Company Culture
Company Culture
Company Culture
Amazon New Hire Swag: What's Inside
Amazon New Hire Swag: What's Inside
Amazon New Hire Swag: What's Inside
Curious what Amazon includes in its new hire swag? This post breaks down the items inside, why they resonate with employees, and what other companies can learn from Amazon’s approach to welcome gifting.
Curious what Amazon includes in its new hire swag? This post breaks down the items inside, why they resonate with employees, and what other companies can learn from Amazon’s approach to welcome gifting.
Curious what Amazon includes in its new hire swag? This post breaks down the items inside, why they resonate with employees, and what other companies can learn from Amazon’s approach to welcome gifting.
Feb 12, 2026
Feb 12, 2026
Feb 12, 2026
•
•
•
8
8
8
min read
min read
min read
Amazon New Hire Swag: What's Inside
When people search for "Amazon new hire swag," they're often expecting to hear about an impressive welcome kit packed with premium gear and branded merchandise. After all, Amazon is one of the world's most valuable companies and a tech giant that sets standards across the industry.
The reality, however, tells a different story. According to employees sharing their experiences on Blind and Quora, Amazon's new hire package is notably minimal compared to other tech companies. One employee put it plainly: "You'll get a backpack for your laptop, that's about it. If you want swag, you have to buy it yourself."
This approach isn't an oversight. It's a direct reflection of Amazon's "Frugality" leadership principle, one of the core values that shapes how the company operates. While this philosophy has helped Amazon build one of the most efficient operations in the world, it also creates an opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves through more thoughtful onboarding experiences.
In this article, we'll explore what Amazon actually includes in their new hire kit based on real employee experiences, examine why their approach is so different from other tech companies, and share how your organization can create welcome packages that make new hires feel truly valued from day one.
What's inside the Amazon new hire kit?
Based on discussions from current and former Amazon employees on platforms like Blind, Fishbowl, and Quora, here's what new hires typically receive:
Laptop
The laptop is the centerpiece of Amazon's new hire package, and it's essential work equipment rather than swag. New employees receive the computer they need to do their job, shipped in a plain UPS box without much fanfare. It's functional, necessary, and reflects Amazon's no-frills approach to onboarding.
Backpack
Amazon includes a basic backpack for carrying the laptop. According to employee reports, these backpacks typically don't feature Amazon branding and are chosen primarily for utility rather than style or brand building. It's a practical addition that serves a clear purpose: protecting your work equipment during transport.
Headset (Plantronics USB-A)
New hires receive a Plantronics USB-A headset for video calls and meetings. Employees on Blind describe this as "low quality" compared to what other tech companies provide, but it meets the basic requirement of enabling remote communication. Like the other items, it's about function over form.
Team-specific items (varies)
Here's where Amazon's new hire experience becomes inconsistent. Some teams go beyond the basics and provide additional items like t-shirts, notebooks, or chocolates. Other teams stick strictly to the essentials. As one Blind user noted, "other than laptop, low quality headset and a bag, it's very team specific."
Some employees report receiving a company hoodie, but even this isn't guaranteed and often comes after onboarding rather than as part of the initial welcome package. The experience you have as a new Amazon hire largely depends on which team you join and whether your manager values these extra touches.
What's notably absent
Compared to other major tech companies, Amazon's package is missing many items that have become standard in the industry: premium water bottles, quality notebooks and pens, branded apparel beyond a basic hoodie, welcome notes, stickers, desk accessories, or wellness items. The contrast is especially stark when employees compare notes with friends at companies like Google, Facebook, or smaller tech startups that invest heavily in welcome kits.
Why is Amazon's approach different?
Understanding Amazon's minimal new hire package requires understanding one of the company's core leadership principles: Frugality. According to employees discussing this on Blind, "Amazon can't compare to other big tech companies in terms of swag due to their 'Frugality' leadership principle."
This principle states that "we try to spend money on things that matter and believe that frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention." From Amazon's perspective, elaborate welcome kits don't directly contribute to customer value or business outcomes, so they're not a priority.
The cultural message this sends
While frugality has benefits, the minimal welcome package sends a specific message to new hires: this is a company that prioritizes efficiency and cost-consciousness above employee experience in areas it deems non-essential. For some employees, this aligns perfectly with their values. For others, especially those coming from companies with more generous onboarding experiences, it can feel underwhelming.
One employee on Fishbowl captured this sentiment well, asking about welcome kits and adding: "not that it matters a lot, it's just a feel good." The acknowledgment that it's "just a feel good" reflects an understanding of Amazon's culture, but the fact that they asked in the first place shows that these touches do matter to people, even if they're not strictly necessary.
How this has changed over time
Interestingly, Amazon's approach wasn't always this minimal. Employees who joined before the pandemic report being flown to Seattle for orientation where they received welcome packages with more goodies and swag. The shift to remote work and Amazon's focus on scaling rapidly seems to have eliminated many of these touches. As one employee noted, "there's nothing implemented across the board currently with WFH arrangements."
How can companies go beyond Amazon's minimalist approach?
Amazon's frugal approach to new hire swag creates a clear opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves and make stronger first impressions. Here's how to create welcome kits that make new employees feel genuinely valued:
1. Invest in quality over quantity
You don't need dozens of items to make an impact. A few well-chosen, high-quality products will create a better impression than a box full of cheap trinkets. Where Amazon provides a basic backpack, consider offering a premium option from a respected brand. Where they include a low-quality headset, you can provide something employees will actually enjoy using.
