Between all of the paperwork and logistics, the onboarding process can feel cold and impersonal to new hires and is frequently a missed opportunity to demonstrate the welcoming nature of your company’s culture. Onboarding shouldn’t be limited to sorting out paperwork and conducting training sessions. Instead, it should include setting new hires up for long term success by making them feel comfortable and confident in their new team atmosphere.

A study conducted by BambooHR found that approximately one-third of new employees quit within six months of their start date, and 17 percent of those who quit within that time frame reported that “a friendly smile or a helpful coworker would have made all the difference”. One way that you can improve new employee satisfaction and retention is to make them feel welcome by simply sending out a couple of short emails (similar to the examples below) prior to their first day.

Take a look at the sample emails below, and consider how they could be customized to make your company’s onboarding process more welcoming for new hires.

 

Sample email to new hire:

Email subject line: Welcome to (company name)!

Good afternoon (name),

I wanted to reach out and officially welcome you to the (department) team at (company name)! I look forward to seeing you on (start date) and having you work for us. Our receptionist, (receptionist’s name), is expecting you on (start date and time) and will be giving you a tour, introducing you to the rest of the team, and setting you up with your new work area. We will go through some training and paperwork later on that day, but please take the morning to get acclimated and settle in.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions, I look forward to working with you.

Best,

(your name)

 

Sample letter to current employees:

Email subject line: Welcome (new hire’s name) to the team!

Hello (department) team,

I am excited to announce that (new hire’s name) will be joining our team on (start date) as our new (position title). Their primary functions as a member of the team will be (job responsibilities and expectations of new hire). (New hire’s name) has previous experience in (applicable work experience), and I am confident that (he/she) will be a valuable asset to our team.

On (start date), please keep an eye out for (new hire’s name) so that you can introduce yourself, tell (him/her) about your role in the team, and offer assistance as needed.

Let’s get to know (new hire’s name) by having a different team member take (him/her) to lunch each day during (his/her) first week. Please let me know if you are interested in scheduling a welcome lunch with (him/her) during the week of (dates of new hire’s first week).

Thank you for your help in making (new hire’s name) feel welcome.

Best,

(your name)           

 

While short and simple, these emails can be significant in establishing a positive company culture and encouraging current employees to extend a warm welcome to new faces around the office. In addition to sending welcome emails, you may want to brainstorm other ways that you can potentially improve your company’s new hire retention rate. Keep in mind that small, inclusive gestures can make all the difference in a new hire’s onboarding experience.