The best employee onboarding ideas from industry leaders: Swag, self-care and success

Inductions to new jobs are no longer accompanied by a handshake between the CEO and HR manager, who would show you the location of the coffee cups and toilets (preferably not the same).

The onboarding process for new employees is a vital tool to help new hires feel like they are part of the team. A recent survey revealed that 53% of newly hired employees quit their job within six months. Businesses cannot afford to lose new hires before they have even gotten to know them.

Making new recruits comfortable has become a big business. Some employees go the extra mile to ensure that their new team members are at ease from day one. Along with a bag full of cool branded items like hoodies and branded notebooks, pens and mugs, and backpacks there will be essentials such as company culture guidelines and employee handbooks, as well as organisational charts, and important company contacts.

Starter kits may cost hundreds of pounds but they will pale in comparison to the loss of a candidate you have spent thousands of dollars on to find, interview, vet, and finally recruit.

Emma Thompson, marketing director of WTTB.co.uk is one of the UK’s largest independent printing specialists. They produce a wide range of branded products, such as mouse mats and mugs. She has taken a look through some of the coolest starter kits produced by some major employers in order to inspire you for your own.

No one will be surprised to learn that Google provides its newbies with a generous package of goodies. The envious package of goodies includes notepads, sweaters and water bottles, as well as the infamous and geeky “Noogler” caps with a tiny propeller. These are given to new Googlers to wear on their first day in the office. Thanks for the Noogler cap.

Skincare giants offer a thoughtful pack of self-care products to welcome a new student.

All of the products, including water bottles, skin care items, and even plants, and a Yoga mat, are eco-friendly, and made with sustainable materials, underscoring their own commitment to environmental protection.

Did somebody say ‘cool starter pack’? Just Eat’s irreverent voice is carried over into its new employee starter pack, which includes a variety of products used to convey key messages. Backpacks are full of swag. But a pen gets rebranded as an “ideas catcher” and a hardback notebook becomes a “keeper of true stories”. Chargers, mugs, and headphones all get cleverly branded to highlight the brand’s strength. Even a pizza wheel with a brand name is available to give it a “cutting edge”. Clever!

Ogilvy’s ‘induction box’ became famous when unveiled ten years back. It’s no surprise that Ogilvy, one of the largest advertising and communication agencies in the world, went to such lengths to create something so beautiful.

Rumours suggest that the pack contains The Eternal Pursuit Of Unhappiness, a short book by founder David Ogilvy.

His insights into the principles of creative communities, which are only available to Ogilvy employees, are his own. The pack includes inspirational messages, notepads, pens, and a guide to onboarding for one of the largest communications agencies in the world.

Salesforce, the global CRM giant and leader in sales support, understands the importance of personalisation despite its growth to more than 70,000 employees across many countries. It personalises its welcome packs to make sure that each individual feels valued and appreciated. The content is adapted based on the job role or team function.

Rumours are circulating that the bosses at Covid have secured exclusive online performances by Lionel Richie, Alicia Keys and others for a company-wide catch-up. Keith’s performance of Living on a Prayer during a team bonding Thursday night karaoke is a big step up.

One would expect that a competitor of Salesforce would follow suit and offer the same cutting-edge gadgets. Apollo, a CRM and sales software specialist, is another company that uses the introduction of new staff members to highlight their commitment to employee wellbeing. Instead, they provide oversized fluffy hoodies as well as comfy joggers and beanies. They also include inspirational books by leading authors. It’s a comforting message to new students that their wellbeing will be a priority from the start.

The new starter pack of one of the largest financial and business consulting companies in the world, which places a strong emphasis on personal well-being as a core value, reflects this. The set includes stress balls, water bottle, notepads that have inspirational and motivational words, and even gym band in brand colours. This is a great way to remind new employees that their staff are at the forefront of their minds.

They make up for the lack of vowels in their names with their stylish onboarding packs. The most stylish and coolest pack of all, and proof you don’t need to be a giant company to provide great starter packs. Unrvld, a digital agency with five offices in the UK and another one in Europe, is a leading digital marketing company. The distinctive colours of the brand will be reflected in black water bottles, coffee mugs and hoodies as well as t-shirts, wireless chargers and t-shirts.

Livechat, a provider of helpdesk software, has introduced a new tradition that I believe we can all get behind. All new employees are encouraged to bake a birthday cake and share it with their colleagues.

They include not only the usual goodies, but also a recipe for making a cake. Let’s start the kettle!

This is someone who knows what they’re doing. Boxed, an American company, specialises in wholesale products and goods delivered in a boxed form. They treat their new employees with the same care and provide them with useful items to help them in their office or home life. Desk tidying with paper clips, mini staplers and post-its is matched with highlighters, pens and notepads.