The 15 Best New Employee Welcome Kit Ideas in 2024

We all know how overwhelming joining a new company can be. There’s just so much to learn and get used to. More than just giving a good first impression, welcome kits are a great way to present your company culture while making new employees feel part of the team.

With some creativity and a personal touch, any company swag can be turned into a thoughtful gift for on-site, hybrid, or remote employees. But beyond t-shirts and water bottles, in this blog post you’ll find tips, real examples, and inspiration to craft the perfect welcome kit for that extra warm welcome. 

Get ready to create a positive workplace experience for your new hires!

What’s a new employee welcome kit

A new employee welcome kit is a collection of branded items and resources gifted to new hires when they join a company as part of the onboarding process. Its benefits include presenting company values, informing and inspiring employees, improving engagement and loyalty, as well as creating a sense of community.

The easiest way of sending employee onboarding kits

The increase in remote work has made new employee welcome kits even more important for companies that want to create a feeling of belonging. But welcoming employees in different places has been challenging for HR teams dealing with sizing, color preferences, and shipping out the items. 

A great solution for that is Printful’s MerchShare service. It allows companies to design their welcome kits for free online and then share them with employees, who then can order their own products with no minimums.

This is how it works:

1. First, the company has to create an account on Printful.

2. Once logged in, the company can choose from over 340 high-quality products to compose their new hire welcome kits.

3. Then, upload the company logo or design and apply it to the selected items in Printul’s Design Maker, which is free and easy to use.

4. Each personalized item will generate a template with a link that can be shared with the team.

5. By clicking on the links, each employee can order the company’s branded swag according to their preferences.

6. The orders can be confirmed and paid by the company through their dashboard before being fulfilled.

7. The employees receive their products at home, anywhere in the world.

Welcome kit inspiration

There’s a reason why the biggest companies keep following the new hire welcome kit tradition. It makes professionals feel appreciated and helps establish a foundation for fostering positive relationships with the company. And that’s something important for smaller businesses too. So here are some examples to inspire your next welcome kits, no matter how big or small your business and budget are.

Google

Google is known for pampering their employees in the workplace and having fun as part of their company culture. So how do they show it in their new hire welcome kit? With some exclusive items of course! The “Noogler Welcome Kit” as they call it contains a laptop bag, a set of notebooks, pens, sticker sheets, and the famous colorful Noogler hat.

Meta

After its rebranding, Meta—formerly Facebook—also adjusted its kit for new employees with the new name and logo on a mug, a notebook, a beanie, and a hoodie. The picture below was shared on LinkedIn by an employee, which proves how a cool welcome kit can also serve to increase brand awareness on social media.

Source: LinkedIn

Shopee

Shopee’s welcome kit is another great example for both big and small companies. It consists of a tote bag with a t-shirt, a notebook, a pen, an ID tag holder, and a handbook of the company’s values. It’s all simply designed with the marketplace’s characteristic orange hue. 

Pro tip: create a hashtag to motivate your new hires to share their gifts online.

Source: Medium

Aimbulance

Marketing agency Aimbulance has by far one of the most creative welcome kits we could find during our research. They took basic items like a bag, a bottle, and some notebooks, and made them unique with highly original content.

The onboarding set includes a care book with 100 tips for everyday work life (from how to set up meetings to where to find cookies) and an idea book with 100 micro-tasks to improve creativity. The bags, customized for each department, also came with a work book for notes and sketches and even a map with the team’s favorite places for lunchtime and hangouts.

Source: Behance

Canon

In a box designed as a camera, new hires at Canon get a beautiful set of branded company swag like notebooks, a mug, a polo shirt, a pen drive, a pen, a pencil, a set of stickers, and other high-quality items. It’s the ideal kit for a picture perfect start.

Uber

Transportation company Uber goes the extra mile to make sure their employees enjoy the corporate ride from the beginning. Their welcome kit includes, among other swag items, a hoodie, a hat, a notebook, a pen, a pen drive, and a drawstring bag.

Source: Pinterest

Dropbox

Dropbox is a cloud-based file storage company with more than 2,000 employees. Their welcome kit is meant to be fun and at the same time ensure new hires have useful items for their work day—like a backpack, a mug, and a tech pouch to organize chargers. Dropbox also allows new team members to choose their own desk accessories and tech equipment for a more personalized office experience.

