Any person, regardless of experience, may feel stress in a new workplace. The goal of organizations is to create conditions in which new employees will immediately feel like part of the team. The welcome gift adds positivity to a difficult first day and helps the newcomer adjust comfortably to the team.
Many companies now make it a corporate tradition to gift a Welcome Kit to a newcomer to make them feel like they're part of the team. It is a very effective method that makes one feel appreciated, supports rapid adaptation, and increases employee loyalty.
Welcome kits have undergone a major evolution over the past few years. Over time, mugs and flash drives started accompanying corporate agenda and pens gifted in a bag with the corporate logo, followed up by socks and T-shirts. Trends changed and we are now seeing personalized and environmentally friendly kits with special content distributed to newcomers. Organizations considering sustainability aim to give up on additional packaging and minimize the waste that will occur after opening.
Welcome Kits have now become one of the competitive elements of employer brands, as new employees actively share 'Welcome Kits' on social media. Thanks to these posts, you can attract the attention of people who do not yet know about your company and what you do.
If you are in the process of determining the content of the Welcome Kit, first of all, decide what kind of impact and emotion you want to create.
Of course, you can work with the creative agency to design the perfect kit, but you will get the most realistic insights and suggestions from those who already work in your organization. During the idea development stage, it is useful to consult the employees for suggestions through a survey or focus group.
Unless you want the contents of your welcome kit to get dusty on the office shelves, you will need to create a useful, beautiful, and fun kit at the same time.
It is well known that a person may forget the experience, but will never forget the feeling, thus you should focus on making the first day at your institution memorable:
Say Welcome
Add a letter or Welcome Card with a message for the new member of the team.
Inform
The essentials of the basic welcome set include useful information, office rules, guidance for stationery and office supplies, etc.
It's not uncommon for newbies in the early days on the job not to know where to get the right password, to hastily ask for access authorization, and not know where to start.
Add all the information needed to get the employee id, sign in to e-mail box, contact the necessary departments, receive the first task, and follow the instructions.
Increase Communication
You can add delicious bonbons to help newbies connect with colleagues. Sharing fortifies the conversation and allows the new employee, who is afraid to ask for support, to approach team members more comfortably. With the help of the onboarding automation platform, you can ensure that the information of the newcomer is transmitted to the entire team in advance.
A starter handbook can be included in the welcome kit to briefly explain the company's history, corporate behavior policy, values, and other very important things to introduce the recruit to the fundamentals of team culture and values.
Help Adapt
It's not uncommon for newbies in the early days of the job not to know where to get the right password, to hastily ask for access authorization, and not know where to start.
Add all the information needed to open the desktop, sign in to email, find the email containing the first task, and follow the instructions.
Make It Useful
For example gift a Power bank- everyone has a smartphone, so everyone needs an external battery.
The newbie may also want to carry the contents of the Welcome kit home, so he or she will need something to put it all in: a tote bag is always a more convenient and environmentally friendly choice than a bag or box.
Since each person's needs and preferences are different, you can allow the new employee to choose from various options: a coupon for a meal, headphones, discounts, lunch with senior management, etc.
With a little creativity, a kit suitable for any budget can be created. Sticker packs and fun badges, playlist link of the team's favorite music, a welcome note signed by all team members, plant seeds to grow and follow newcomer’s development of the company, slippers for those working from home, flavored coffees, herbal teas, raw balls or small food packages for street animals, magnets or snacks are not expensive, but adding them can be cool and interesting. Content can be enriched within the framework of your company's overall mission and vision.
The welcome package is a gesture of hospitality and care from the company, but it is not enough on its own to create a positive onboarding experience. To make a great first impression, the HR department must manage the communication, information transfer, and paperwork process from the day the candidate accepts the offer, and all relevant parties (IT, HR admin team, Administrative Affairs, Business unit manager, etc.) must be informed and ready from the first day.
You can count on the Harmonise Onboarding platform to inform and follow up everyone involved in the process of the new employee's paperwork, computer supply, welcome kit distribution, and entrance card delivery.
With the checklists for different departments involved in the process, you can ensure a smooth onboarding process whether from home or the office, ensuring timely notifications and welcome kit distribution.