The best new-hire welcome gifts

Nothing says we’re happy to have you! like a new employee welcome gift. 

A meaningful gift can help kickstart your organization’s relationship with a new hire on a strong foundation. But what should you give new hires? Are some types of gifts more welcome than others? And how important are onboarding gifts to the overall employee experience?

We’ll explore all this and more in this guide.  

The value of welcoming employees with a gift

You may be wondering if it’s necessary to invest time, effort, and budget into giving gifts to new hires — especially when your HR team may be resource constraints on all three fronts. The short answer is: in most cases, it’s worth it.

A meaningful gift can make a great first impression with employees during their onboarding process — and making new hires feel welcome comes with big benefits for your company.

In the early 2020s, researchers Elin Frögéli, Bo Jenner, and Petter Gustavsson set out to test the effectiveness of formal employee onboarding programs. To understand the importance of structured onboarding, the team conducted a systematic review of five studies that dug into this very topic.

The studies all sought to answer this question: is a formal, structured onboarding program or an informal, business-as-usual approach more effective, and why?

The goal of Frögéli et al.’s review went even deeper. These researchers wanted to see how well each approach socialized the professionals in question, most of whom were newer nurses. They defined socialization as the extent to which the professionals had “[developed] a sense of competence and control, predictability and meaningfulness, and social belonging” after formal or informal onboarding.

In this case, onboarding encompassed “all formal and informal practices, programs, and policies enacted or engaged in to facilitate newcomer adjustment.”

Not surprisingly, Frögéli et al. found that organizations with an active, intentional, and welcoming onboarding process drove a greater impact than those that didn’t.

Over time, these companies enjoyed 2.5 times the revenue growth and 1.9 times the profit margin of organizations that didn’t put in much effort to welcome new hires. In other words, a new hire gift is more than just a meaningful gesture: it’s also an excellent investment. 

And guess what the researchers suggested businesses do first as part of a structured onboarding procedure? Give new hires a personalized welcome. 

A new-hire gift provides exactly that. Pair a thoughtful gift with other structured onboarding procedures — like a tour of the office or worksite, a walkthrough of your company’s handbook, and role-specific training — and you’ve got a recipe for long-term success.

The 3 main categories of new hire gifts

What type of new hire gift to get for employees depends on your overall onboarding strategy and budget. Keep in mind that your gift is an investment in the employee you’ve just hired, and it’s a perfect launching point for a strong long-term relationship. 

Here are a few favorite welcome gifts for new employees grouped into three different categories. You can focus on a single category, or pick one gift from each and combine them into an epic welcome basket. 

Personalized gifts

Starting a new job means stepping into the unknown. This process always comes with some amount of stress, even for seasoned professionals. As a new hire arrives at your office on their first day, they may be feeling nervous or unsettled. 

But then they walk in and see a desk with a new nametag on it. The tag has their name on it, spelled perfectly, along with their title.

As they approach, they take in other gifts: a notepad and pens in their favorite color, a personalized Thermos, and a thoughtful card signed by everyone on their new team.

A warm rush of gratitude hits them, and they immediately feel at ease. They’ve gotten the message loud and clear: they’re welcome here. That’s the power of a personalized gift. 

You can personalize almost anything for your new employees. Just double-check every detail of their name to make sure your gift makes a great first impression.

Here’s a list of some popular gifts to personalize: 

• Nameplates for the new employee’s office or desk

• Notepads, notebooks, and journals

• Pens and pencils

• Office-friendly drinkware, like coffee mugs, Thermoses, and water bottles

• Candles

• Throw blankets (especially if your office is on the chilly side)

• Keychains

• Cufflinks

• Laptop sleeves

• Tote bags

• Keepsake boxes

• Photo frames

• Desk organizers

• Planners

You can order high-quality personalized items from all sorts of vendors, but Etsy is a good starting point. Search for “personalized employee + [item name],” and you’ll find all sorts of choices. 

