How to Write a Welcome Letter (With Free Template Downloads)

After hiring a new employee, it’s important to welcome them to the team and provide the necessary onboarding information and documents. A welcome letter or welcome email for new employees is a great, simple way to achieve this goal. Use our template welcome letter and welcome letter examples to structure your own personal welcome letter for new employees. 

This Post: How to Write a Welcome Letter (With Free Template Downloads)

What is a new hire welcome letter?

A new hire welcome letter is a document provided by you to new employees. Welcome letters or welcome emails for new employees introduce key team members and provide basic information to the new employee to prepare them for their first day on the job. Often, companies use a template for all new employees that can be quickly edited to meet the needs of the new employee’s position and department rather than creating a brand new letter each time there’s a new hire. 

 

Read more: How to Hire Your First Employee

 

What to include in a welcome letter to new employees

Welcome letters can be short and simple or long and complex. The length and information included will depend on the goals of the letter. Some companies choose to use the welcome letter as a way to greet the new employee and provide the date and time of onboarding, while others use the welcome letter to provide links to important company documents, onboarding forms and more. 

 

This is the information you should include in your welcome letter:

• A welcome statement
• Your name and position
• Basic need-to-know information
• A reminder of the employee’s start date and time

These are some of the components you might include, but are not necessary:

• Orientation or onboarding schedule
• Immediate colleagues’ names and positions
• A sample daily schedule
• Links to onboarding forms
• Links to the employee handbook
• Links to employee tools and resources

Read more: New Employee Announcement 

 

The benefits of sending employee welcome letters

A welcome letter for new employees is both a courteous and practical form of communication. By welcoming your new hire to the company, they will feel more secure about their decision to join your company. New hires will generally feel better prepared and more excited for their first day if they’ve received a welcome letter from a new employer.

 

Additionally, a welcome letter gives you the opportunity to convey important information about onboarding, company policies, the names of colleagues and other pertinent information to help make the onboarding process as smooth as possible.

 

How to create a welcome letter or welcome email for new employees

Follow these steps to write your first welcome letter:

 

1. Determine your goals

Begin by establishing the goal of the welcome letter. Beyond congratulating the employee on their new position, what other information do you hope to impart? Know this before you begin writing. Confer with colleagues to help you determine what other information may be helpful.

 

2. Outline the letter

Create an outline for your letter so that you include all the necessary information for the new employee. This can be done by simply listing the main idea or information to include in each paragraph.

 

3. Welcome the employee

Start your letter by welcoming the employee to the company and team. Express your congratulations to them for receiving the job and your excitement for them to be joining the company.

 

 4. Introduce yourself

Introduce yourself to the new employee and describe your role within the company. Provide contact information either in this paragraph or with your signature at the end of the letter so that the new employee can follow up with questions if needed. 

 

5. Provide need-to-know information

Give the employee the necessary information regarding their first day on the job and any documents or other items they may need for onboarding. Be sure to include start time, first day expectations, dress code and any other necessary information. 

 

6. Expand as needed

Include any other information you might want to include in your new hire packet that would help the employee before their first day. Such information could include a link to the employee handbook or a list of colleagues with whom the employee will be closely working.  

 

7. Close the letter

End the letter with your signature and any last tips or information the employee may need to prepare for their first day on the job. 

 

Welcome letter template

Templates can make the employee welcome letter writing process simple and painless. Here’s a template welcome letter you can easily customize:

 

[Date]

 

Dear [new employee name],

 

Welcome to [company name]! We are so excited for you to join us. Your [short list of skills and accomplishments] make you the perfect fit for [name of position]. 

 

We met during your interview, but let me introduce myself again. I am [your name], and I will be your [relationship to new employee]. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions during the onboarding process. 

 

As discussed, your first day of work will be [start date] at [start time]. Please bring two copies of identification and be prepared to complete onboarding paperwork. You will also sit down with your direct manager, [direct manager name], and go over your daily responsibilities. If there’s time, we hope to have you meet with [related departments]. As you might have noticed during your interview, our office dress code is [dress code]. 

