New Employee Welcome Gift Ideas & Buyers Guide

You've reviewed applications, conducted interviews, contacted references, submitted offers and finally hired a new employee. The hard stuff is out of the way, now all that's left is onboarding. A key part of the orientation and onboarding process is making sure that your new colleague feels welcome at your company and there's no better way to ensure this than with some sweet new hire welcome gifts with your logo! We've put together this buyers guide for you so ordering new employee welcome gift kits can be as easy as possible.

What Are Some Common New Hire Onboarding Gifts?

So what do you get someone that you hardly know as a welcome gift? The options are pretty much endless, but we've included some popular corporate gift ideas below and have assembled a specially curated collection of New Employee Welcome Gifts just for this you.

Custom Notebooks & Journals

The first week or two of a new job typically consists of a few things: paperwork, introductions, and TONS of note-taking. Providing your new hire with a custom notebook not only ensures that they will be prepared, but it also makes them feel like part of the team to have something with the company logo on it.

Custom Pens & Pencils

Piggybacking off of our last point, your new employees are going to be taking a lot of notes during the onboarding process. Make sure they have some high-quality custom pens adorned with the company logo to sign those HR forms!

 

Custom Logo USB Flash Drives

While customized USB flash drives are one of the most common promotional products, they also make great new hire gifts as well. This is a gift that enables your new team member to bring their important documents with them wherever they go, all while spreading brand awareness.

Custom Logo Water Bottles

Make sure your new employees stay hydrated with these custom logo branded water bottles and tumbler cups. Add your company logo to any of the top drinkware brands including YETI, S'well, Thermos, and Nalgene. As an added bonus, custom water bottles are great for the environment! Supplying your growing workforce with reusable water bottles will cut down on plastic bottle consumption.

Personalized Coffee Mugs

There's a lot of information to absorb in your first few weeks on the job, so staying caffeinated is always a good idea. Your new employees' coffee cup is something that sits on their desk all day long, so you might as well ramp up the quality by adding your company logo!

Custom T-Shirts with Your Corporate Logo

Custom logo tees are an obvious choice when it comes to corporate apparel. They're affordable, comfortable and make great promotional products. Providing your new hire with something to wear that features the company logo is a perfect way to make them feel at home.

Custom Embroidered Polos

The corporate polo shirt is a sight to behold. There really are not many occasions in which you can't wear a custom polo. At the office? Check. At home? Check. On the golf course? Check. As a uniform? Check. Adding your embroidered corporate logo just turns it up a notch and makes these even more fitting for work.

Need more info on Polo Shirts? Check out our Custom Polos Buyers Guide.

Custom Sweatshirts & Vests

If your office is like most offices then the temperature can be kind of unpredictable. This can be even more difficult for new employees who are just getting started. That's why it's always nice to have a reliable layering option that's suitable for the workplace. The most popular options for corporate layering are custom quarter zip sweatshirts, full zip sweatshirts, sweaters, and vests.

  

Need more info on Sweatshirts & Vests? Check out our Custom Layering Buyers Guide.

Custom Hats

 Custom hats are an ideal corporate apparel option for new employees because they are adjustable so you don't need to know your new colleague's sizes in advance. Baseball caps are far and away the most common choice, but we also have a great selection of custom beanies and visors. 

Need more info on custom Hats? Check out our Custom Headwear Buyers Guide.

Custom Tote Bags

Custom embroidered totes are the most common type of bag chosen to hold all of your new hire welcome gifts. It's essentially a cornucopia of custom swag. These canvas totes are durable, spacious, and offer a large blank area for your company logo to be stitched.

Custom Drawstring Bags

After canvas totes, drawstring backpacks and cinch sacks are the next most popular bag selection to hold your welcome gifts. These drawstring bags are affordable and compact, making them great promotional bags as well.

Putting Together New Hire Welcome Kits & Swag Bags

Now that you have some ideas on what products to include in your new hire welcome gift sets it's time to talk logistics. If you are planning on providing your new employees with custom apparel then be sure to get their sizes in advance so they're not stuck with something that doesn't fit them. For custom hats, it's always smart to go with an adjustable hat style over a fitted hat style for this reason.

Thankfully, you don't have to worry about sizing for personalized accessories and office supplies, which is why notebooks, pens, and drinkware are the top options for onboarding gifts. A typical custom new hire gift set will look something like this: a custom water bottle, coffee mug, notebook and pen inside of a tote or drawstring bag, all of which are adorned with your company logo.

New Employee Gift Customization Options

There are countless ways that your corporate logo or custom design can be added to apparel and gifts. At Merchology we actually offer more than 10 custom decoration methods! Check out our complete Custom Decoration Methods for our complete offerings or read up on some of our most popular decoration types that our customers use for new hire gift packages! 

Embroidery

Commercial embroidery is the most popular apparel customization method here at Merchology. Custom embroidering is most commonly used for adding your corporate logo to hats, polos, sweatshirts & hoodies. Learn how the commercial embroidery process works here.

 

Pad Printing

Custom pad printing is the most popular decoration method for hard goods and accessories. The main benefit of pad printing as a customization technique is that it can be performed on just about any surface. Pad printing is often used on custom notebooks, golf balls, drinkware, and electronics. Learn how pad printing is performed here.

 

Screen Printing

Silk screen printing is an age-old decoration method that can be used to add your logo to just about any material or product as long as it's a flat surface. Screen printing is synonymous with custom t-shirts but is also commonly used on custom activewear, journals, and promotional pens. Learn how screen printing works in our step by step guide here.

 

Laser Engraving/ Etching

Laser engraving is our go-to customization method for products made from metal. Our most commonly selected laser engraved products for new hire gift sets include custom stainless steel water bottles, tumblers, mugs, and pens. Here's a little-known fact: laser etching can actually be performed on clothing as well! Learn how the laser engraving process works here.

 

Where Can I Add My Logo?

Custom logo placement options entirely depend on the garment or item you are decorating. Popular company logo placements based on the product you are customizing are included below, but more logo placement options are available upon request.

• Notebooks: front of the notebook, band wrapping, interior pages.
• Pens: either side of the pen.
• Drinkware: just about anywhere on the item.
• Quarter Zips & Full Zips: left chest, right chest or sleeve logo placement.
• Hoodies: left chest, right chest, center chest, or sleeve.
• Polo Shirts: left chest, right chest or sleeve.
• T-Shirts: left chest, right chest, center chest or back.
• Vests: left chest or right chest.
• Tank Tops: front chest or back.
• Hats: front, left side or right side.

Next Steps

Now that you know what your options are for custom new hire swag and you're aware of how and where your logo can be added it's time to get shopping! Check out our New Hire Welcome Gifts Collection for some ideas to get started and be sure to contact us if you have any questions. Finally, be sure to check out our Buyers Guides Page for more insights on how to pick the right merch for your business.