First impressions leave a lasting impact. A surefire way to make a positive first impression is offering a welcome gift box filled with fantastic employee welcome gifts. 

Use this guide as you create your new employee welcome gift box. From company swag to rewards cards to stationary, here are the essential – and fun – gift items to include in your new employee welcome gift box.

Why Is A New Employee Welcome Gift Box Important?

Picture this: you’re new to the working world or looking for greener pastures. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, you’ve taken a leap of faith and applied for a new job. You’ve finally found a job after dozens of interviews and intense anxiety.

The hiring team is friendly and psyching up how much they need your expertise and how well you will fit in the company. Everything seems great. 

Only your first day is filled with awkward meetups and a lackluster welcome. Without pause, you get to your desk and get to work, only to realize this place is the same as all the others. 

This is a common theme for new employees, and this first impression leaves a lasting negative impact. It decreases employee engagement, productivity, and talent retention – all of which will cause a significant dent in your profits. 

On the flip side, employees who are welcomed warmly and receive an onboarding gift like a new employee welcome gift box are 82% more likely to stay with their new company. 

Effective onboarding also increases new hire productivity by 72%. This naturally improves revenue, which furthers the company’s mission and growth.

So, yes. A new employee welcome gift box is essential. And with this guide, you can quickly assemble a gift box that hits the mark with your new employee.

20 Awesome Ideas For Your New Employee Welcome Gift Boxes

Let’s look at some excellent items to add to your new employee’s welcome gift box. These items are fun, helpful, and informative, from onboarding manuals to delicious snacks. 

1. PerkUp Rewards

A PerkUp Rewards Card is a must-have item for any employee welcome gift box – but why choose PerkUp Rewards? 

PerkUp is streamlined for fast and straightforward gifting. You can easily customize the rewards card with a theme and personal message and send it in real time to see your new employee’s reaction. 

The rewards are also highly flexible. Employees often wish to choose their own gifts, which they can do with PerkUp. All you need to do is load a gift amount on the card. They can then use the rewards at any place that accepts Visa for their chosen gift. 

2. Welcome Letter

Next, add a welcome letter to the new employee’s welcome gift box. While the new age of social media and internet connection has changed how we communicate, letters still hold massive appeal, especially handwritten ones. 

We know you’re busy, so don’t worry. You don’t have to write an essay for your new employee. Keep it short and sweet with a personalized welcome message. Use their first name and ensure they know how much the team looks forward to working with them. 

To help you out, we’ve put together this guide on How To Write A Welcome Letter To New Employees. 

3. Employee Handbook 

An employee handbook is an essential item for any new employee. HR is responsible for having the rules and regulations talk, but having a manual with the key points written down is always welcome. As we all know, memory is fallible. 

The handbook should contain a clear outline of all the employee rules, regulations, and expectations. It should also include the company objectives like company brand and revenue goals. 

Beyond the rules and goals, make it fun by introducing the team and the company culture with quirky anecdotes, memes, and cartoons. It’ll bring some light to the handbook and keep the employee engaged while going through all the critical information. 

4. Local Area Guide

A local area guide is a fun way to introduce your new employee to the area and ease some of their first-timer anxieties. Create a local area guide with your team and list some notable places to visit. 

The area guide can include cafes and restaurants worth checking out. Other fun activities they can check out in their free time will also be welcome. 

Create multiples of the local area guide and tuck it into every new employee’s welcome gift box. 

5. Company Swag 

We’ve established that offering new employees an onboarding gift box increases employee retention, which is essential for growing and keeping talented employees in your company. 

Lockdown new employee loyalty even more by adding awesome branded company swag to their gift box. 

Almost any office essential item can be turned into company swag – hoodies, water bottles, caps, etc. It creates a feeling of belonging with new employees. Company swag also increases your brand’s visibility. 

6. Basic Office Supplies

It doesn’t matter whether your employee works in-office or remotely; basic office supplies always come in handy. Instead of collecting all the items themselves, you can add all their office essentials in a bundle in their gift box. 

Add these essential items to the employee gift box: 

• Pens and markers (like the Paper Mate Inkjoy or the Paper Mate Flair)

• A notebook (e.g. a Moleskine hardcover notebook or a simple company-branded spiral notebook)

• Sticky notes 

• Highlighters

• Paper clips

• Scissors 

• A stapler and staples

If your employees have an industry-specific item they use often, we suggest adding it to the welcome gift box. 

7. Travel Mug 

A travel mug is exceptionally versatile. Your new employee can use the travel mug on their commute and at work. Or, if they travel for work, they can take it with them. 

Travel mugs are also brandable. Whatever they take the travel mug, the people who see it will subconsciously log your brand name and logo. 

So, consider adding a travel mug, like the Ember Travel Mug or a company-branded travel mug, to your new employee’s welcome gift box.