Source: Academy Ocean

Wrike

Project management software company Wrike welcomes their new employees with a pretty complete kit that features a tote bag, a t-shirt, a pair of socks, a mug, a planner, a pen, a pencil, and an analog version of Wrike’s task manager.

The idea is to make the new hires feel comfortable and at home. One interesting tradition at Wrike is that they celebrate every 50th Wriker with a surprise party in the kitchen, where the special new hire gets a personalized tee with their name on it.

Source: Academy Ocean

Nike

Nike is famous not only for its athletic apparel, shoes, and equipment but also for its marketing game. So if you’re wondering what their employee welcome kit looks like, we’ve found out what they give their North American marketing team newbies.

Their branded swag kit includes headphones, a cup, a calendar, and a pin—a set that can easily be reproduced by smaller companies.

Source: Academy Ocean

SEGA

Adding a touch of nostalgia to our list of employee welcome kit ideas, the Japanese video game company SEGA offers its new hires a set of bags, notebooks, a water bottle, a sticker, some comics and, the icing on the cake, a portrait of the iconic Sonic. He’s one of the stars of the show, afterall. 

Source: Academy Ocean

Element Three

Another good example of a new hire welcome kit comes from Element Three, an American marketing agency. Its mascot, an elephant, is nicely represented in a color coordinated set that contains a t-shirt, a pendant, a pen, notepads, stickers, and a water bottle. Does your company have a mascot? Don’t hesitate to use it on your branded swag.

Source: Flipside Nation

Rocket Genius

Not enough inspiration for your employee welcome kit so far? Let’s check what Rocket Genius has for their new hires. Complementing the usual apparel-hat-sticker-mug combo, the software development and design company added a glass to their company swag gift set. Cheers to that!

Source: Flipside Nation

Boxer Property

Interested in diversifying the drinkware for your welcome kit too? Try swapping out mugs and water bottles for tumblers. That’s what Boxer Property—a company in the real estate industry—did. New employees also get a notepad, a pen, and a polo shirt in their welcome kit items.

Source: Pinterest

Percolate

Marketing technology company Percolate takes the onboarding kit tradition to another level. Even before they start working, new hires get a welcome package containing a tote bag, a t-shirt, a mug, a Kindle, some granola, and a handwritten letter congratulating them on the new position.

Then, on their first day, they receive more workstation swag: stickers, notebooks, a water bottle, a mousepad, and more.

Source: Workopolis

Ghostbusters

Welcome kits are so much fun that they’re even sold as toys! Check out this fictional employee welcome kit for a new Ghostbuster. It has everything a new agent needs to get started in the art of hunting ghosts: an equipment and protocols manual, an ectoplasm container, an employee welcome kit badge, a Ghostbusters certificate, an embroidered Ghostbusters logo patch, an embroidered Ghostbusters rookie patch, an ecto-1 route map of New York, a Ghostbusters pen, a protected property sticker, business cards, and more.

Source: Kapowtoys

15 items to add to your new employee welcome kits

Whether you’re looking for welcome kit ideas or swag inspo for existing employees, there are a few things you should bear in mind when choosing the items that will be part of your package. Consider if they’re useful for employees, relevant to the job, and aligned with your company culture. Then, you can use print-on-demand services to personalize them and make them unique.

Here are a few premium product suggestions that are great for crafting your employee welcome kit.

1. T-shirts

As you’ve probably noticed,custom t-shirts are company favorites as swag items, and are just as popular for employee welcome kit ideas. If you really want your employees to wear them with pride, choose tees made with high-quality materials and prints.

Source: Printful

2. Sweatshirts

Sweatshirts are a trendy and stylish way of giving new hires a literal warm welcome. Print your logo on the chest, back, or even sleeves to make these welcome kit items a fashion statement your team will love to wear—and share on their social media.

Source: Printful

3. Hoodies

Same as sweatshirts, hoodies are comfortable and professional workday wear for both remote and on-site employees. No wonder they’re beloved items for onboarding kits too!

Source: Printful

4. Bomber jackets

Few clothes scream team spirit like custom bomber jackets. Probably because they instantly remind us of sports apparel. If your brand is more casual and fun, this could be an excellent idea for your welcome kit. Personalize it with your company logo or name, or be bold and try an all-over print style with your brand’s color scheme.