The key is choosing items that new hires will use regularly and appreciate. When someone reaches for their company-branded water bottle every day or wears their welcome kit hoodie on weekends, you've created lasting value that goes far beyond the initial cost.
2. Make it personal and consistent
One of the frustrations Amazon employees express is the inconsistency of their welcome experience. Some teams provide extra items, others don't. This creates an uneven onboarding experience where your welcome depends on which manager you happen to get.
Your company can do better by creating a consistent baseline experience for all new hires, regardless of team or role. Then layer in personalization through choice, allowing employees to select items that match their preferences and needs. This approach ensures everyone feels equally valued while still respecting individual differences.
3. Create an emotional connection, not just a transaction
Amazon's package is purely transactional: here's the equipment you need to work. There's no welcome note, no excitement, no sense that the company is thrilled to have you joining. It's efficient, but it misses an opportunity to build emotional engagement.
Your welcome kit should do more than deliver equipment. Include a personal note from leadership. Create thoughtful packaging that makes unboxing special. Add items that reflect your company values and culture. These touches cost little but signal that you see new hires as people, not just resources.
Companies that nail their new hire welcome kits understand that the goal isn't just to provide stuff. It's to create a moment that makes people excited about their decision to join your team and helps them feel connected to something meaningful from day one.
4. Reflect your values through your choices
Amazon's minimal package reflects their frugality principle clearly. What do you want your welcome kit to say about your company? If sustainability matters to you, choose eco-friendly products from ethical manufacturers. If innovation is core to your identity, include cutting-edge tech accessories. If wellness is a priority, focus on items that support healthy habits.
Your swag choices are a visible expression of what you claim to value. Make sure they align with your culture and the experience you want to create for employees.
Essential Components of a Standout New Hire Kit
Building on where Amazon stops, here are the key categories that create a comprehensive and memorable welcome package:
Premium branded apparel
Where Amazon sometimes provides a basic hoodie weeks after onboarding, make quality apparel a centerpiece of your welcome kit from day one. Choose items people will genuinely want to wear: soft, well-fitting hoodies, premium t-shirts in flattering cuts, or versatile quarter-zips that work for both casual and professional settings.
The key is prioritizing comfort and style over maximum logo visibility. When apparel actually feels good to wear, employees choose to put it on regularly, creating ongoing brand visibility that cheap promotional items never achieve.
Work-from-home essentials that Amazon misses
Amazon provides the laptop and headset you need to work, but nothing to enhance your workspace or make your home office more comfortable. This is where other companies can excel.
Consider including items like premium notebooks for those who prefer analog note-taking, desk organizers to tame cable chaos, quality pens that make writing a pleasure, or even plants that bring life to home workspaces. These additions show you understand the realities of remote work and care about creating positive work environments, even when they're in employees' homes.
Wellness and lifestyle items
Items that support employee wellbeing send a powerful message about your priorities. Where Amazon stops at work necessities, you can include drinkware that encourages hydration, fitness accessories that promote healthy habits, or self-care items that support work-life balance.
These choices demonstrate that you value employees as whole people, not just as workers. It's a fundamental difference in philosophy that new hires notice immediately.
Brand-building elements that create connection
Stickers, pins, and similar items might seem small, but they serve an important purpose: giving employees ways to express their connection to your company on their own terms. High-quality stickers with creative designs become collectible items that employees proudly display on laptops, water bottles, and notebooks.
When done well, these elements create a sense of belonging and team identity that purely functional items cannot achieve.
Recommended Products For Each Category
Now let's explore specific products that deliver the experience Amazon's minimal package misses. These items represent different categories and price points, giving you options to build kits that match your budget while still making a strong impression.
AS Colour Men’s Stencil Hoodie
Best for: Creating the apparel centerpiece Amazon's package often lacks
This hoodie represents everything Amazon's basic approach misses: premium quality, thoughtful design, and genuine comfort that makes people choose to wear it regularly. The midweight fabric works year-round, the unisex cut ensures broad appeal, and the construction quality means it will hold up through countless washes. When new hires receive this as part of their welcome kit, they immediately understand that your company invests in quality. Whether working from home, running weekend errands, or relaxing, this becomes a go-to choice that keeps your brand visible in positive contexts. It's the kind of apparel that employees might not buy themselves but will use constantly once they have it, creating lasting appreciation for your thoughtfulness.
👉 Explore the AS Colour Men’s Stencil Hoodie
Insulated Tumbler or Water Bottle
Best for: Daily-use items Amazon's package completely misses
A premium insulated tumbler is exactly the kind of thoughtful addition that makes welcome kits memorable. It's something new hires will use multiple times every day, whether at their desk, during workouts, or on weekend activities. Modern insulated drinkware keeps beverages at perfect temperatures for hours while reducing single-use plastic waste, aligning with sustainability values many employees prioritize. Every time someone reaches for their company-branded tumbler, they're reminded of your organization's thoughtfulness. This is the type of practical yet appreciated item that creates ongoing value long after the initial welcome period ends. Choose quality brands with excellent insulation and leak-proof lids to ensure the experience matches the promise.
👉 Explore the TYESO AURA Insulated Travel Tumbler | 30 oz
Premium Notebook and Pen Set
Best for: Analog tools that enhance the work experience
Despite our digital world, many professionals still prefer physical notebooks for brainstorming, meeting notes, and planning. A premium notebook with quality paper, durable binding, and thoughtful design details becomes a trusted companion from day one. Pair it with a quality pen that makes writing a pleasure, and you've created a combo that new hires will use throughout their onboarding and beyond. These items work particularly well because they're immediately useful for capturing information during those crucial first weeks. The tactile experience of writing on quality paper creates positive sensory associations with your brand, and a beautifully designed notebook serves as a conversation starter during video calls when it's visible on someone's desk.