Company-branded gifts 

New employees are often the most excited to rep your brand in public. Many people look forward to getting company-branded swag when they start a new job to show their excitement to friends, family, and the world. 

The key to giving meaningful branded gifts is to keep everything high quality. Gifts that combine usefulness and thoughtfulness are often the best picks. 

A few common branded new-hire gifts include:

• Vests, jackets, or t-shirts

• Luggage tags (especially if their job involves a lot of travel)

• Packing cubes (see above)

• Mugs, thermoses, or water bottles

• Hats or beanies

• Headphones or earbuds

• Power banks or wireless chargers

• Sticky notes

• Notepads, notebooks, and journals

• Pens and pencils

• Die-cut stickers

You can get even more ideas from Swag.com, a site known for its high-quality branded corporate gifts. Instead of printing designs on cheap, generic products, Swag.com prints your logo on products new hires already love. 

Snacks and treats

Most people love a gift basket filled with snacks and treats — especially items that sparkle with meaning. Snacks can be just as meaningful as any other type of gift if you:

• Choose items aligned with your new hire’s preferences and dietary guidelines

• Select brands that are connected to your company or location in some way

While gift cards to major chains like Starbucks are always well-received, local vendors and products can make food-related gifts even more valued.

For instance, say you’ve just hired a new team member to your organization based in Fairbanks, Alaska. You can head to your local Fred Meyer’s Alaska gifts section and browse the goods, or order from the Alaska-based gift shop, Polar Bear Gifts. There’s fireweed jelly, chocolate “moose dropping” candy, reindeer jerky, birch syrup, smoked salmon, wild cranberry tea, mountain blueberry honey, and all sorts of gifts that reflect local foods.

Gifts with a deep connection to your company’s location can make new hires feel extra welcome. If you’ve gathered intel on their specific preferences, sprinkle a few of their favorites in there, and you’ve got a winning new hire gift.

How to choose the perfect welcome gift for new employees

Before you start shopping, here are a few simple guidelines for picking the perfect welcome gift for new hires. 

Gather information about your new hire

A thoughtful gift starts with knowing who you're giving it to. Take time to learn about your new hire’s preferences, hobbies, and lifestyle. Here are a few ways to gather insights:

• Onboarding questionnaire. Include a section in your onboarding survey for fun, optional questions about the employee's favorite snacks, hobbies, or beverages. You can also ask for their t-shirt size, making sure to state the information will only be used to order company swag.

• Team insights. If a current team member referred the employee, ask them about the new hire’s likes or interests. You might also learn about what the new employee doesn't like, which is just as valuable.

• Social media cues. A quick glance at the new employee's LinkedIn or social media accounts can provide hints about their interests.

Tailor the gift to the information provided

Once you know more about your new employee’s preferences, shop accordingly. 

Say you learn that your hypothetical new hire at your Fairbanks company loves savory snacks, staying warm, and keeping their desk perfectly organized. You could purchase:

• A company-branded jacket from The North Face

• Salmon and reindeer jerky

• A personalized nameplate for their desk

• A high-quality desk organizer engraved with their name

Deliver thoughtfully

The final step in the corporate gifting process is to arrange everything in a thoughtful way and present it to your new hire. Gift baskets or boxes are a popular choice.

Put all the gifts inside in a visually appealing way. Ask everyone in their department to sign a card welcoming the new employee to the team. Include a gift card to a popular local restaurant as a finishing touch.

Chances are, you’ll feel almost as excited to give the gift basket as the employee will be to receive it. Your new hire is sure to feel warmly welcomed to your organization. 

Gifting for new hires and beyond

Employee gifting is fun, and it doesn’t have to stop with new hires. Giving gifts is a great way to recognize employee accomplishments and milestones year-round. Whether you’re celebrating work anniversaries, rewarding major goals and achievements, or thanking employees for their contributions around the holidays, these tips can help you pick the perfect gift every time.

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