initial tasks on ClickUp. These are all introductory tasks – nothing too taxing at this stage.
Chris Jackson, your line manager, will meet you at the reception at 9.00 am on Monday the 2nd to welcome you to the building and take you to your desk.
If you have any questions before your start date, please send me an email. Thanks and looking forward to welcoming you to the team.
Yours Sincerely,
[Name & Role].
Example 2: Welcoming a new employee to a hybrid role
Dear Daniel,
Welcome to your new role as marketing officer at BBM.
I’d like to confirm your start date as Monday 2nd December, 2024. As we agreed at the interview stage, this is a hybrid role, requiring your presence in the office one day each week.
As it’s your first week with us, we would love to welcome you to the office on Monday 2nd. If you can please arrive by 8.30 am, I will meet you in the lobby to take you up to your desk. You know the office’s location, as it’s where we held your interview.
As a team of creatives, we don’t have an office dress code, so please dress as you see appropriate.
On your first day, we will provide you with a company laptop and will set you up with an email account. We will also invite you to the team’s Slack channel.
We will then outline your initial tasks for your first month with us and agree to your preferred hybrid working arrangements.
Please call or email me with any questions before arriving on the 2nd.
Kind regards,
[Name & Role].
Example 3: Friendly with a focus on office expectations
Dear Rachel,
I’m delighted to welcome you to the team at BRA Solutions; it’s great to have you on board.
As agreed, you will begin your new role as Social Media Manager on Monday 2nd December, 2024. As your role is office-based, we look forward to welcoming you to our Chicago-based office (location attached) at 9.00 am on your first day.
The dress code is business casual throughout the week, with a dress-down day on Friday. I’ve attached the Dress Code Policy to this letter for more information.
Your assigned desk is directly opposite your line manager, Jane, who you met during your interview. On your first day with us, Jane will walk you through everything you need to know. She will also get you setup with a company computer, email account, and Slack to get you started.
There will also be a team lunch on your first day (with food & drinks provided) to welcome you to BRA. You will meet all your colleagues and have the opportunity to ask any questions throughout the lunch hour.
That’s all for now; I can’t wait to welcome you to the office. Please reach out via email if you have any questions for me before your start date.
Kind regards,
[Name & Role].
Recap: How to write a welcome letter to a new employee
The good news is that writing a welcome letter to a new employee doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, by following our tips above and what to avoid, you should be on track to welcome your new hire to the team without any issues.
Remember, the letter should be personable, professional, and upbeat. You want the person joining your team to be excited to start and your letter should reflect this.
Equally, keep things concise and relevant, as you don’t want to overwhelm them with information.
If you’ve followed our tips and used our examples, you can craft the perfect letter, which you can then send out via mail or email, depending on your preferences.
How to write a welcome letter to a new employee FAQ
What do you write in a welcome letter to a new employee?
When welcoming your new hire to the company, you should include helpful information and details about their role. The letter should be an ideal accompaniment to the contract they’ve just signed. But you also need to make sure the tone is light and engaging, fostering a positive tone that welcomes the person to the team.
How do you welcome a newly-joined employee?
In addition to writing a letter, you should welcome the new employee to the office by giving them enough time to settle in. Ask other team members to make them feel welcome and show them the ropes. Also, don’t put too much pressure on the new person at the start. Give them time to find their feet and encourage them to establish relationships with your other employees.
What is an example of a great welcome letter?
A great welcome letter to a new employee should be concise and engaging. It should have sufficient helpful information about the job and it should have a positive tone. You can use our tips and examples above to get started. Also, consider how Arvin AI can help you craft or polish the perfect letter for your new employee.