👉 Explore the Large Dovana Journal™ - Refillable (7"x10")
High-Quality Sticker Pack
Best for: Creating personal connections through small touches
Stickers might seem minor, but they serve an important purpose that Amazon's functional approach completely overlooks: giving employees a way to express their connection to your company on their own terms. Include a variety of designs, from standard rounded corner stickers to premium holographic options, and let new hires choose which ones resonate with them and where to display them. These small items have remarkable staying power, remaining visible on laptops, water bottles, and notebooks for months or years. When designed well, they become collectible items rather than throwaway swag. Consider creating designs that reflect your company values, culture, or inside jokes that help new hires feel like insiders from the start.
👉 Explore the Promotional Circle Branding Stickers
Desk Accessories for Remote Work
Best for: Enhancing home office setups Amazon ignores
Amazon sends the equipment needed to work, but nothing to make your workspace more pleasant or functional. Consider including items like cable organizers that tame desk chaos, small plants that bring life to home offices, quality desk pads that define workspace, or ambient lighting that reduces eye strain. These additions acknowledge that remote and hybrid work is here to stay and that employee workspace quality matters. They fill gaps in home office setups with items people might not buy themselves but genuinely appreciate having. Each addition demonstrates understanding of modern work realities and commitment to creating positive work environments, even when they're not in company-controlled spaces.
Building a Scalable New Hire Kit Program That Stays Personal
Creating impressive welcome kits for your first few hires is straightforward. The challenge comes in scaling that experience across dozens or hundreds of new employees while maintaining quality and personalization. Here's how to build a program that grows with your company:
Create consistency with flexibility
Amazon's approach is inconsistent, with experiences varying widely by team. Your program should establish a strong baseline that every new hire receives, ensuring consistent quality and messaging. Then, build in choice points where individuals select items that match their preferences.
Many companies now use platforms that let new hires build their own kits from curated selections. This eliminates size issues with apparel, ensures people receive items they'll actually use, and reduces waste from unwanted products. The technology handles complexity while you maintain control over budget, brand standards, and options.
Perfect your timing
Getting kits to new hires at the right moment requires careful planning. The ideal timing is typically one week before their start date, building anticipation while giving them time to enjoy the package. For global teams, account for varying shipping times and potential customs delays, building buffer time to ensure on-schedule arrival even when unexpected issues occur.
Choose the right partner
Your swag vendor becomes critical in delivering consistent experiences. Look for providers offering global shipping, quality products, flexible ordering, and reliable execution. The cheapest option rarely delivers the best results when factoring in quality issues, shipping problems, and time management complications.
Platforms like PerkUp eliminate traditional pain points by offering no minimum orders, all-inclusive pricing, and global shipping capabilities. This flexibility is valuable as hiring patterns fluctuate, letting you maintain quality whether onboarding two people or twenty in a given month.
Measuring Impact and ROI
Like any business investment, your welcome kit program should deliver measurable returns. While Amazon might view elaborate kits as unnecessary costs, companies that invest in onboarding experience typically see benefits that far outweigh the initial expense:
Direct feedback
Include questions about welcome kits in onboarding surveys, asking what new hires loved, what they use regularly, and what could improve. This qualitative data provides insights numbers alone cannot capture and helps refine product selections over time.
Connection to retention
While welcome kits are just one element of onboarding, companies with strong welcome programs typically see better results in time-to-productivity, 90-day retention rates, and employee engagement scores. When your program contributes even small improvements in retention, the ROI becomes clear. Replacing an employee typically costs 50-200% of annual salary, so preventing even a handful of early departures justifies significant investment in onboarding experience.
Brand building
Unlike Amazon's unbranded or minimally branded items, quality swag that employees actually use creates ongoing brand visibility. When team members wear company hoodies on weekends or use branded water bottles at the gym, they're promoting your employer brand in authentic contexts that paid advertising cannot replicate.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Learning from Amazon's approach and other companies' missteps helps you create better programs:
Don't sacrifice quality for frugality
Amazon's frugality principle leads to minimal, basic items. While cost consciousness matters, prioritizing the cheapest options creates worse impressions than fewer, higher-quality products. Every item should meet a quality threshold you're proud to attach your name to.
Don't ignore the emotional component
Amazon's purely functional approach misses opportunities to build emotional connection and excitement. Include personal notes, create thoughtful packaging, and choose items that reflect care about new hires as individuals. These touches cost little but amplify impact significantly.
Don't create inconsistent experiences
Amazon's team-specific variations mean some new hires get extra items while others receive bare minimums. This creates inequity and resentment. Establish consistent baseline experiences for all employees, regardless of team or role.
Don't treat it as one-and-done
Welcome kits should be the first of many touchpoints celebrating and recognizing team members throughout their journey. Plan additional moments like 30-day, 90-day, or one-year anniversaries for supplementary recognition. Many companies use automated work anniversary programs, ensuring these touchpoints happen consistently.
Conclusion
Amazon's approach to new hire swag reflects their broader philosophy: focus resources on areas that directly impact customers, and maintain frugality elsewhere. This has helped them build one of the world's most efficient operations, but it also creates a clear opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves through more thoughtful employee experiences.
