7 Simple Ways to Welcome New Employees in 2025

2. Get Your Leadership Involved

Your leadership team plays a pivotal role in onboarding new employees, so getting their involvement signals the new hire's importance to the company.

Here's how you can leverage your leaders for onboarding:

• Create Welcome Videos: If your leadership team are too busy, or not available to meet your new employees in person, then you'll love Vouch - your leaders can record short welcome messages in their own time and it's just as personal as in-person for most people.
• Schedule Leadership Introductions: Arrange one-on-one sessions with upper management to discuss company goals and aspects of company mission.
• Highlight Key Team Members: Introduce the broader team and explain their roles for a clear understanding of the dynamic team structure.
• Host a Team Lunch: A casual gathering builds connections and creates a positive employee experience.

💡 Fact: LinkedIn's 2022 Workplace Learning Report found that 91% of employees are more likely to stay when leaders actively support them in the onboarding process. Source.
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3. Build New Employee Trust Early

Building relationships from day one builds a sense of belonging. In fact, at Vouch we believe strongly in pre-boarding to welcome new employees weeks before they start. Here's a little information on that: pre-boarding and onboarding steps.

Here's how you build great relationships in less time:

• Arrange Coffee Chats: Pair new hires with current employees for informal coffee chats (virtual or in-person).
• Set Up a Buddy System: Assign a mentor to guide them through the onboarding plan and address questions.
• Regular Meetings with the Team: Weekly team meetings create opportunities to discuss fresh ideas and innovative ideas for the company.
• Send Weekly Video Updates: Especially for remote or hybrid workers, a weekly video update can make new employees feel like they are an integral part of your team from day dot. And with Vouch video, you can even share your library of team updates so employees can see prior updates!

💡 Fact: Research by Gallup shows that employees who feel connected to colleagues are 3x more likely to report a positive onboarding experience. Source.

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4. Have An 80/20 Preset Onboarding Plan

A well-structured onboarding plan ensures a seamless transition for every hire.

But as every hire is unique, we'd suggest having 80% of the onboarding preset, and then modify the 20% around the individual employee and their role.

Here's how you can implement this:

• Use an Onboarding Checklist For the 80%: This ultimate employee onboarding checklist should include completing hire paperwork, reviewing company policies, and discussing dress code expectations. This is the logistical part of onboarding.
• Have A 20% Fluid Process: Being able to adapt in part to your new employees is really what makes their experience unique and personal, have a list of flexible items like kind of swag to get them, and also consider creating unique onboarding videos for each employee to make sure their experience is personal.
• Leverage Onboarding Software: Automate processes like signing the employment contract and assigning tasks for a smoother onboarding experience.
• Plan a Gradual Integration: Design an onboarding program that unfolds over 90 days, focusing on key elements like role-specific training and broader team interactions.

💡 Fact: According to SHRM, companies with effective onboarding processes achieve 50% greater employee retention rates. Source.

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5. Indulge New Employees In Your Company Culture

Company culture is a crucial aspect of making new employees feel aligned with the organization's values and your teams, so don't hold back.

Here's how you can indulge your new employee in what makes your company a great place to work:

• Share Company Values: Discuss aspects of company culture during the hire orientation.
• Highlight Company Mission: Include these elements in the onboarding program to inspire a sense of purpose.
• Host Culture-Focused Activities: Most importantly, organize interactive sessions to showcase how current employees embody your company culture, and leverage strategies like employee spotlight videos to showcase your current employees' experiences.

💡 Fact: A report by BambooHR found that 76% of employees say understanding company culture is key to a successful onboarding experience. Source.

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6. Personalize Every Experience

Personalizing the onboarding experience demonstrates that you value each employee as an individual.

Here's how you can personalize every experience:

• Go Beyond The Standard Welcome Email: Welcome email messages are often insincere and quickly forgotten, so include a personalized video in your welcome email that details about the hire's role and responsibilities, right from your team leaders!
• Tailor Onboarding Goals: Align onboarding objectives with the new hire's strengths and career aspirations.
• Offer Flexible Start Options: Whether it's a remote onboarding or in-person hire orientation, accommodate the new employee's preferences.

💡 Fact: Harvard Business Review reports that personalized onboarding increases employee engagement by 54%. Source.

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7. Ensure Ongoing Support For All New Employees

Effective onboarding doesn't stop after the first week; it's an ongoing process that can last up to 12-months.

Here's how to ensure ongoing support:

• Schedule Follow-Ups: Conduct company culture follow-up meetings at 30, 60, 90 days - all the way up to a year to review integration progress.
• Encourage Feedback: Ask for insights on their onboarding experience to refine the process for future hires.
• Celebrate Milestones: Recognize achievements like completing their first project or introducing innovative ideas to the team.

💡 Fact: The Brandon Hall Group found that continuous onboarding efforts lead to 20% higher employee retention rates. Source.

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FAQs

What should an onboarding checklist include?

in our opinions, and effective onboarding checklist is only 80% predefined, the remainder is crafted to each individual employee. For the 80%, essential items like hire paperwork, an employee handbook, company policies, and onboarding software setup are a must!

How do you welcome remote employees?

Send a well-crafted welcome message, ideally using video like Vouch to make it highly personal. Also set up virtual coffee chats, and ensure all onboarding software and tools are ready to go.

What makes a strong onboarding process?

In a single word: Personalization. You also need to ensure clear communication, structured onboarding schedules, and always aim for leadership involvement.

How can you highlight company culture to new hires?

One of the best ways to share your company culture is to share employee spotlight videos from your wider team, which introduce them and share their experience. You can see how powerful employee spotlight videos are here. Also share your company values and mission, and encourage participation in culture-focused activities.

What are some creative ideas to welcome new employees?

Welcome videos, team lunches, personalized welcome kits, and buddy programs are just some creative and effective employee welcoming ideas.

Why is onboarding software important?

It streamlines processes like employment contracts, hire paperwork, and task assignments.

How do you measure onboarding success?

Simply put, you need to track employee retention rates, feedback scores, and engagement levels.
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Conclusion

Creating a positive employee onboarding experience doesn't have to be complicated, and tools like Vouch video are here to help make it seamless and simple.

By focusing on the key elements such as personalization, your company culture, and structured support, you can transform the onboarding process into a seamless and exciting journey.

Importantly, you can start building new relationships and boosting morale from day one, for every new hire.

Welcome New Employees With Vouch!

Loved by companies like Canva, Nike, Cisco, Stryker, HubSpot, Amazon, and more, tools like Vouch make leveraging video in your employee onboarding remarkably easy.

Be sure to book a Vouch demo today and chat with a video content expert.

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