Writing welcome messages to new employees isn’t just a box to check in the onboarding process. It’s an opportunity to really make that employee feel welcome and prepared for their first day. Keep reading to learn why these messages are so important to your teams and business and to get templates for welcoming any new team member.
Welcome messages are the communications you send to new employees when they join your company. The purpose of these messages is to help employees feel like they belong at the company and you’re excited that they’re there.
But these messages can also be a critical step in your onboarding process. It can be where you reiterate your values, cultural norms, and your mission. You might also use your welcome messages to new employees as a way to share important information like the handbook or their orientation schedule for their first week.
No matter what you do, these messages should be personalized for the individual. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t work off a template or checklist to get these messages right (and send them in a timely fashion). We’ll share our welcome message templates shortly, but first, let’s talk about why these messages are so important.
When we talk about improving workplace culture, often the conversation includes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). But there’s another component to creating inclusive, safe workplaces that we don’t talk about as much: workplace belonging.
If you think about DEI:
But belonging is creating spaces where those individuals also feel accepted. And that is a powerful thing.
Deloitte research has found that belonging improves job performance, lowers turnover, and even improves employee health, decreasing sick days.
So, when you send welcome messages to new employees, you’re taking an active step towards inviting new hires to your workplace and helping them feel like they belong.
To improve and validate welcome messaging, tracking performance metrics is essential. Below are current benchmarks and suggested indicators:
• Open rate / read rate: top internal comms benchmark reports show open or read rates for onboarding / welcome emails often exceed 50 %.
• Engagement / click-through: clicks on links (welcome resources, system access guides) often land between 10 % to 20 % when messages are well-targeted.
• Time to first action: measure how many new employees take key steps (e.g. logging into systems, completing profile) within first 24–48 hours.
• Completion rate: percentage of new employees who fully read / scroll through the welcome message or series.
• Feedback / satisfaction: embed a one-question poll (“How helpful was this welcome message?”) and track average rating.
• Onboarding retention: track whether new hires remain through probation period; compare cohorts with strong welcome comms vs weak ones.
• Benchmark externally: use internal comms reports (e.g. Axios, Gallup, AJG) to compare your rates against industry norms.
• Trend to monitor: in 2024, internal communications research suggests that many employees prefer short multimedia formats (videos, visuals) over long text, so messages with mixed media often see higher engagement.
Use these metrics over your first 90 days and compare across cohorts, then iterate (A/B test subject lines, media formats, length).
If we want our new hires to feel that sense of belonging and feel set up for success in their first days on the job, it’s important to include a few things in your welcome messages:
| Type of Template | Message of Template |
|---|---|
| General, HR Welcome Letter | Welcome to [Company Name], [Employee Name]!
We are so excited to have you on the team. As agreed, your start date with us will be [date]. Please show up at [time] for your orientation to meet the rest of your team and begin training. Your manager will be there to meet you when you arrive. Here are a few reminders to help you prepare for your first day:
If you have any questions, please feel free to email myself [email address] and/or your manager [email address]. We look forward to seeing you on [start date]! Sincerely, [HR Member’s Name] |
| Personalized Message from Hiring Manager | Dear [Employee Name],
Welcome to [Company Name]! I am so excited to have you joining [team/department name] on [start date]. We were so impressed by your [experience/enthusiasm], and I know that you’ll make a wonderful addition to the team. With your first day upcoming, I wanted to share my plan for your first week.
You’ll receive another email from HR before your first day with some additional reminders. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! Best, [Manager’s Name] |
Templates for Remote Employees
| Type of Template | Message Template |
|---|---|
| General, HR Welcome Letter | Welcome to [Company Name], [Employee Name]!
We are so excited to have you on the team. As agreed, your start date with us will be [date]. I will send over an invitation for a call at [time], so I can get you set up in our systems and have access to your schedule for the week. After our call in the morning, you will have time with your manager, [Name] to go through their plan for your first week and the meetings you will be attending. Here are a few reminders to help you prepare for your first day:
If you have any questions, please feel free to email myself [email address] and/or your manager [email address]. We look forward to seeing you on [start date]! Sincerely, [HR Member’s Name] |
| Personalized Message from Hiring Manager | Dear [Employee Name],
Welcome to [Company Name]! I am so excited to have you joining [team/department name] on [start date]. We were so impressed by your [experience/enthusiasm], and I know that you’ll make a wonderful addition to the team. With your first day upcoming, I wanted to share my plan for your first week.
You’ll receive another email from HR before your first day with some additional reminders. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions! Best, [Manager’s Name] |
Templates for Frontline Workers
| Type of Template | Message Template |
|---|---|
| General, HR Welcome Letter | Welcome to [Company Name], [Employee Name]!
We are so excited to have you on the team. As agreed, your start date with us will be [date]. Please show up at [time] for your first shift. On your first day, you will be primarily completing training on the back of house computer and completing your first day paperwork. Here are a few additional reminders to help you prepare for your first day:
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. We look forward to seeing you on [start date]! Sincerely, [HR Member’s Name] |
The primary way that companies send welcome letters to employees is via email (although you might also send these as physical mail). And, often, you’re sending this to the employee’s personal email address that you’ve been using to communicate with them during the hiring process.
But what about once they start work? How do you continue to welcome them over the course of their first week and even first month?
Once they work for you, it’s best to communicate with them via their business email address or company communication channels. And using those channels to create welcome campaigns—not just one welcome letter—is the best way to create a sense of belonging and genuine excitement.
We recommend the following:
Here are newer approaches and considerations that modern organizations are adopting for welcome messages to new recruits:
• Multimedia + video intros: Instead of plain text, include short welcome videos (CEO or team lead), short GIFs or micro-animations to make messages more engaging.
• Mobile-first / mobile-friendly: Many new employees will view messages on phones — ensure formatting is responsive, and consider SMS/push welcome messages as supplements.
• Personalized / segmented welcomes: Tailor welcome message content (links, team intros, resources) based on role, location, or seniority.
• Automated drip / sequence: Rather than one static welcome mail, use a short sequence (Day 0, Day 3, Day 7) with reminders, useful links, and follow-ups.
• Interactive elements: Embed one-click feedback (emojis, rating), quick polls, or “reply with your questions” prompts.
• Hybrid / remote onboarding: In distributed teams, send a mix of digital welcome + physical welcome kits (mailing, gift boxes).
• Social / peer shout-outs: Prompt teammates to send “welcome notes” via internal channels (Slack, Teams) to the newcomer, making the message more social.
• “You vs. We” framing: Use inclusive voice (“welcome to our team”) and clarify “what to expect in first week, first month” in plain, conversational style.
• Update welcome templates annually: Refresh links, contact names, resource lists, imagery to avoid outdated content.
• Measure & iterate: Always compare version A vs B (text vs video, short vs long) and drop the version with lower performance.
Adopting these trends helps keep your welcome message fresh, more engaging, and aligned with modern employee expectations.
A thoughtful and timely welcome message to new employees setshttps://theemployeeapp.com/content/what-is-a-company-intranet/ the tone for their entire journey with your company. It’s more than just a formality—it’s an opportunity to make new hires feel valued, supported, and connected from day one. Whether you’re sending a warm email, a team-wide announcement, or a short welcome video, the key is to keep it personal, clear, and aligned with your company culture.
As workplaces evolve in 2025 and beyond, organizations that communicate with authenticity and empathy during onboarding will stand out. Use the templates and best practices above to craft messages that make every new hire feel like an essential part of the team from the start.
A great welcome message doesn’t just say “we’re glad you’re here”—it shows it.
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