The reality shared by Amazon employees on Blind, Quora, and Fishbowl is clear: new hires receive the basics they need to work, but little beyond that. For many employees, this aligns with expectations about Amazon's culture. For others, it feels like a missed opportunity to create excitement and belonging from day one.
Your company doesn't need Amazon's resources to create welcome experiences that make new hires feel valued. You need thoughtful product selection, consistent execution, and a genuine commitment to making people feel they made the right choice in joining your team. When you invest in quality welcome kits that balance practical utility with emotional connection, you create foundations for stronger engagement, faster cultural integration, and better long-term retention.
Ready to create a new hire swag program that goes beyond Amazon's minimalist approach? Book a demo to see how PerkUp can help you deliver exceptional welcome experiences to every new team member, no matter where they're located. With 60,000+ quality products, global shipping to 65+ countries, and no minimum orders, you can create the perfect welcome kit for teams of any size.
Amazon New Hire Swag: What's Inside
When people search for "Amazon new hire swag," they're often expecting to hear about an impressive welcome kit packed with premium gear and branded merchandise. After all, Amazon is one of the world's most valuable companies and a tech giant that sets standards across the industry.
The reality, however, tells a different story. According to employees sharing their experiences on Blind and Quora, Amazon's new hire package is notably minimal compared to other tech companies. One employee put it plainly: "You'll get a backpack for your laptop, that's about it. If you want swag, you have to buy it yourself."
This approach isn't an oversight. It's a direct reflection of Amazon's "Frugality" leadership principle, one of the core values that shapes how the company operates. While this philosophy has helped Amazon build one of the most efficient operations in the world, it also creates an opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves through more thoughtful onboarding experiences.
In this article, we'll explore what Amazon actually includes in their new hire kit based on real employee experiences, examine why their approach is so different from other tech companies, and share how your organization can create welcome packages that make new hires feel truly valued from day one.
What's inside the Amazon new hire kit?
Based on discussions from current and former Amazon employees on platforms like Blind, Fishbowl, and Quora, here's what new hires typically receive:
Laptop
The laptop is the centerpiece of Amazon's new hire package, and it's essential work equipment rather than swag. New employees receive the computer they need to do their job, shipped in a plain UPS box without much fanfare. It's functional, necessary, and reflects Amazon's no-frills approach to onboarding.
Backpack
Amazon includes a basic backpack for carrying the laptop. According to employee reports, these backpacks typically don't feature Amazon branding and are chosen primarily for utility rather than style or brand building. It's a practical addition that serves a clear purpose: protecting your work equipment during transport.
Headset (Plantronics USB-A)
New hires receive a Plantronics USB-A headset for video calls and meetings. Employees on Blind describe this as "low quality" compared to what other tech companies provide, but it meets the basic requirement of enabling remote communication. Like the other items, it's about function over form.
Team-specific items (varies)
Here's where Amazon's new hire experience becomes inconsistent. Some teams go beyond the basics and provide additional items like t-shirts, notebooks, or chocolates. Other teams stick strictly to the essentials. As one Blind user noted, "other than laptop, low quality headset and a bag, it's very team specific."
Some employees report receiving a company hoodie, but even this isn't guaranteed and often comes after onboarding rather than as part of the initial welcome package. The experience you have as a new Amazon hire largely depends on which team you join and whether your manager values these extra touches.
What's notably absent
Compared to other major tech companies, Amazon's package is missing many items that have become standard in the industry: premium water bottles, quality notebooks and pens, branded apparel beyond a basic hoodie, welcome notes, stickers, desk accessories, or wellness items. The contrast is especially stark when employees compare notes with friends at companies like Google, Facebook, or smaller tech startups that invest heavily in welcome kits.
Why is Amazon's approach different?
Understanding Amazon's minimal new hire package requires understanding one of the company's core leadership principles: Frugality. According to employees discussing this on Blind, "Amazon can't compare to other big tech companies in terms of swag due to their 'Frugality' leadership principle."
This principle states that "we try to spend money on things that matter and believe that frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention." From Amazon's perspective, elaborate welcome kits don't directly contribute to customer value or business outcomes, so they're not a priority.
The cultural message this sends
While frugality has benefits, the minimal welcome package sends a specific message to new hires: this is a company that prioritizes efficiency and cost-consciousness above employee experience in areas it deems non-essential. For some employees, this aligns perfectly with their values. For others, especially those coming from companies with more generous onboarding experiences, it can feel underwhelming.
One employee on Fishbowl captured this sentiment well, asking about welcome kits and adding: "not that it matters a lot, it's just a feel good." The acknowledgment that it's "just a feel good" reflects an understanding of Amazon's culture, but the fact that they asked in the first place shows that these touches do matter to people, even if they're not strictly necessary.
How this has changed over time
Interestingly, Amazon's approach wasn't always this minimal. Employees who joined before the pandemic report being flown to Seattle for orientation where they received welcome packages with more goodies and swag. The shift to remote work and Amazon's focus on scaling rapidly seems to have eliminated many of these touches. As one employee noted, "there's nothing implemented across the board currently with WFH arrangements."
How can companies go beyond Amazon's minimalist approach?
Amazon's frugal approach to new hire swag creates a clear opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves and make stronger first impressions. Here's how to create welcome kits that make new employees feel genuinely valued:
1. Invest in quality over quantity
You don't need dozens of items to make an impact. A few well-chosen, high-quality products will create a better impression than a box full of cheap trinkets. Where Amazon provides a basic backpack, consider offering a premium option from a respected brand. Where they include a low-quality headset, you can provide something employees will actually enjoy using.
