As a business owner or HR professional, hiring new staff members is a big part of your job.

However, in our experience, the hard part comes after signing the contract.

You need to offer new hires a warm welcome and help them adapt quickly and thrive in their new work environment.

On top of that, you have to inform the entire organization about this new addition and the changes it will bring about, which can affect employee morale.

So, how can I address all these issues and ensure a smooth transition?

Through a well-thought-out onboarding process that starts with sending a new employee announcement.

Don’t worry; we’ll give you all the details about these types of announcements, including templates and best practices, so you can use them effectively.

Let’s begin!

Table of Contents

What is a New Employee Announcement?

Why are New Employee Announcements Important?

What to Include in New Employee Announcements

Best Practices to Make Your New Hire Announcements Shine

5 New Employee Announcement Email Templates

7 Creative Ideas to Enhance Your New Employee Announcements

What is a New Employee Announcement?

A new employee announcement is a key part of the onboarding process and a form of new employee introduction to the work environment.

This announcement usually comes in the form of an employee introduction email sent to the entire organization to inform everyone about the new employee’s name, job title, and key responsibilities.

Of course, you can also use other communication channels to make this announcement, like Slack, bulletin boards, or social media.

New hire announcements vs. new employee welcome letters: What’s the difference?

While both new employee announcements and welcome letters aim to create a pleasant onboarding experience, they are not the same thing.

While you send the announcements to the entire company or a specific department/team, you send the letter only to the new hire.

This ‘letter’ is actually a welcome email that offers the new employee some basic information about their new job, the onboarding and orientation, the start date, and what to expect on the first day.

On the other hand, the announcement mostly benefits the rest of your staff because it helps them understand the newest team member’s role and how to work with them.

But why is this so important?

Find out next.

Why are New Employee Announcements Important?

In our many years of experience, we’ve seen first-hand the benefits of new employee announcements. 

Here are some of them:

• Make the new team member feel welcome from day one, which is more important than you think.

Here’s a fun fact for you, research shows that a strong onboarding process boosts new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%.

• Create an inclusive workplace by offering your staff the chance to send warm welcome messages and socialize with their new coworker from day one, enhancing the overall new employee onboarding experience.
• Build trust through transparent communication with your current employees about the new hire’s background and job attributes.
• Humanize remote employees. After all, seeing only a headshot of a new colleague on Slack without actually meeting that person is kind of strange and makes it harder to build a relationship with them.

But once you learn a few things about them, it’s easier to say hello and spark up a conversation.

Still, to make the most of new employee announcements, you should pay attention to what you include in them.

Keep reading to find out more. 

What to Include in New Employee Announcements

For starters, we recommend asking your new team member to answer a questionnaire so you can find out more about them and then include some of that info in the announcement.

While it’s up to you what you choose to include in the new employee announcement, based on our research and experience, we believe the following elements are the most important:

• Brief new hire description. Start with the new employee’s name, then give some details about their academic and professional background.

It will help the rest of your staff understand why you hired that person and what they bring to the team.

• Job title & department/team. Knowing what their new colleague’s role is in the company makes it easier for your staff to connect and collaborate with them.
• Responsibilities rundown. The rest of your team needs to know what the new hire will be in charge of so they can better support them until they adjust to the new role.
• Direct supervisor. Your employees should know who the new hire reports to so they can offer constructive feedback to them.
• Onboarding schedule. The rest of your team needs to know when their new coworker will start work and whether they’ll be attending training programs before they start taking on work projects.
• A few fun facts (optional). A bit of personal information about the new staff member, like hobbies or interests, will make that person more relatable to your other employees and can inspire conversations.
• Contact information. Since team members should be able to contact the new addition, you should include their phone number and email address in the announcement.

That’s all well and good, but how do I actually craft the announcement?

Don’t worry, we’ll explain this next.

Best Practices to Make Your New Hire Announcements Shine

Simply adding some information about the new team member in an email and clicking the send button is not enough.

