Global HR — 10 min

How to write a welcome letter to new employees (with templates and examples)

Written by Madeline Grecek

December 2, 2024

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What’s one of the first things new hires experience as part of their onboarding process?

A welcome letter from your company.

A welcome letter is your first interaction with a new hire after they accept their job offer. You want your welcome letter to leave a good first impression to make new hires feel welcome and ready to tackle their onboarding.

In this article, Remote shares how to write a welcome letter, plus templates and tips for writing successful welcome letters for global employees.

Why are welcome letters important?

Welcome letters set the tone for the start of your professional relationship with a new hire. Unclear and underwhelming welcome letters make new hires feel unwelcome, and even confused about their role and what to expect during their onboarding process.

Jump straight to a key chapter

Why are welcome letters important?
What should you include in a welcome letter to new employees?
3 employee welcome letter templates for global teams
Tips for writing a welcome letter for international employees
Onboard talent with Remote HR Management

An effective welcome letter shows new employees that you’re excited they’re joining the team. It conveys your company culture, outlines what to expect over the coming days, and makes a new employee feel valued.Welcome letters can also boost motivation and engagement, which can be challenging for distributed teams.

What should you include in a welcome letter to new employees?

The exact contents of your welcome letter depend on your company's unique culture. Still, here are some key elements to include when writing a welcome letter to new employees.

1. Introduction to the company

Start with an introduction to the company that sets the tone.

Let’s say that you’re a new and innovative startup. You introduce your company in a fun and inclusive way that shows new employees what to expect when they’re part of the team. For example:

“We’re a dynamic and fast-growing team that’s all about innovation and less about staying the same. We all work hard, but we’re here for the good times, too — from virtual coffee catch-ups to fantasy football leagues, we don’t take ourselves seriously.”

Make the new employee feel welcome and excited about becoming part of the team. Saying things like “We can’t wait for you to join us” or “We’re stoked to have you as part of the team” can help show how much you value your new hire.

2. Job role and expectations

Clarify the job role that the new employee will fill and the responsibilities it entails. Your offer letter should detail the new hire's job description, so this part of the welcome letter doesn’t have to be long and detailed.

For example, it can be a simple sentence like:

“Welcome to the team! Your role as a Marketing Coordinator involves developing and executing marketing campaigns to enhance our brand presence and drive customer engagement.”

3. Salary and payment methods

Add information about your new hire's salary, payment dates, and payment methods. Contracts or employee handbooks breakdown payment methods, so you don’t need to go into huge detail in the welcome letter. This section is to mainly show employees that you have payment processes to pay your team on time.

4. Onboarding schedule

Share the onboarding schedule with employees so they know what to expect as they join the company. High-level information is sufficient, but make sure to clarify:

What they’ll learn each day
How long it’ll take
How to participate in each aspect

Here’s an example of an onboarding schedule to include in your welcome letter:

Day 1:

Introduction to the company with HR manager
Tech set-up with IT team via Zoom

Day 2:

Team introduction via Zoom
Role-specific training with team leader

Day 3:

Product/service training in person
Customer journey overview with team leader

5. Key contacts

Outline key contacts so new hires know who they can reach for certain questions or information. You can also include a link to your company's organizational chart. With key contacts, new hires don't need to worry about accidentally reaching out to the wrong person, or constantly asking people who they should reach out to when they have a question.

3 employee welcome letter templates for global teams

To give you some inspiration, here are three welcome letter templates that you can copy, paste, and edit for your own new hires.

1. Welcome a new employee on their first day

Hi [employee’s name],

Welcome to [company name]! We’re thrilled to have you join us as our new [job title]. You’re the perfect fit for our team, and we can't wait to see the amazing things you'll accomplish.

Here’s a brief overview of what your first day will look like:

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Welcome meeting with HR
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: IT setup and orientation
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Company introduction
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Team introduction

As a global team, we understand the unique opportunities and challenges that come with working from home. So don’t worry — we’ll make sure you feel connected, supported, and set up for success right from the start.

We use [add communication tools] to stay connected. You should have received invitations to join these platforms in your inbox. If not, please let us know and we'll get you set up.