The key is choosing items that new hires will use regularly and appreciate. When someone reaches for their company-branded water bottle every day or wears their welcome kit hoodie on weekends, you've created lasting value that goes far beyond the initial cost.
2. Make it personal and consistent
One of the frustrations Amazon employees express is the inconsistency of their welcome experience. Some teams provide extra items, others don't. This creates an uneven onboarding experience where your welcome depends on which manager you happen to get.
Your company can do better by creating a consistent baseline experience for all new hires, regardless of team or role. Then layer in personalization through choice, allowing employees to select items that match their preferences and needs. This approach ensures everyone feels equally valued while still respecting individual differences.
3. Create an emotional connection, not just a transaction
Amazon's package is purely transactional: here's the equipment you need to work. There's no welcome note, no excitement, no sense that the company is thrilled to have you joining. It's efficient, but it misses an opportunity to build emotional engagement.
Your welcome kit should do more than deliver equipment. Include a personal note from leadership. Create thoughtful packaging that makes unboxing special. Add items that reflect your company values and culture. These touches cost little but signal that you see new hires as people, not just resources.
Companies that nail their new hire welcome kits understand that the goal isn't just to provide stuff. It's to create a moment that makes people excited about their decision to join your team and helps them feel connected to something meaningful from day one.
4. Reflect your values through your choices
Amazon's minimal package reflects their frugality principle clearly. What do you want your welcome kit to say about your company? If sustainability matters to you, choose eco-friendly products from ethical manufacturers. If innovation is core to your identity, include cutting-edge tech accessories. If wellness is a priority, focus on items that support healthy habits.
Your swag choices are a visible expression of what you claim to value. Make sure they align with your culture and the experience you want to create for employees.
Essential Components of a Standout New Hire Kit
Building on where Amazon stops, here are the key categories that create a comprehensive and memorable welcome package:
Premium branded apparel
Where Amazon sometimes provides a basic hoodie weeks after onboarding, make quality apparel a centerpiece of your welcome kit from day one. Choose items people will genuinely want to wear: soft, well-fitting hoodies, premium t-shirts in flattering cuts, or versatile quarter-zips that work for both casual and professional settings.
The key is prioritizing comfort and style over maximum logo visibility. When apparel actually feels good to wear, employees choose to put it on regularly, creating ongoing brand visibility that cheap promotional items never achieve.
Work-from-home essentials that Amazon misses
Amazon provides the laptop and headset you need to work, but nothing to enhance your workspace or make your home office more comfortable. This is where other companies can excel.
Consider including items like premium notebooks for those who prefer analog note-taking, desk organizers to tame cable chaos, quality pens that make writing a pleasure, or even plants that bring life to home workspaces. These additions show you understand the realities of remote work and care about creating positive work environments, even when they're in employees' homes.
Wellness and lifestyle items
Items that support employee wellbeing send a powerful message about your priorities. Where Amazon stops at work necessities, you can include drinkware that encourages hydration, fitness accessories that promote healthy habits, or self-care items that support work-life balance.
These choices demonstrate that you value employees as whole people, not just as workers. It's a fundamental difference in philosophy that new hires notice immediately.
Brand-building elements that create connection
Stickers, pins, and similar items might seem small, but they serve an important purpose: giving employees ways to express their connection to your company on their own terms. High-quality stickers with creative designs become collectible items that employees proudly display on laptops, water bottles, and notebooks.
When done well, these elements create a sense of belonging and team identity that purely functional items cannot achieve.
Recommended Products For Each Category
Now let's explore specific products that deliver the experience Amazon's minimal package misses. These items represent different categories and price points, giving you options to build kits that match your budget while still making a strong impression.
AS Colour Men’s Stencil Hoodie
Best for: Creating the apparel centerpiece Amazon's package often lacks
This hoodie represents everything Amazon's basic approach misses: premium quality, thoughtful design, and genuine comfort that makes people choose to wear it regularly. The midweight fabric works year-round, the unisex cut ensures broad appeal, and the construction quality means it will hold up through countless washes. When new hires receive this as part of their welcome kit, they immediately understand that your company invests in quality. Whether working from home, running weekend errands, or relaxing, this becomes a go-to choice that keeps your brand visible in positive contexts. It's the kind of apparel that employees might not buy themselves but will use constantly once they have it, creating lasting appreciation for your thoughtfulness.
👉 Explore the AS Colour Men’s Stencil Hoodie
Insulated Tumbler or Water Bottle
Best for: Daily-use items Amazon's package completely misses
A premium insulated tumbler is exactly the kind of thoughtful addition that makes welcome kits memorable. It's something new hires will use multiple times every day, whether at their desk, during workouts, or on weekend activities. Modern insulated drinkware keeps beverages at perfect temperatures for hours while reducing single-use plastic waste, aligning with sustainability values many employees prioritize. Every time someone reaches for their company-branded tumbler, they're reminded of your organization's thoughtfulness. This is the type of practical yet appreciated item that creates ongoing value long after the initial welcome period ends. Choose quality brands with excellent insulation and leak-proof lids to ensure the experience matches the promise.
