What is a welcome letter?

A welcome letter is a document that employers can use to introduce newly recruited employees to their place of work. These letters also aim to make newly recruited employees feel welcome. They do this by making a positive impression on a new employee and helping them prepare to join your place of employment.

What to include in a welcome letter

The content of one of these letters depends on the organization. Here are a few points that you can include in a welcome letter:

• Welcome statement
• Necessary information about yourself
• Employee’s start date and time
• What the employee will do on their first few days
• Workplace dress code
• Required documents to bring on their first day
• Name of person(s) who they may meet or work with
• Work schedule
• General information about their department
• Contact information for their manager

How to write a welcome letter

Here are some steps you can use to write your own letter:

1. Create an outline

Before you begin writing your letter, you can create an outline. In the outline, you can indicate what you want to achieve through your welcome letter and consider what information you want to share with the new employee. This can help you organize your thoughts before writing them as full sentences.

2. Write a welcome statement

Starting your letter with a welcome statement can set a positive tone for the letter and make a positive impression on the reader. In the welcome statement, you can greet the new employees on behalf of the organization. For example, you might begin by saying that you and your co-workers are excited to begin working with the new hire and look forward to meeting them.

3. Introduce yourself

In the second paragraph of your letter, you can introduce yourself. You can do this by including your name, your position, and your department in the company. It can also be helpful to explain your working relationship with the new hire. For example, you might discuss how you plan to assist them during onboarding or what your role is. This can provide some context to the new employee and provide them with a point of contact they can confidently reach out to.

4. Include necessary information

Include all the information pertinent to the employee’s start with the organization, such as their start date. You can also use this opportunity to inform them about important details regarding the workplace, like dress code, designated parking spaces, and the office’s work hours. This can make new employees feel comfortable and familiarize them with the company before they start.

5. Introduce the rest of the team

By briefly introducing a new hire to their coworkers in the letter, you can prepare them for who they might meet when they arrive at the office. You can also use this opportunity to identify specific people they might work with and who their supervisor is. When writing this section, you can include names and job titles.

6. Close with kind remarks

Conclude the letter by thanking the new employee for choosing your organization. If you have other tips or information that may help new employees, you can mention them here. Reiterate that you are looking forward to meeting them and include your signature and contact information.

Welcome letter template

Here’s a template you can use to welcome your new employees with a letter:

[Date]
[Employee name]
[Employee job title]

Dear [employee name],

I want to welcome you on behalf of [name of your company]. We are very excited that you have accepted our job offer. I hope you are as excited as we are to join our team in the position of [new employee’s job title].

I am [your name], and I work as [your job title] in [name of your department]. We met during your interview, and your responses impressed me. Once you start work, you can contact me if you have any questions about your position.

I look forward to you joining us on [new employee start date and time]. When you arrive, [instructions for the first day]. Please bring [necessary materials or documents the new employee should bring].

Your co-workers are also eager to meet you. In your position, you’ll work most closely with [current employee name or names], who are from [their department or departments]. In terms of management, you’ll be working under [name of supervisor] who is the [supervisor job title] for [their department].

Finally, I’d like to thank you for choosing to join our organization. I believe your [characteristic or skill] and [characteristic or skill] will make you a perfect asset to our team. I look forward to meeting you and helping you through the onboarding process.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your job title]
[Name of department]
[Name of company]

Example of a welcome letter

Consider this example of a welcome letter:

April 4, 2021
Paul Samba
Software Developer

Dear Mr. Paul Samba,

I would like to welcome you on behalf of SmartUp. We are very excited that you have accepted our job offer. I hope you are as excited as we are for you to join SmartUp’s developer team as a software developer.

My name is John Baggs, and I work in the Human Resources department. You might remember me from your interview, where your responses really impressed me. Please always feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions now, during onboarding, or as you’re integrating into the company.

As per my previous email, you’ll be joining us on the 18^th of this month at 9:00 AM. When you arrive, you can ask for me at reception, and they will direct you to my office. Please bring a copy of your identification and two pictures, as we have paperwork to complete and will provide you with a company ID. You can park anywhere in the company parking lot, and our dress code is business casual.

Your co-workers are very eager to meet you, and you’ll be mainly working with the other members of our development team. Two of our lead developers, Angie and Brad, are planning to take you out for lunch on your first day with the rest of the team so you can meet your new colleagues. You can also meet Alex, who’s the manager of the developer team and your direct supervisor.

I’d like to thank you for joining our company, as your tenacity and passion for technology will make you a great asset to our team. I look forward to meeting you and helping you navigate the onboarding process.

Sincerely,
John Baggs
Hiring Manager
Human Resources
SmartUp

FAQs about writing a welcome letter

How long should the letter be?

Although there are no specific standards for these letters, it can be best to keep them concise. This can help to ensure you only include relevant information and can prevent your new employee from feeling overwhelmed and having to read a large amount of text. To make sure your letter is brief, you can try to write it to be between 200 and 400 words.

What should be the tone of the letter?

The tone you use can vary depending on your organization’s work environment. However, it can always be beneficial to use a professional tone that’s also friendly. This can help to welcome your new employee kindly while maintaining professionalism.

Can I personalize the letter?

It can be a great idea to include a few sentences in the letter to personalize it. This can emphasize the intention of the letter, which is to welcome the employee to your organization, by showing that you put time and effort into the letter. You can do this by including a connection to the employee, such as remembering them from the interview process or a reference to one or more of their specific skills.

Welcome Letter Templates for PDF & Word

Download these welcome letter templates to offer support and kindness to new employees.

*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.