Welcome cards
What to write in a welcome card for a new coworker
A line and a name, or a tip and a joke: welcome messages that actually help someone in their first week.
Welcome to the team! We have been looking forward to you starting, and we are so glad you are here.
HeartfeltSo happy to have you with us. Ask me anything, however small; everyone did in their first month.
HeartfeltWelcome! I sit two desks down and I am always up for a coffee and a question.
HeartfeltWelcome aboard. You are going to fit right in, and we cannot wait to work with you.
HeartfeltWelcome! The coffee is bad, the people are great, and the wifi password is on the fridge.
FunnyWelcome to the team. There is no such thing as a stupid question here, only a stupid printer.
FunnyWelcome! Lunch is the ramen place on the corner, and we will not be taking other opinions.
FunnyWelcome to the team!
ShortGreat to have you here. Welcome!
ShortSo glad you joined us.
ShortA warm welcome to the team. We look forward to working with you.
FormalWelcome, and best wishes for a great start in your new role.
Formal
A welcome card is the only card that doubles as a manual. The new starter does not know who you are yet, so the most useful thing you can write is your name, what you do, and when they should come to you. Warmth plus information beats warmth alone.
Keep it light. First weeks are overwhelming, and a card full of in-jokes they cannot understand makes them feel more outside, not less. A friendly tip about the place (the best lunch, the meeting that always runs over, the person who knows everything) is the perfect register.
Three things worth getting right
- Say who you are and what you do; they are still learning names.
- Add one useful tip about the place.
- Skip in-jokes they cannot possibly get yet.
Common questions
What do you write in a welcome card for a new coworker you have not met?
Introduce yourself in one line and offer help: "Welcome! I am Sam from finance. If an expense form ever confuses you, come find me."
Is a welcome card too much for a new hire?
No, it is one of the kindest small things a team can do. It makes the first morning less lonely, and it is a cheat sheet of names for the rest of the week.
One card, signed by everyone
You have the words. Card Event collects everyone else in one link, with photos, video and voice notes, and no app or account for the people signing.
Start a cardWriting to someone else?
All card wording guides — lines for a coworker and everyone else