👉 Explore the TYESO AURA Insulated Travel Tumbler | 30 oz
Premium Notebook and Pen Set
Best for: Analog tools that enhance the work experience
Despite our digital world, many professionals still prefer physical notebooks for brainstorming, meeting notes, and planning. A premium notebook with quality paper, durable binding, and thoughtful design details becomes a trusted companion from day one. Pair it with a quality pen that makes writing a pleasure, and you've created a combo that new hires will use throughout their onboarding and beyond. These items work particularly well because they're immediately useful for capturing information during those crucial first weeks. The tactile experience of writing on quality paper creates positive sensory associations with your brand, and a beautifully designed notebook serves as a conversation starter during video calls when it's visible on someone's desk.
👉 Explore the Large Dovana Journal™ - Refillable (7"x10")
High-Quality Sticker Pack
Best for: Creating personal connections through small touches
Stickers might seem minor, but they serve an important purpose that Amazon's functional approach completely overlooks: giving employees a way to express their connection to your company on their own terms. Include a variety of designs, from standard rounded corner stickers to premium holographic options, and let new hires choose which ones resonate with them and where to display them. These small items have remarkable staying power, remaining visible on laptops, water bottles, and notebooks for months or years. When designed well, they become collectible items rather than throwaway swag. Consider creating designs that reflect your company values, culture, or inside jokes that help new hires feel like insiders from the start.
👉 Explore the Promotional Circle Branding Stickers
Desk Accessories for Remote Work
Best for: Enhancing home office setups Amazon ignores
Amazon sends the equipment needed to work, but nothing to make your workspace more pleasant or functional. Consider including items like cable organizers that tame desk chaos, small plants that bring life to home offices, quality desk pads that define workspace, or ambient lighting that reduces eye strain. These additions acknowledge that remote and hybrid work is here to stay and that employee workspace quality matters. They fill gaps in home office setups with items people might not buy themselves but genuinely appreciate having. Each addition demonstrates understanding of modern work realities and commitment to creating positive work environments, even when they're not in company-controlled spaces.
Building a Scalable New Hire Kit Program That Stays Personal
Creating impressive welcome kits for your first few hires is straightforward. The challenge comes in scaling that experience across dozens or hundreds of new employees while maintaining quality and personalization. Here's how to build a program that grows with your company:
Create consistency with flexibility
Amazon's approach is inconsistent, with experiences varying widely by team. Your program should establish a strong baseline that every new hire receives, ensuring consistent quality and messaging. Then, build in choice points where individuals select items that match their preferences.
Many companies now use platforms that let new hires build their own kits from curated selections. This eliminates size issues with apparel, ensures people receive items they'll actually use, and reduces waste from unwanted products. The technology handles complexity while you maintain control over budget, brand standards, and options.
Perfect your timing
Getting kits to new hires at the right moment requires careful planning. The ideal timing is typically one week before their start date, building anticipation while giving them time to enjoy the package. For global teams, account for varying shipping times and potential customs delays, building buffer time to ensure on-schedule arrival even when unexpected issues occur.
Choose the right partner
Your swag vendor becomes critical in delivering consistent experiences. Look for providers offering global shipping, quality products, flexible ordering, and reliable execution. The cheapest option rarely delivers the best results when factoring in quality issues, shipping problems, and time management complications.
Platforms like PerkUp eliminate traditional pain points by offering no minimum orders, all-inclusive pricing, and global shipping capabilities. This flexibility is valuable as hiring patterns fluctuate, letting you maintain quality whether onboarding two people or twenty in a given month.
Measuring Impact and ROI
Like any business investment, your welcome kit program should deliver measurable returns. While Amazon might view elaborate kits as unnecessary costs, companies that invest in onboarding experience typically see benefits that far outweigh the initial expense:
Direct feedback
Include questions about welcome kits in onboarding surveys, asking what new hires loved, what they use regularly, and what could improve. This qualitative data provides insights numbers alone cannot capture and helps refine product selections over time.
Connection to retention
While welcome kits are just one element of onboarding, companies with strong welcome programs typically see better results in time-to-productivity, 90-day retention rates, and employee engagement scores. When your program contributes even small improvements in retention, the ROI becomes clear. Replacing an employee typically costs 50-200% of annual salary, so preventing even a handful of early departures justifies significant investment in onboarding experience.
Brand building
Unlike Amazon's unbranded or minimally branded items, quality swag that employees actually use creates ongoing brand visibility. When team members wear company hoodies on weekends or use branded water bottles at the gym, they're promoting your employer brand in authentic contexts that paid advertising cannot replicate.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Learning from Amazon's approach and other companies' missteps helps you create better programs:
Don't sacrifice quality for frugality
Amazon's frugality principle leads to minimal, basic items. While cost consciousness matters, prioritizing the cheapest options creates worse impressions than fewer, higher-quality products. Every item should meet a quality threshold you're proud to attach your name to.
Don't ignore the emotional component
Amazon's purely functional approach misses opportunities to build emotional connection and excitement. Include personal notes, create thoughtful packaging, and choose items that reflect care about new hires as individuals. These touches cost little but amplify impact significantly.
Don't create inconsistent experiences
Amazon's team-specific variations mean some new hires get extra items while others receive bare minimums. This creates inequity and resentment. Establish consistent baseline experiences for all employees, regardless of team or role.
Don't treat it as one-and-done
Welcome kits should be the first of many touchpoints celebrating and recognizing team members throughout their journey. Plan additional moments like 30-day, 90-day, or one-year anniversaries for supplementary recognition. Many companies use automated work anniversary programs, ensuring these touchpoints happen consistently.
Conclusion
Amazon's approach to new hire swag reflects their broader philosophy: focus resources on areas that directly impact customers, and maintain frugality elsewhere. This has helped them build one of the world's most efficient operations, but it also creates a clear opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves through more thoughtful employee experiences.