5. Hats

Custom hats have been popular branded swag for years and are a great way of welcoming new team members. Remember Google’s famous Noogle hats? You can start your own hat tradition with custom embroidered hats like baseball caps, snapbacks, 5-panel, mesh or even bucket hats.

Source: Printful

6. Beanies

A more creative option to caps are embroidered beanies, especially if you’re considering creating a seasonal welcome kit for the coldest days.

Source: Printful

7. Socks

Speaking of cold days, socks can help your new hires take their first steps in the company with more comfort and warmth. Customize it with your company logo, name, or colors.

Source: Printful

8. Mugs

Mugs are staple items in many welcome kits worldwide. Surprise your employees with alternative options like a white ceramic mug with color inside, an enamel mug, or a travel mug with a handle.

7. Water bottles

Practical, thoughtful, and eco-friendly, water bottles are another cool addition for your employee welcome kit. Not only do they encourage healthy habits but they contribute to more sustainable habits.

Source: Printful

8. Glasses or tumblers

Less common than mugs and water bottles, glasses and tumblers can make your employee onboarding kit even more unique. Don’t hesitate to try different types of drinkware branded with your logo, slogan, or a creative design. You can also use it to highlight your company values by writing your mission or vision on one side. As an extra touch, send a matching set of coasters to complete the welcome kit.

Source: Printful

9. Stickers

Changing the focus from drinkware to stationery items, stickers are ideal company swag items for employee welcome kits. They’re versatile, collectible, and can be applied to different surfaces like laptops, notebooks, water bottles, and more.

Pro tip: add stickers with important information and instructions like how to access internal systems and resources.

Source: Printful

10. Notebooks

Notebooks are practical tools for note-taking, organizing daily tasks, brainstorming, and staying creative. Hardcover bound or spiral, including notebooks in your employee welcome kits shows your commitment to a productive work environment.

Source: Printful

11. Mouse pads

Mouse pads are useful for anyone who works with a computer. Add a customized one in your welcome kit to show how much you care. You can use your company logo, a motivational quote, or even useful information employees will need on a daily basis.

Source: Printful

14. Laptops and earphone cases

Is caring for office supplies important for your company? Show it through your welcome kits by adding laptop cases and earphone cases to them. These are especially good ideas for companies with remote employees.

Source: Printful

15. Bags and backpacks

Let’s not forget about what your welcome kit comes in. They can arrive in a nice box—like Canon’s example—or, even better, in branded backpacks or bags (like tote bags or drawstring bags) that can be used in and out of the office. This gives you an extra opportunity to promote your brand on more items. Use it!

Source: Printful

Read also: 6 Reasons Why Good Company Swag Matters for Branding and Business

Craft a remarkable onboarding journey

Putting together the perfect employee welcome kit is easier when you know your company culture and your team members profile well. Combine thoughtful consideration, practicality, and a touch of creativity and you’ll have everything you need to start an amazing relationship with the next wave of talent.

Here are some tips to help you on that mission.

1. Know your company culture

The first step is to recognize what your company is about. We mean its mission, vision, and values. This way, you can pick the elements of your welcome kit that help you present that identity and make new hires connect with it.

2. Be practical

Pick items that will be useful for your new employees in their work life and personal life, as well as enhance their productivity, comfort, and create a better experience working with your brand. This helps create a lasting positive impression.

3. Personalize the experience

Show that your company values individuality and create a sense of belonging by including the employee’s name, department, or a personal message in your welcome kit.

4. Use creativity

Don’t be afraid to be different and include unexpected elements or content in your welcome kit. This will help you create a stronger bond with new team members and leave a memorable, lasting impression.

5. Prioritize quality

An effective welcome kit doesn’t need to be expensive. Prioritize high-quality swag over quantity to create a meaningful experience without overspending.

And, most importantly, remember that a welcome kit isn’t just a collection of branded items. The main goal is to create a sense of community and make new employees feel motivated, valued, and excited to contribute to your company’s success.

Tailor the suggestions and concepts in this post to align with your brand, and your new employee welcome kit will seamlessly integrate into the exceptional onboarding journey you provide.