A candidate has accepted your job offer, and they’ll be joining your company in a few weeks. They’re probably excited about their new role but also a bit anxious about meeting the team, getting started, and fitting in — even more so if the team is remote.  

Sending your new team members a welcome email — or Slack message — you can ease this stress for both the new hire and your team and make the best out of a new beginning. Try out these templates or create your own to kickstart a smooth onboarding for new remote employees.

Why are welcome messages for new remote employees important?

Before we dive into the templates, let’s cover the basics of why messages like these play an essential role in welcoming new employees. First of all, they help your team make a good first impression on their new coworker and ease the tension for the newcomer.

Joining a remote company can be unusual for new employees, as there is no physical space they are coming into (unless they’re using Gable!) and no one to shake their hand and say hi in person. That’s why welcoming them virtually is essential for alleviating their stress and making them feel welcome.

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Additionally, thoughtful welcome messages help employees connect and bond better, which doesn’t come naturally in remote work environments. Connections in remote teams help keep employee engagement and retention rates high, which is essential when onboarding new people. Employees with bad onboarding experiences are more likely to switch jobs again during their first year on the job.

18 templates for new employee welcome message

We made the templates below with different tones, senders, and purposes in mind. You can copy and paste them or use them as references when writing your own messages. Make sure to swap the placeholders for the actual employee name, company name, and other personal information or customized text.

Onboarding welcome emails for new team members

 
1. It’s official — welcome to the team, [Name]! We’re all thrilled to have you joining us, and we know we’ll reach new heights together. To get you started smoothly, I’m sending you a few onboarding documents that have all the info you need for your first date. Your onboarding session should already be scheduled with [Manager Name], but please let me know if I can help with anything else. Have a great start, and welcome!
 
2. Congratulations are in order, [Name]. Welcome to [Company name]! We can’t wait to get started on your first day. To get you settled, [Manager Name] will reach out within the next hour to set up your onboarding session, give you access to all our platforms, and answer any questions you may have. Sit tight, we’ve got you! In the meantime, check out the attached guide and documents to help you navigate your first day on the team.
 
3. It’s time for new beginnings. [Name], we’re thrilled to be part of yours. We know first days can be stressful, and we’re here to make sure your experience is everything but. Attached is our digital welcome guide, and during the day, we’ll make sure you feel our physical presence as well. Keep an eye out for a special delivery to celebrate your new position.
   If you have any questions, please reach out to [Contact] for help and support. Welcome, and happy to have you on board!
 
4. Your successful journey at [Company Name] starts today! Congrats on becoming part of the amazing, dynamic team at[Company Name]! We’re happy to have you as part of our team and can’t wait to see you take your career to the next level. Making you feel welcome from day one is our top priority, so I’m sending you our employee handbook, your onboarding guide, and a few other docs to review. [Manager Name] will also be in touch to show you around and get you settled in. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need, we’re all here to help. Have a great first day on the new job!
 
5. You made it, [Name]! Happy first day at [Company Name]. The entire team is delighted to welcome you to the team as your latest great addition. Your experience, fresh perspective, and skillset are just what we need for our next chapter. We will see you later today for your orientation session, where we’ll cover the basics of getting started, tips for your first week on the team, and what you can expect in the first 30 days with us. Until then, sit back and enjoy!
 

Short & sweet Slack messages that wish a warm welcome to the team

 
1. Hey everyone, please join me in welcoming [Name] to the [Company Name] team as our [Job Title]! [Name] will be working on [Responsibility #1], [Responsibility #2], and [Responsibility #3]. Welcome to the team, [Name]!
 
2. Hi team! Let’s give a round of applause to our latest team member, [Name] - who will be joining our [Department] team and leading the efforts on [Responsibility #1] and [Responsibility #2]! [Name] is ambitious, experienced in [Industry], and excited to get to know all of you. Welcome aboard, [Name]!
 
3. I’m excited to introduce [Name], our latest addition to the [Department] team! [Name] will be working with [Teammate #1] and [Teammate #2] on [Responsibility #1], [Responsibility #2], and [Responsibility #3]. Join me in wishing [Name] the warmest welcome by sending him an email to [Email Address] or dropping a welcome note on their LinkedIn profile [Link to profile]. Welcome, [Name], let’s win together!
 
4. Woohoo! [Name] has joined our [Department] team as [Job Title] and today is [his/her/their] first day. [Name] is joining us from [City/Country] and is in [time zone] time zone. We’re very happy to have you on board, [Name]!
 
5. Hey team! Excited to introduce you to [Name], our new [Job title]! [Name] comes to us with vast experience in [Industry]. Prior to joining [Company Name], [Name] was at [Previous Company] as their [Previous Job Title]. Although [Name] has many hidden talents (schedule an intro chat to find out yourself!), [he/she/they] typically enjoys [Hobby #1] and [Hobby #2].
 

Welcome messages from managers and team leaders

 
1. Welcome to the team, [Name]! I’m so glad you’re joining us — great people are our most valuable asset at [Company Name]. Great things lie ahead, but I want to focus on making your first week on the team fantastic. On that note, take some time today to get familiar with the attached documents, and I’ll see you later today for our kickoff call. Have an amazing first day!
 
2. Welcome, [Name]! The whole [Company Name] team is excited to meet you and start working on great things together. Your talent and experience are a great addition to the team, so cheers to our new chapter!
 
3. Have a great first day, [Name]! I’m so excited your start date with us is finally here, and I wanted to quickly wish you a warm welcome to our fantastic team. I’m sure you’ll love working with us, and we can’t wait to get started. Enjoy your special day today, and talk to you soon!
 