 

Your new colleagues are excited to welcome you to the team in person. [Colleague name] and [colleague name] will be great resources for you during your first few weeks on the job. You’ll meet them during onboarding and can ask any specific questions you have during that time and in the coming weeks. 

 

Don’t hesitate to reach out at [your preferred method of contact] with any questions about your first day. We look forward to seeing you on [start date]! 

 

Sincerely,

[Your name]

[Your position]

 

Employee welcome letter template for PDF & Word

Check out our employee welcome letter template to prepare new hires for their first day at work.

 

 

 

*Indeed provides these examples as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your HR or legal adviser, and none of these documents reflect current labor or employment regulations.

 

Welcome letters examples

Here is a welcome letter sample using the provided template:

 

March 7, 2021

 

Dear Daniel, 

 

Welcome to Atlas Publishing! We are so excited for you to join us. Your attention to detail, impressive focus and previous experience with Hollinger & Michaelson make you the perfect fit for our junior editor position. We look forward to seeing how your skills impact our editing team. 

 

We met during your interview, but let me introduce myself again. I am Deb Elliot, and I’ll be your go-to HR representative. Feel free to reach out to me with any HR-related questions during the onboarding process. I can also help direct you to other folks in the office who can help answer job-related questions if needed. 

 

As discussed, your first day of work will be March 28th at 8:30am. Please bring two copies of identification and be prepared to complete onboarding paperwork. You will also sit down with your direct manager, Harry Arnold, and go over your daily responsibilities. If there’s time, we hope to have you meet with the senior editing team. As you might have noticed during your interview, our office dress code is casual but professional. 

 

Your new colleagues are excited to welcome you to the team in person. Alex Anderson and Pat Bawany will be great resources for you during your first few weeks on the job. You’ll meet them during onboarding and can ask any specific questions you have during that time and in the coming weeks. 

 

Don’t hesitate to reach out at deb.ell@atlaspub.biz with any questions about your first day. We look forward to seeing you on March 28th! 

 

Sincerely,

Deb Elliot

Head of Human Resources

 

Example of welcome email for new employee 

Subject: Welcome to the Atlas Publishing team!

 

Dear Daniel, 

 

We met during your interview, but I’d like to introduce myself again. My name is Deb Elliot, and I am the head of human resources at Atlas Publishing. I wanted to reach out and congratulate you personally on your new position as a junior editor!

 

Your previous work experience as a copy editor at Hollinger & Michaelson, plus your extensive knowledge of the AP Stylebook, make you a crucial asset to our company. We are thrilled to have you join the team! 

 

I’m happy to confirm that your first day of work will be March 28th at 8:30am. Please bring two copies of identification and be prepared to complete onboarding paperwork. You’ll also sit down with your direct manager, Harry Arnold, and go over your daily responsibilities. If there’s time, we hope to have you meet with the senior editing team. As you might have noticed during your interview, our office dress code is casual but professional. 

 

Please see the attached employee handbook and style guide. Occasionally new hires appreciate reviewing these documents beforehand, but it’s not a requirement. Don’t hesitate to reach out at deb.ell@atlaspub.biz with any questions about your first day. We look forward to seeing you on March 28th!

 

All the best,

Deb Elliot

Head of Human Resources

 

Welcome letter FAQs

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about welcome letters: 

 

When should I send the welcome letter?

Welcome letters should ideally be sent immediately after the new employee has signed their offer letter or contract. This way, the new employee has contact with your company between officially accepting the position and onboarding. It also provides them with resources and company contact information if they have questions.

 

Who should the welcome letter be from? 

The welcome letter can be from any top-level member of the company and may depend on the position the new employee will be taking. Often, welcome letters are from a member of the human resources team, but they can also be from department heads or even the company’s CEO. 

 

Why is a welcome letter important?

Welcome letters are less formal than offer letters or contracts, and they provide new employees with important information leading up to their first day of work. Think of a welcome letter as the first step in establishing a positive rapport with the new employee. 

 

How should I send the welcome letter to new employees? 

How the letter is sent can depend on what information is included and how quickly you want the employee to receive it. Welcome letters are often sent through email so that links to online resources, such as the employee handbook or a company-wide messaging app, are easily accessible. Some companies prefer to send the welcome letter through the mail for a more personal touch.