If you want your announcement to enhance the new employee onboarding experience, you should follow these best practices:

• Keep it short. Otherwise, your employees might not even read your announcement.

What’s more, make sure you ask for the new hire’s permission before revealing any of their personal information.

• Define the audience and purpose. Usually, you send these types of announcements to your staff, aiming to enhance acceptance and collaboration.

However, you can also send new hire announcements to regular clients to promote transparency and business continuity.

• Align the message to the company culture. Everything from the subject line and salutation to the introduction and ending of your email should be representative of your company culture and values.

This is important because it helps you make a good impression on the new employee who will also receive the announcement. 

• Be enthusiastic. Your enthusiasm about the new addition to the team can easily rub off on other team members.

For instance, you can start your email with something like, “I am very excited to introduce our newest team member” and then continue with, “Many of you will like that he/she is a big baseball fan”.

• Encourage employees to welcome the new hire. This is a very good icebreaker for everyone.

Plus, a simple hello can sometimes lead to a very meaningful conversation.

But enough with the theory for now.

Let’s look at some actual templates.

5 New Employee Announcement Email Templates

To make things easier, here are five great templates you can simply copy/paste and then personalize with your new hire’s info.

1. General New Employee Announcement

Hello team,

I’m pleased to introduce [New Employee Full Name], our new [Job Title].

[New Employee First Name] has excellent [Specialty] skills and knowledge, with years of experience in the [Industry]. [S/he’ll] take care of [Employee Responsibilities].

[His/Her] work will help us offer our clients better service, and we look forward to improving the quality of our products under [his/her] guidance. I encourage everyone to collaborate and support [New Employee First Name]. 

Lastly, we’ll schedule a team lunch tomorrow. Please make sure you give [him/her] a warm welcome!

Sincerely,

[Your First Name]

Why this email example works: It’s a short and enthusiastic announcement that clearly explains the new employee’s role and responsibilities, while encouraging a warm welcome.

2. Organizational New Hire Introduction

Hello team,

I’d like to announce that a new employee will be joining us tomorrow!

[New Employee Full Name] will hold the [Job Title] position in the [Department].

[S/he’ll] [Employee Responsibilities]. [His/Her] work will help us come up with new ideas, so we can remain relevant in this competitive market.

As you all know, our company takes pride in open communication, collaboration, and trust. So, I hope you can extend our company values to your new colleague.

Sincerely,

[Your First Name]

Why this email example works: Besides defining the new employee’s role, this example also informs the new hire and reminds staff members of the company’s values.

3. Departmental New Employee Announcement 

To the [Department].

[New Employee Full Name] will join [Company Name] to fill our open position in [Department]. [His/Her] first day will be [Start Date].

[New Employee First Name] has worked for several years in the [Industry], and we are delighted to welcome [him/her] to the [Company Name] team. If you see [New Employee First Name] around the office, please extend [him/her] a warm welcome. 

[New Employee First Name] will participate in employee onboarding activities for her first few weeks with us.

[New Employee First Name] will work closely with [Coworker Name], who will serve as [his/her] official mentor. You will find [him/her] in our [Department] on the fourth floor. Take a moment to stop by and welcome [him/her] to the company.

[New Employee First Name] loves traveling and is an amateur photographer [Fun Facts] with plenty of stories to share. You can contact [him/her] via Slack or email [Email Address].

Regards,

[Your First Name]

Why this email example works: What we like most about this template is that it repeatedly encourages staff members to welcome the new hire and gives some fun facts about them.

4. New Employee Introduction to Team Members 

Dear all,

I’m happy to announce that [New Employee Full Name] will join [Company Name] in the newly created [Job Title] position.

[S/he] comes to us from [Prior Employer], where [s/he] [Main Job Responsibility] and drove many impactful [Specialty] projects.

As an employee of [Company name], we want you to know that your career aspirations and development are extremely important to us.