4. Getting started doesn’t have to be hard work. Hey [Name], welcome to the [Company Name] team! We’re thrilled to have you and are here to support you. Our employee onboarding process is designed to make your start smooth and enjoyable, but I want you to know you can ping me anytime — email or Slack — if there’s anything I can help with. Once again, welcome, and have a great first day!
 

Formal messages to welcome new hires

 
1. Congratulations on joining the [Company Name] team, [Name]. We are thrilled to have a talented, passionate, experienced individual like yourself as a new member of the team. We can’t wait to build great new things together, and we send you our best wishes on your first day.
 
2. On behalf of our whole team, I want to wish you a warm welcome to [Company Name]. We are delighted to have you as part of the team and want to thank you for deciding to embark on this journey with us. Please see the attached documents for an overview of your schedule today. If you need any help in finding your way around, please contact [Manager Name] at [Email].
 
3. We are happy to have you with us, [Name]! Even though we can’t be there in person for your first day, we are sending you good wishes and a special gift for joining the team. Expect a delivery during the afternoon, and in the meantime, please review the attached documents that will help you get started. Good luck, and have a great first day!
 

 A welcome letter with onboarding instructions

If the first email to a new employee is coming from the company’s human resources team, it’s a good idea to make it a welcome message and an onboarding guide in one. In this case, the email can be longer, and it needs to list out the essential information useful to the employee before they join their kickoff call. Use our template below, or use it as an inspiration for your own:

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Hi [Name], welcome to the [Company Name] team!

We’re excited to have you as a new colleague, and we’re sure you’ll bring a lot of value to our [Department] team, especially with your vast experience in [Industry].  

In this email, you’ll find the essential elements of your onboarding experience and give you an overview of your role, team, and some helpful company documents. Let’s start!

Documents to review

 
• About [Company Name]: Our vision, mission, and core company values
 
• Employee handbook for new team members
 
• A list of all apps and platforms you’ll be using in your day-to-day work
 
• Knowledge and Resources Hub
 

 Get to know your coworkers

 
• [Name] - [Job Title], [LinkedIn profile]
 
• [Name] - [Job Title], [LinkedIn profile]
 
• [Name] - [Job Title], [LinkedIn profile]
 
• [Name] - [Job Title], [LinkedIn profile]
 

 Important internal meetings

 
• 1-on-1 check-in with [Name] - Wednesdays, 10 am EST
 
• [Department] weekly sync - Mondays, 11.30 am EST
 
• Company-wide all-hands: Tuesdays, 12 pm EST
 
• Social time with the team: Fridays, 4 pm EST (every other week)
 

How we communicate at [Company Name]

Most of our team communication (and all of the informal, casual chats) happens on Slack. You should already have an email with an invite to join the company workspace. You can start a new channel if you want, but here’s an overview of the most important ones:

 
• #general - Used for celebrating wins, asking general questions, and welcoming new team members
 
• #urgent - Urgent requests between engineering, customer support, and partner support teams
 
• #family - A channel where we share photos of our partners, kids, pets, plants, homes, and everything else that is part of our daily lives
 

Your first 30 days

Your first 30 days on the time will focus on getting you settled in, training, and onboarding. You can find your personal 30, 60, and 90-day check-in materials on this link [Link].

Next steps

Your welcome call is scheduled with [Manager name] for [Time]. You don’t have to prepare anything for the call, so sit back, sip on coffee, and relax. In the meantime, we’ve scheduled the delivery of a special welcome package, so expect it right after the onboarding call. We don’t have a company dress code, but we’re sure some of these items will be a great addition to any wardrobe.

Have a great first day, [Name]!  

How to make a new employee feel welcome

When you’re welcoming a new teammate remotely, don’t focus on form over substance. Your new employee cares less about your subject line and more about feeling welcomed and confident on their first day in a new role and team.

Make sure to nail down the following elements of a great welcome messages:

A solid onboarding process

The welcome message isn’t a standalone thing — it should be part of a thorough, well-designed onboarding process. As part of this experience, the new hire should get access to the company Slack and other essential platforms, get a chance to introduce themselves to the entire team, have a kickoff call with their direct manager and/or onboarding specialist, and receive guides and documents that will help them navigate the first day at work.

In a remote team, it’s essential not to overload the new employee with meetings, tasks, and documents right off the bat, so the onboarding experience should be stretched to the first 30 days, with clear guidelines on what you expect the new hire to achieve during that time period.  

A positive company culture  

Showcasing the company culture to new employees is one of the most effective ways to get them excited and engaged from day one. If you have mission statements, culture presentations, and team communication guidelines, make sure to include them in the welcome package for the new employees.

Knowing the inner workings of team communication, when they are expected to be online, and how the company culture works inside out makes new team members feel more confident in their new role and work environment, especially if they haven’t worked remotely before.

Easy ways to connect with the team

The #1 thing new employees want to do when joining a new company remotely is to get to know their coworkers and connect with them. You can make this easy for them in a few different ways:

 
• Set aside time to introduce the new member to the team. If you have company or team-wide meetings, take a few minutes to introduce the new employee and let them share something about themselves.
 
• If you provide flexible workspaces to employees as a way for them to meet in person and connect, make sure to provide guidance to new employees about how they can use this perk.
 
• Encourage the team to schedule an intro chat with new employees. This will make it easy for everyone to get to know each other, and some great work friendships might start forming right away!