Writing and sending out a welcome email to new employees is an important step in an effective onboarding process. Early communication with staff is essential for shift-based businesses — even more so when there are multiple locations. Having numerous employees with different shift hours complicates in-person communication, so a well-written welcome email helps employees feel like a part of the team.
If you’re not sure how to create the best welcome aboard email, here are some tips, as well as some sample welcome emails to new employees that create a strong first impression.
Why a new employee welcome email matters for shift workers
Because many shift businesses have multiple employees and locations, ensuring each employee has the same information creates a smooth transition from hiring to training to working.
Here are some major reasons why new employee emails are crucial. They provide:
Early connections between the new employee and their team or the company
Useful details such as where to go, what will happen, and what to wear
An impression of what your work culture is like, what is expected of them, and what your company’s mission is
A sense of excitement
Reminders of the health benefits they receive (if any)
A place to reach out if they have questions before their first shift
Recommended:Our Easy Guide to an Effective and Welcoming Onboarding Process
What should you include?
To create a welcome email that new staff actually wants to read, make sure to include these three things:
1. Basic information
A welcome email is primarily practical. Tell your new employee everything they should know before their first shift, such as:
Their start date and time
Length of their first shift
Business location
Parking directions
Where to go when they arrive
A specific person they should report to
Dress code, particularly if a uniform is required
What they need to bring, such as bank account or social security information
A short overview of the first day
A brief description of orientation and training
2. A friendly tone
Be welcoming to your new employees and show you are just as excited about them coming aboard as they are. Show this excitement from the start with a fun and engaging subject line. Not only does this showcase your company’s personality, but it will also prevent their new employee welcome email from getting lost in their inbox.
Use their first name throughout the email to create an authentic connection so they feel as though they’re talking to a real person instead of the company. This will also make them more likely to trust you and come to you when they have any issues.
Part of creating a friendly tone is making the email easy to read, which you can do by using:
Subheadings
Bullet points
Strategic bolding of the important parts
Images or videos
Infographics
3. Offer contact information for any concerns
As an extra layer of security and goodwill, let new employees know they can contact you if they have any problems or if they don’t understand something. You can give them your personal information like your phone number or email. Offering yourself as a resource makes new employees feel more secure in case they run into any difficulties during their onboarding process.
If you want to avoid calls and texts during off-hours, let them know which time is best to contact you.
Bonus tip: Sending out an email to your current team
Create a welcoming atmosphere for a new person by alerting your staff to the new addition. Giving them background information on the new employee lets the current team better welcome them and help them feel at home. The more relaxed and secure a new hire feels, the more successful and productive their first day and week will be.
This will also showcase the kind of culture you’re trying to build within your business.
Can I use a generative AI tool to write a new employee welcome email?
Yes, it’s okay to use generative AI to write a welcome email for new employees, as long as you still add a human touch to it. As generative AI becomes more popular, people can recognize AI-written text, and spotting it can make them feel unimportant to your business.
Instead, the best way to use generative AI is to create a welcome email foundation that you then add your personal touch to. You should also check for errors because this type of AI is prone to making things up or making mistakes.
Tell your preferred generative AI platform the information you want to convey and how you want it to sound. It will then create an email based on those parameters. It may take a couple of tries to make it sound right, depending on your experience working with generative AI.
If you prefer to write the letter yourself, generative AI can help you brainstorm different ways to communicate with your new employees.
Other online writing tools you can use include:
Sample welcome email to new employees
To help you create an effective welcome email, we’ve provided a list of examples for you to use. These emails can work for both big and small businesses. Make sure to customize each email to best fit your company’s brand and tone.
General new employee welcome email
Welcome to [company name]!
We are very happy to have you join our organization. I hope you are ready to fall in love with your new job and colleagues. Your first day will be [insert start date]. We’ll expect you at [insert appropriate time] at [insert appropriate address].
We’ve planned your first day to help you get acclimated a bit more easily. First, we’ll make a short stop for morning coffee in the breakroom. Then we’ll move on to human resources to sign an employment contract and other important paperwork.
After that, a brief onboarding process will introduce you to our policies, culture, and mission. Then, you will have a chance to meet your supervisor, who will inform you all about your new role.
Our dress code is [insert appropriate style].
If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer. Please don’t hesitate to contact us by email at [insert your email address] or by phone at [insert your phone number].
Again, congratulations. We are thrilled to have you join the team and look forward to meeting you!
Regards,
[insert your company’s name]
Relocated welcome letter to new employee
Dear [employee name],
Welcome to [company name] and [city/state]!
We are so excited to have you on board. Our other employees look forward to helping you find your way in our company and learn more about what we do here. We can’t wait to see your work and show off some of your amazing skills. You’ll be a great asset to our company.
We know how hard it can be to adjust to a new environment. We are here to help you out and give you recommendations on neighborhoods, schools, restaurants, gyms, and everything else you might want to know.
We are like a big family in our company and look forward to meeting you and your family once you settle in.
Looking forward to working with you,
[Your Name]
[Company Name]
New employee announcement
Dear Employees,
I’d like to introduce [Employee name], who will start working for our company’s [insert department] on [insert date]. Their main tasks will be to work with the team that works on [insert tasks]. Show off our company culture by welcoming our newest team member.
They’ll work with and under the mentorship of [name of employee and mentor] in the department of [name of department]. Here is their picture so you can recognize and greet them.
Regards,
Name of Department Manager / Boss
A little thought goes a long way for employees
Your new employees will feel much better once they receive their welcome aboard email. It will relieve them of some of their anxiety and be a useful guide in their first few days of employment.
However, using a tool like Deputy can further enhance the onboarding process and leave a lasting impression on new hires.
Here at Deputy, our mission is to help improve the lives of employers and employees, using technology to transform operations and help businesses thrive. With Deputy, business owners and HR managers can easily send new hires relevant and important documents they need to get started.
