Gifts for Onboarding New Staff

Posted on July 31st, 2023 by Todd Brage

Welcome aboard!

Giving small, thoughtful gifts to a new employee is a great way to show them that you’re excited to have them on board. It can also help them feel more welcome and connected to the company culture. Onboarding gifts for new hires are always a friendly way to extend your kindness to someone who is entering into unfamiliar territory.

When choosing a gift for a new employee, it’s important to consider what you know about their interests and personality. You also want to make sure that the gift is something that they will actually use.

Onboard with Retention in Mind

In TalentCulture’s article, “Onboarding New Hires? Try These Tips to Boost Retention,” author Brett Farmiloe states,
“In today’s challenging talent environment, retaining employees is a must. That’s why so many organizations consider onboarding new hires a top priority. When people feel genuinely welcomed at work from day one, retention increases dramatically.

“If you could suggest one way to achieve better long-term results when onboarding new hires, what would you recommend? Recently, we asked business leaders to share their answers to this question. Their collective tips read like a playbook of best practices:

Assign an Onboarding Buddy
Challenge New Team Members to Take Initiative
Make Newcomers Feel at Home
Assess Each New Hire’s Personality and Work Style
Help New Employees Feel Connected With Others
Provide Extensive Product Training
Emphasize Company Mission and Values.”

Gifts for New Workers

Whether your team is rapidly growing, or you’ve withstood a painstakingly rigorous hiring process and found someone fantastic, you now have at least one new face on the team. What better way to welcome them than with a small gift that shows your gratitude that they have also selected YOU?

A few easy things to pull together:

A handwritten welcome note from a leader at the company and a direct supervisor
An invitation to a lunch with some key stakeholders
A succulent or low-maintenance plant
A gift certificate for pie (to celebrate at home), groceries (well-received by anyone), or pizza (in case their onboarding is exhausting, and they don’t want to cook!)
An organized array of office products (colorful and inviting and tailored to their work needs)
Valuable company swag (no cheap giveaway items!) like a jacket, hat or laptop bag