The reality shared by Amazon employees on Blind, Quora, and Fishbowl is clear: new hires receive the basics they need to work, but little beyond that. For many employees, this aligns with expectations about Amazon's culture. For others, it feels like a missed opportunity to create excitement and belonging from day one.
Your company doesn't need Amazon's resources to create welcome experiences that make new hires feel valued. You need thoughtful product selection, consistent execution, and a genuine commitment to making people feel they made the right choice in joining your team. When you invest in quality welcome kits that balance practical utility with emotional connection, you create foundations for stronger engagement, faster cultural integration, and better long-term retention.
Ready to create a new hire swag program that goes beyond Amazon's minimalist approach? Book a demo to see how PerkUp can help you deliver exceptional welcome experiences to every new team member, no matter where they're located. With 60,000+ quality products, global shipping to 65+ countries, and no minimum orders, you can create the perfect welcome kit for teams of any size.
Amazon New Hire Swag: What's Inside
When people search for "Amazon new hire swag," they're often expecting to hear about an impressive welcome kit packed with premium gear and branded merchandise. After all, Amazon is one of the world's most valuable companies and a tech giant that sets standards across the industry.
The reality, however, tells a different story. According to employees sharing their experiences on Blind and Quora, Amazon's new hire package is notably minimal compared to other tech companies. One employee put it plainly: "You'll get a backpack for your laptop, that's about it. If you want swag, you have to buy it yourself."
This approach isn't an oversight. It's a direct reflection of Amazon's "Frugality" leadership principle, one of the core values that shapes how the company operates. While this philosophy has helped Amazon build one of the most efficient operations in the world, it also creates an opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves through more thoughtful onboarding experiences.
In this article, we'll explore what Amazon actually includes in their new hire kit based on real employee experiences, examine why their approach is so different from other tech companies, and share how your organization can create welcome packages that make new hires feel truly valued from day one.
What's inside the Amazon new hire kit?
Based on discussions from current and former Amazon employees on platforms like Blind, Fishbowl, and Quora, here's what new hires typically receive:
Laptop
The laptop is the centerpiece of Amazon's new hire package, and it's essential work equipment rather than swag. New employees receive the computer they need to do their job, shipped in a plain UPS box without much fanfare. It's functional, necessary, and reflects Amazon's no-frills approach to onboarding.
Backpack
Amazon includes a basic backpack for carrying the laptop. According to employee reports, these backpacks typically don't feature Amazon branding and are chosen primarily for utility rather than style or brand building. It's a practical addition that serves a clear purpose: protecting your work equipment during transport.
Headset (Plantronics USB-A)
New hires receive a Plantronics USB-A headset for video calls and meetings. Employees on Blind describe this as "low quality" compared to what other tech companies provide, but it meets the basic requirement of enabling remote communication. Like the other items, it's about function over form.
Team-specific items (varies)
Here's where Amazon's new hire experience becomes inconsistent. Some teams go beyond the basics and provide additional items like t-shirts, notebooks, or chocolates. Other teams stick strictly to the essentials. As one Blind user noted, "other than laptop, low quality headset and a bag, it's very team specific."
Some employees report receiving a company hoodie, but even this isn't guaranteed and often comes after onboarding rather than as part of the initial welcome package. The experience you have as a new Amazon hire largely depends on which team you join and whether your manager values these extra touches.
What's notably absent
Compared to other major tech companies, Amazon's package is missing many items that have become standard in the industry: premium water bottles, quality notebooks and pens, branded apparel beyond a basic hoodie, welcome notes, stickers, desk accessories, or wellness items. The contrast is especially stark when employees compare notes with friends at companies like Google, Facebook, or smaller tech startups that invest heavily in welcome kits.
Why is Amazon's approach different?
Understanding Amazon's minimal new hire package requires understanding one of the company's core leadership principles: Frugality. According to employees discussing this on Blind, "Amazon can't compare to other big tech companies in terms of swag due to their 'Frugality' leadership principle."
This principle states that "we try to spend money on things that matter and believe that frugality breeds resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and invention." From Amazon's perspective, elaborate welcome kits don't directly contribute to customer value or business outcomes, so they're not a priority.
The cultural message this sends
While frugality has benefits, the minimal welcome package sends a specific message to new hires: this is a company that prioritizes efficiency and cost-consciousness above employee experience in areas it deems non-essential. For some employees, this aligns perfectly with their values. For others, especially those coming from companies with more generous onboarding experiences, it can feel underwhelming.
One employee on Fishbowl captured this sentiment well, asking about welcome kits and adding: "not that it matters a lot, it's just a feel good." The acknowledgment that it's "just a feel good" reflects an understanding of Amazon's culture, but the fact that they asked in the first place shows that these touches do matter to people, even if they're not strictly necessary.
How this has changed over time
Interestingly, Amazon's approach wasn't always this minimal. Employees who joined before the pandemic report being flown to Seattle for orientation where they received welcome packages with more goodies and swag. The shift to remote work and Amazon's focus on scaling rapidly seems to have eliminated many of these touches. As one employee noted, "there's nothing implemented across the board currently with WFH arrangements."
How can companies go beyond Amazon's minimalist approach?