We are not just being “nice.” We truly understand that your job satisfaction contributes to our company’s increased productivity and the level of job quality that the department expects.

During this week, [New Employee First Name] will be seeking all of your input to better understand our culture. What’s more, with your help, [s/he’ll] likely get into the game faster.

Please join me in welcoming [New Employee First Name] to [Company Name].

Regards,

[Your First Name]

Why this email example works: This announcement addresses the new employee in a more personal manner and focuses on the company’s values and culture.

5. New Employee Announcement to Clients

Dear Client,

We’re pleased to announce that we’re assigning you to a new [Job Title], [New Employee Full Name]. [S/he’ll] fill up the position formerly held by [Former Employee First Name] and will serve as your point of contact at our company from now on.

[New Employee First Name] has a proven track record of meeting client needs and has much positive customer feedback under [his/her] belt. Rest assured that you’ll be in good hands and will have a smooth transition.

You may reach [New Employee First Name] at [Email Address] or call [him/her] at [Phone Number].

Should you have any concerns or inquiries, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We value your opinion, and we look forward to your continued collaboration!

Best regards,

[Your Full Name and Job Title]

Why this email example works: This template promotes transparency and cooperation in your relationship with clients and offers assurance that the new employee is just as good as the previous one.

• ***

Now, are you ready to take your new employee announcements to the next level?

We’ll show you how.

7 Creative Ideas to Enhance Your New Employee Announcements 

Anyone can send a new employee announcement email, but if you truly want to create an amazing onboarding experience, you should do more than that.

Check out these fun ways to welcome new employees that will leave a lasting impression:

• Create and share a staff family tree. You can either set it up on a board in the office lounge or create a digital tree for remote teams.

Each employee, including your new hire, will have their own branch with a headshot and a few personal details, like hobbies, pets, and favorite vacation spots, that make great conversation starters.

• Throw a party for the newcomer. Whether your company is big or small, throwing an office party for the newcomer is a very warm welcome that encourages people to mingle.

You can even organize a talent show to create a more relaxed atmosphere and surprise your new team member with a new hire welcome kit. 

This kit can include all types of swag, like a custom tumbler, cool office supplies, and promotional candy.

• Post a photo of new hires on the office wall. Choose a location that most of your employees pass by often to make sure they notice the photo.

Under the photo write something like ‘Have you met Kate?’ and add a few fun facts about that person to inspire conversation.  

• Give new employees a shout-out on social media. Recognizing your new hires on social media will make them feel seen and welcomed.

Plus, it offers the opportunity for other team members to share some social media love by posting nice welcome messages.

• Organize a casual in-person meeting with new employees. During this meeting, you can familiarize your new staff member with the company culture and values.

This is also a great opportunity to offer them a welcome swag bag including headphones, branded notebooks, a custom mug, and any other fun and practical items.

• Invite new members to a trivia game. Show new hires that their new workplace is not all about work and that you all enjoy some fun every once in a while.

Come up with trivia questions that reveal some of your team members’ hobbies and interests, so the new staff member can learn a few things about them in a relaxed setting.

Ask the new employee a few questions as well, but don’t focus solely on them because they might feel uncomfortable.

Don’t forget to bring tasty snacks, promotional candy, and beverages for the perfect game session.

• Use the multiple-channel approach. Instead of just sending a new employee announcement email, you should use other communication channels to make sure everyone receives the message.

For example, you can announce the new addition to the company on social media and Slack, or during in-person business meetings or a special virtual event organized by you.

Now that we’ve covered all the important stuff, it’s your turn to take the lead.

Over to You!

As you can see, offering a new hire a warm welcome can go a long way.

So, it’s time to reassess your onboarding process and create a stellar new employee announcement.

But don’t stop there! Include some of our previous suggestions as well to create a more memorable onboarding experience.

If you don’t have the time for it, then at least pick a nice welcome gift from our SwagDrop shop to make your new team member feel special.