Welcome email for new employees, sent before day one
A new hire's first impression starts before they arrive. A good welcome email answers the nervous questions: where to go, when, what to bring, who will meet them and what the first week looks like. Give your todo.is agent the details once and it writes a clear, friendly email you can reuse for every hire.
The prompt
- Write a welcome email for a new employee. Name: [NEW HIRE NAME], role: [JOB TITLE], starting [START DATE AND TIME] at [OFFICE ADDRESS OR REMOTE SETUP]. Their manager is [MANAGER NAME] and their onboarding buddy is [BUDDY NAME]. Include where to go and who meets them, what to bring ([WHAT TO BRING]), the dress code, a day-by-day plan for week one: [WEEK ONE PLAN], and who to contact with questions. Tone: friendly and calm, under 250 words, with a warm first line from the team. Save it as a Gmail draft and add their first day to my Google Calendar. Also write a short Slack welcome message to post in the team channel on day one.
What to change
- [NEW HIRE NAME]: E.g. "Kofi Asante".
- [JOB TITLE]: E.g. "Junior Accountant".
- [START DATE AND TIME]: E.g. "Monday 3 November at 9:30".
- [OFFICE ADDRESS OR REMOTE SETUP]: E.g. "12 Mill Street, 3rd floor, ring reception" or "remote, laptop shipped to your home".
- [MANAGER NAME]: E.g. "Hana Ito, Finance Manager".
- [BUDDY NAME]: E.g. "Luis, who joined last year".
- [WHAT TO BRING]: E.g. "photo ID and bank details for payroll".
- [WEEK ONE PLAN]: Rough notes are fine, e.g. "Mon setup and lunch, Tue meet teams, Wed-Thu shadow month-end, Fri first task".
Example result
- The email
- Subject: Welcome to Pinecrest, Kofi! Your first week
- Hi Kofi,
- The whole finance team is looking forward to meeting you on Monday. Here is everything you need for a calm first day.
- When and where: Monday 3 November, 9:30, at 12 Mill Street, 3rd floor. Ring reception and Luis, your onboarding buddy, will come down to meet you.
- What to bring: photo ID and your bank details for payroll. Your laptop will be ready at your desk.
- Dress code: smart casual. Jeans are fine.
- Your first week:
- • Monday: laptop setup, building tour and team lunch (on us)
- • Tuesday: short meetings with sales, operations and HR
- • Wednesday and Thursday: shadowing month-end close with Hana
- • Friday: your first task, and a 30-minute check-in with Hana
- Questions before Monday? Email Luis at luis@pinecrest.com or call reception on 020 7946 0321.
- Welcome aboard,
- Hana Ito, Finance Manager
- Slack message for day one
- Please welcome Kofi, who joins us today as Junior Accountant! He will be shadowing month-end this week, so say hi if you see him near the finance corner.
- What new hires most want to know
- • Exactly where to go and who will meet them
- • What to bring and what to wear
- • Whether lunch is sorted on day one
- • That someone has a plan for them
How to do it with todo.is
- Copy the prompt and fill in the new hire's details and your week-one plan in the [brackets].
- Connect Google in todo.is so your agent can save the draft and add the event to your calendar.
- Paste the to-do on the Today screen, or send it to your agent on Slack or WhatsApp.
- Send the email about a week before day one. Tell your agent "remember this as my welcome template" for the next hire.
Tips for a better result
- Send it 5 to 7 days before the start date. Too early and details change; too late and nerves grow.
- Name a real person who meets them at the door. It is the detail new hires remember most.
- Plan the first lunch. Eating alone on day one is a common and avoidable bad start.
- For remote hires, add the video link for 9:00 on day one and when the laptop will arrive.
- Ask your agent to "remind me the Friday before each start date to check the laptop and accounts are ready".
welcome email for new employees: FAQ
- What should a welcome email for new employees include? Start date, time and place, who meets them, what to bring, the dress code, a plan for the first week and who to contact with questions.
- When should I send a welcome email to a new hire? About a week before they start. That gives them time to prepare without the details going stale.
- Who should send the welcome email? Usually the direct manager. A short note from HR with paperwork details can come separately.
- Can I reuse it for every new employee? Yes. Ask your agent to remember it as a template, then just send the new name, role and start date next time.
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