And if you have any questions ahead of your first day, please reach out to [add contact details].

Once again, welcome to [company name] — we’re looking forward to working with you!

Best regards,

[Your name/title]

2. A welcome letter to a new employee from their manager

Hi [employee name],

Welcome to [company] and our [team/department]! We’re thrilled to have you join us as our new [job title].

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect on your first day:

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Welcome meeting with HR
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: IT setup
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Company webinar
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Meet the team

We use communication tools like [add tools] to keep in touch. You should have received invitations in your inbox, but let me know if you have any issues.

Here are your key contacts across the business. You can reach out to these people at any time if you have questions or need more support:

HR support: [HR contact information]
IT support: [IT support contact information
My contact information: [Manager's contact information]

As a [job title], you're responsible for [brief overview of key responsibilities]. You’ll work closely with [key team members] to achieve our objectives. Your role is crucial in helping us [describe how your role contributes to the team’s objectives], which is why we’re so excited you’re joining the team!

Your annual salary is [salary amount], paid [bi-weekly/monthly] via [payment method]. For any payroll questions, contact [payroll contact information].

Welcome to the team! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Best regards,

[Your name/title]

3. A casual and informal welcome to the team

Hey [employee's name],

Welcome to [company name]! We're super excited to have you join us as our new [job title]. Your skills in [specific skills or areas] will be a fantastic addition to our team.

At [company name], we're all about [brief overview of the company’s mission and values]. We love innovation, teamwork, and open communication. We can't wait to see the awesome ideas you'll bring.

As a [job title], you’ll dive into [brief overview of key responsibilities]. You’ll work with [key team members] on [specific projects or goals].

Here’s the game plan for your first day:

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Quick welcome chat with HR
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM: IT setup
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Company introduction
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: Meet the team

You’ll make [salary amount] per year, paid [bi-weekly/monthly]. For international payments, we use [payment method] to pay you in your home currency. Any questions about this, just ping [payroll contact information] a message.

We hang out on [communication tools] for all our daily chats and meetings. You should have invites in your inbox already.

If you need help with anything, here’s who to contact:

HR help: [HR contact information]
IT help: [IT support contact information]
Your team lead: [Manager's contact information]

Can’t wait to have you on the team! We’re looking forward to all the great things we’ll achieve together.

Cheers,

[Your name/title]

Tips for writing a welcome letter for international employees

When writing a welcome letter for global employees, there are additional things to consider. Cultural differences, working asynchronously, and connecting remote employees are just a few examples.

Here are some tips for writing a successful welcome letter for new hires in your global remote team.

Celebrate diversity

When welcoming international employees, acknowledge that they bring diverse perspectives, which adds value to the team. Express appreciation for the effort they’ve made to join the organization, especially if relocation is involved.

For example, you can add a personalized note like:

We deeply appreciate the effort you’ve made to join us here at [company name]. Your international background brings a wealth of diverse perspectives that enrich our team, and we value the unique insights and experiences you bring.

Clarify timezones

Be mindful of timezones when you mention your new team member's start date or welcome events. When setting up remote meetings, make sure the proposed time is during working hours for your new hire as well.

At Remote, we use UTC across the company, but you can specify the time and time zone in your welcome letter for events. This ensures clarity and prevents confusion, especially if the employee is in a different part of the world. Additionally, consider including a brief note on how to convert times or provide a link to a time zone converter so people can plan accordingly.

Introduce a buddy

Employees with a high sense of belonging are more resilient, have better well-being, and experience more professional and personal growth. Global employees may never meet in person, so create a sense of belonging and community through a buddy system. In your welcome letter, assign a mentor or buddy for your new employee to contact, so new team members can adjust faster.

Onboard talent with Remote HR Management

A welcome letter is one of the first interactions an employee has with your company after accepting their job offer, so create a positive experience for new hires.

Luckily, Remote HR Management helps you with every HR task from onboarding to offboarding and everything in between. Whether you have a small team or a global enterprise, Remote HR Management helps you hire and manage global talent from a centralized platform.

Since our HR software centralizes all your employee data, you can send out personalized welcome letters to start onboarding your global team. To see how Remote HR Management can help you start building your global team, create a free account today.