What Makes a Good Staff Onboarding Pack?

The contracts are signed and the start date is near – the hard yards to find your next MVP is done! So, how can you make sure they stick around for both a good time and a long time? There’s a few ways.. and it all comes down to appreciation and morale which starts from day one. With that, welcome to...

Your guide to creating the best onboarding packs to welcome new employees to the team!

1. Clear Welcome Message

Make it official and start with a warm and welcoming letter from the CEO or team leader. This sets the tone for the new employee's experience and communicates enthusiasm about their arrival. Ideally, this would be hand-written for a more personal touch. Spruce it up with a branded card. 

2. Company Overview

Provide an overview of the company's mission, vision, values, and culture. While this is likely to have been covered earlier on in the process, this reminds new hires of the organisation's purpose and what it stands for. Work with your marketing or graphics team to make these values engaging and relatable with icons, avatars or likeable characters.

3. Organisation Structure

The who’s who in the zoo! Including an organisational chart or description of departments, teams, and reporting structures is a surefire way to help identify their importance and value in the overall  business function. Further, it’s a handy road map to collaboration, support, and position development while familiarising the newbie with names and positions so it’s not as daunting from the get-go.

4. Employee Handbook

Include a copy of the employee handbook or a summary of company policies and procedures. Cover topics such as dress code, time-off policies, code of conduct, and other important guidelines. HR will likely have this covered, but include it in an overall pack or gift set to keep it handy.

5. Benefits & Perks

The good stuff! Detail the benefits package, including health insurance, retirement plans, vacation policies, and any other perks offered by the company. Make sure to explain how employees can access these benefits! Think outside the box and consider partnerships with local businesses, gyms, cafes, and the likes to encourage a healthy work-life balance. Go one step further and add your logo to a cup, or gym towel (for an example) to encourage staff to leverage such perks. 

6. Training & Development

Training and development is very important part of any role development and why so many consider jumping ship! Outline any training programs or resources available to help new hires develop their skills and grow within the company. This could include on-the-job training, mentoring programs, or access to online courses and apps. A QR code to all these resources could be a good way to go to keep track..and then you can pop that QR code on cool and engaging items like water bottles, coasters, and office-kitchen cups!

7. IT & Equipment Set-up

This is when things can get messy and confusing for a new kid on the block. Provide instructions for setting up company email accounts, accessing internal systems, and any other IT-related tasks new employees need to complete. Include information about company-issued equipment, such as laptops or mobile phones. Make sure these SOS hotlines are advertised around the office and internal comms, too. While you're at it, make sure this type of company property is protected, too with branded laptop sleeves and phone accessories.

8. Key Contacts & Resources

Consider this the side-bar to the organisation structure and include a key contacts list of HR representatives, IT support, and managers. Include contact information and a brief description of their roles, too.

9. Welcome Kit

Our time to shine..consider including some company branded products such as a reusable water bottle, branded notebook, or pen, coffee cups and shirts to help new hires feel like part of the team from day one! Inclusion is key and with branded items they’ll feel proud to represent the company from home to the office and beyond. Have fun with it and build branded packs that include work-life balance items such as cheese boards, wine glasses, bluetooth speakers and headphones. You can make your own kit here with a few favourite items we’ll brand, pack up and deliver for you – easy as.

10. Feedback Mechanism

Encourage new employees to provide feedback on the onboarding process and their overall experience. This shows that the company values their input and is committed to continuous improvement. A simple online form or face to face will do the trick!

While the onboarding process can be long, daunting and often very rigid, there’s ways to certainly have fun with it and set the tone from day one – for both the employee and employer. Hopefully these handy hacks will get you set on your way!