8. Water Bottle 

Daily water intake is much easier when you have a water bottle handy at your workstation. They’re also useful when traveling or bringing along on errands or activities. That’s why water bottles make for great welcome gifts.

Water bottles also help your company do its part for the environment by offering a sustainable and reusable water bottle option. 

Some great water bottle options include the S'well 17oz Bottle, Yeti Rambler Bottle, Hydra Peak 24oz Bottle, and the classic stainless steel water bottle (which you can brand with your company logo).

9. Headphones

Who doesn’t love headphones? They’re a great way to block out distracting office noise and to play your favorite focus playlists. There are also many affordable options, which means you don’t need to fork out a ton of money for the newest brands.

Purchase a pair of headphones, ensure they have noise-canceling capabilities, and gift your new employee time with their thoughts as they settle into their new job. 

10. Desk Plant 

Add a small, low-maintenance desk plant to the welcome kit. It is a cute way to brighten up the office or, for remote employees, their at-home office. 

A small desk plant is also a fantastic metaphor for the new employee’s journey with your brand. As the plant grows, so will their relationship with your company. 

11. Lunch Voucher 

Offer your new employee a lunch voucher. You can gift them a rewards card to a specific cafe or restaurant, or you can provide a coupon for a team lunch. 

Lunch is an excellent opportunity to learn about the local area and to bond with other team members. The better the team bonding, the better time your new employee is going to have at work. A team lunch is especially great for mid-level and senior hires. 

12. Office Tech Supplies 

Like basic office supplies, tech supplies are items your employee needs to complete their daily tasks. 

Basic tech supplies include: 

• A USB drive 

• Wireless mouse 

• Laptop stand 

• Mouse pad 

• Keyboard

If there are industry-specific tech supplies they’ll need, add them to the gift box, too.

13. Desk Game 

Sometimes, our concentration isn’t as good as it should be. Brain fog is a real issue, and it can lead to a lot of stress, especially when deadlines are looming on the horizon. 

One way to combat anxiety, procrastination, and brain fog is with a simple but fun desk game. Whether mini Jenga, word puzzles, or a maze book, offer your employee some way to stimulate their brain when it’s not working. 

A small break and a quick, engaging game can be just what your employee needs to get the ball rolling again. 

14. Blue Light Glasses 

Sitting in front of a computer for long hours, five to six days a week, can cause eye strain, headaches, and dry eyes. One way to combat this is with blue light glasses, which block the blue light from digital devices. 

Gifting your employees blue light-blocking glasses will help them manage eye strain and show that the company cares about their well-being. 

15. Yoga Mat 

Continue highlighting how much you care about your employee’s well-being by adding a yoga mat to the new employee gift box. New employees can use the yoga mat to stretch and meditate, which is great for anyone sitting at a desk for long periods. 

16. Company Bag 

Whether your employee is commuting daily or working remotely and heading to their favorite cafe, a company bag is a great way to increase brand visibility and simplify employee travel. 

There are a few bag options, including a tote bag, laptop bag, or backpack. Use the interviewing process to understand the new employee’s tastes. If you don’t have the opportunity, add whichever item employees in your team use the most. 

17. Photo Frame 

Let your employee bring their family or friends to work with a photo frame. A photo of their loved ones is a quick way to personalize their space, and it can provide some comfort as they get used to the new work environment. 

18. Stickers

Stickers are another way for new employees to customize their equipment and space. Adding branded stickers into the mix will also increase brand reach. 

Add a few stickers and decals to their gift box – ones they can put on their laptop, gift to their kids, or pass around to friends and family. 

19. Scented Candle 

A scented candle is a fun, personal item to add to the gift box mix. They also come in various scents, each with a different effect. 

Two popular scents are lavender and vanilla. Lavender relaxes the mind and body, and vanilla is known for creating warm and inviting spaces. Your new employee will welcome either option. 

20. Snack Box 

Lastly, engage your employee’s taste buds with a delicious snack box. From savory to sweet, there are many options to choose from. 

• Chocolate snack boxes are a delicious and safe bet. Most people like chocolate. 

• Savory snack boxes with pastries, meat, and popcorn are great for older employees. 

• Engage younger employees with sweet and sour candy snack boxes. 

• Lastly, dried and cured meats are great for meat connoisseurs joining the team. 

If you got to know the employee during the interviewing process, you can go for a more niche snack box. If you didn’t, opt for a safe option like a chocolate box or a savory snack box without meat. 

Remember to ask the supplier to list all the allergens in the snack box. 

Final Thoughts

A new employee welcome gift box is a simple but effective way to ensure a great first impression. A gift box will help break the ice with the new employee and set a recognition-based precedent, improving employee retention and productivity. 

Use this guide to fill up your new employee welcome gift box. From fun to useful, all the above items will ease your new employee into their duties and start a long and fruitful professional relationship. 

Streamline employee rewards, anniversaries, birthdays, company swag, and team lunches with PerkUp. Get a demo today and start sending global rewards immediately.