Welcome Gifts For New Employees

Brandon Nilsson - Author

Brandon has worked in the marketing, software, and e-commerce industry since 2015 before founding OrderMerch. He has helped many companies improve or launch online and locally.

There's a lot of confusion about welcoming gifts for a new hire. You might be wondering:

• Do I need this?
• Do I really need this right now?
• Is this important?
• Maybe I should hold off?
• What would the employees even want?
• What should I get them?

Time and time again I hear this from different companies. Let’s put this to rest with a comparison of two companies.

Company A

They do not do much for their new employee. They hire someone, give them basic training, and throw them in the field. They will get praise for working hard and maybe a pay raise after a year. From this employee's perspective, they’d feel like just another employee. That they are not valued, right?

Company B

They do tons for their new employee. They hire someone, give them basic training, access to a mentor at any time, frequent check-ins, a welcome to the team gift, and merchandise. Plus every month the company sends this employee their favorite snacks. From this employee perspective, they would feel much more appreciated and valued, right?

Clearly, Company B would be a better place to work.

Gifts are a vital piece of the puzzle. You should be doing everything you can for your employees. Think of them like a prospect, lead, or friend. They need constant nurturing, feedback, and appreciation. If they do not feel valued then get ready for a high turnover rate.

If this does not put most of those questions to rest, I do not know what will. You might be wondering what are the best welcome gifts for new employees. Make sure to ask what they like, but besides that, let’s dive in!

Beverages & Accessories

Everyone enjoys having a beverage. Find out if the new hire prefers to drink water, coffee, tea, or something else. If they do then look into getting them a water bottle, or coffee mug. Ask if there was a specific color or size they wanted.

Do they drink a lot of water? Consider getting them a big water bottle. Help them potentially save 50 trips to fill it up.

What about on their time off? Do they like to work out? Drink beer? Consider getting them a shaker cup, bottle opener, or drink sleeve!

Company Swag

If you are looking for the perfect gifts for new employees then start here. Merchandise such as shirts, hats, and hoodies makes the new hire feel like they are a part of the team. You will want to make sure the products you are getting are high quality and look professional.

Take the time and find out your new employee's size and if there’s a specific variant they would like. An example of this is a white or blue shirt with different colored logos.

Getting company swag that is customized has never been easier when using our service. You could provide it to your new hire even if they’re working remotely.

Technology

There are so many options for tech that you can offer, this makes it so simple to go the extra mile for your new hire. Providing them with the basic laptop, keyword, and mouse is easy but try asking if there’s a certain keyboard or mouse they prefer. Do they like a smaller keyboard? Wireless or wired mouse? All these can make a huge difference for someone who is using them constantly for work.

Customized email addresses are often overlooked. A different variation may be easier for them to remember. This is assuming your company doesn’t have a standard for email addresses.

Finally, ask if there’s a specific technology they prefer to use. Find out why and make a note of it. If they are able to use it in your workplace, buy it for them.

Books

Find out if the employee is interested in advancing their career. Was there something they wanted to accomplish or learn? You can provide a book based on that topic to help them. You could easily order a book from Amazon or a different provider.

Maybe you’re trying to maintain a specific mindset or culture in your workplace. If that’s the case you could provide a book on personal development.

Feeling generous? You can provide a book on any subject they are interested in. Even fiction! Don’t be afraid to ask and find out more about them, they are a person after all.

Snacks & Snack Box

I think everyone appreciates snacks on the road, in the office, and at home. They’re perfect to give as a gift to just about anyone. Nowadays it’s even easier to get snacks delivered to employees with services such as SnackNation.

Before providing any snacks you will need to find out a few things:

• Are there any specific snacks they prefer?
• Do they have any allergies or dietary restrictions?

This is important if you’re wanting to truly “wow” them with this gift.

Desk Plants

Plants are a great way to spice up a workspace. You are able to get low-maintenance plants such as succulents that require little care. They’re small and don’t take up much space! Even if they don’t have a desk or room for it, they could take it home.

Plants are hard to mess up. You can ask the new hire if there is a specific plant they would like or just surprise them! If they don’t like taking care of plants, there are gorgeous options available for fake plants from amazon.

Stickers

Stickers are a part of popular onboarding gifts and for good reason. They can be used on laptops, journals, mugs, walls, and much more. Everyone loves having extra stickers and they are a great way to increase brand awareness! I would recommend including them with other items such as a personalized note, journal, or something else.

Another great option is offering custom stickers that they can choose from themselves. Maybe they would want something a bit more unique.

Posters

I don’t know of anyone who likes staring at a blank wall when working. Ask the new hire if there’s a motivational quote, movie, tv show, or something else they like. From there see if it’s possible to get a poster or canvas ordered for them. This is a great way to increase morale at the workplace and help keep someone motivated.

Gift Cards

Was there a specific restaurant, grocery store, or store they shop at? Maybe there’s a new purchase they’re saving up for. If you can provide a gift card for that you’re going to be their favorite! Toss in a shirt, and a note and they’re going to love it.

These are just some ideas for gifts for new employees. You’ll likely want to combine these together when getting them something. I would recommend keeping these ideas in mind for existing employees too. Showing your appreciation can go a long way!