Amazon's frugal approach to new hire swag creates a clear opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves and make stronger first impressions. Here's how to create welcome kits that make new employees feel genuinely valued:
1. Invest in quality over quantity
You don't need dozens of items to make an impact. A few well-chosen, high-quality products will create a better impression than a box full of cheap trinkets. Where Amazon provides a basic backpack, consider offering a premium option from a respected brand. Where they include a low-quality headset, you can provide something employees will actually enjoy using.
The key is choosing items that new hires will use regularly and appreciate. When someone reaches for their company-branded water bottle every day or wears their welcome kit hoodie on weekends, you've created lasting value that goes far beyond the initial cost.
2. Make it personal and consistent
One of the frustrations Amazon employees express is the inconsistency of their welcome experience. Some teams provide extra items, others don't. This creates an uneven onboarding experience where your welcome depends on which manager you happen to get.
Your company can do better by creating a consistent baseline experience for all new hires, regardless of team or role. Then layer in personalization through choice, allowing employees to select items that match their preferences and needs. This approach ensures everyone feels equally valued while still respecting individual differences.
3. Create an emotional connection, not just a transaction
Amazon's package is purely transactional: here's the equipment you need to work. There's no welcome note, no excitement, no sense that the company is thrilled to have you joining. It's efficient, but it misses an opportunity to build emotional engagement.
Your welcome kit should do more than deliver equipment. Include a personal note from leadership. Create thoughtful packaging that makes unboxing special. Add items that reflect your company values and culture. These touches cost little but signal that you see new hires as people, not just resources.
Companies that nail their new hire welcome kits understand that the goal isn't just to provide stuff. It's to create a moment that makes people excited about their decision to join your team and helps them feel connected to something meaningful from day one.
4. Reflect your values through your choices
Amazon's minimal package reflects their frugality principle clearly. What do you want your welcome kit to say about your company? If sustainability matters to you, choose eco-friendly products from ethical manufacturers. If innovation is core to your identity, include cutting-edge tech accessories. If wellness is a priority, focus on items that support healthy habits.
Your swag choices are a visible expression of what you claim to value. Make sure they align with your culture and the experience you want to create for employees.
Essential Components of a Standout New Hire Kit
Building on where Amazon stops, here are the key categories that create a comprehensive and memorable welcome package:
Premium branded apparel
Where Amazon sometimes provides a basic hoodie weeks after onboarding, make quality apparel a centerpiece of your welcome kit from day one. Choose items people will genuinely want to wear: soft, well-fitting hoodies, premium t-shirts in flattering cuts, or versatile quarter-zips that work for both casual and professional settings.
The key is prioritizing comfort and style over maximum logo visibility. When apparel actually feels good to wear, employees choose to put it on regularly, creating ongoing brand visibility that cheap promotional items never achieve.
Work-from-home essentials that Amazon misses
Amazon provides the laptop and headset you need to work, but nothing to enhance your workspace or make your home office more comfortable. This is where other companies can excel.
Consider including items like premium notebooks for those who prefer analog note-taking, desk organizers to tame cable chaos, quality pens that make writing a pleasure, or even plants that bring life to home workspaces. These additions show you understand the realities of remote work and care about creating positive work environments, even when they're in employees' homes.
Wellness and lifestyle items
Items that support employee wellbeing send a powerful message about your priorities. Where Amazon stops at work necessities, you can include drinkware that encourages hydration, fitness accessories that promote healthy habits, or self-care items that support work-life balance.
These choices demonstrate that you value employees as whole people, not just as workers. It's a fundamental difference in philosophy that new hires notice immediately.
Brand-building elements that create connection
Stickers, pins, and similar items might seem small, but they serve an important purpose: giving employees ways to express their connection to your company on their own terms. High-quality stickers with creative designs become collectible items that employees proudly display on laptops, water bottles, and notebooks.
When done well, these elements create a sense of belonging and team identity that purely functional items cannot achieve.
Recommended Products For Each Category
Now let's explore specific products that deliver the experience Amazon's minimal package misses. These items represent different categories and price points, giving you options to build kits that match your budget while still making a strong impression.
AS Colour Men’s Stencil Hoodie
Best for: Creating the apparel centerpiece Amazon's package often lacks
This hoodie represents everything Amazon's basic approach misses: premium quality, thoughtful design, and genuine comfort that makes people choose to wear it regularly. The midweight fabric works year-round, the unisex cut ensures broad appeal, and the construction quality means it will hold up through countless washes. When new hires receive this as part of their welcome kit, they immediately understand that your company invests in quality. Whether working from home, running weekend errands, or relaxing, this becomes a go-to choice that keeps your brand visible in positive contexts. It's the kind of apparel that employees might not buy themselves but will use constantly once they have it, creating lasting appreciation for your thoughtfulness.
👉 Explore the AS Colour Men’s Stencil Hoodie
Insulated Tumbler or Water Bottle
Best for: Daily-use items Amazon's package completely misses
A premium insulated tumbler is exactly the kind of thoughtful addition that makes welcome kits memorable. It's something new hires will use multiple times every day, whether at their desk, during workouts, or on weekend activities. Modern insulated drinkware keeps beverages at perfect temperatures for hours while reducing single-use plastic waste, aligning with sustainability values many employees prioritize. Every time someone reaches for their company-branded tumbler, they're reminded of your organization's thoughtfulness. This is the type of practical yet appreciated item that creates ongoing value long after the initial welcome period ends. Choose quality brands with excellent insulation and leak-proof lids to ensure the experience matches the promise.
👉 Explore the TYESO AURA Insulated Travel Tumbler | 30 oz
Premium Notebook and Pen Set
Best for: Analog tools that enhance the work experience
Despite our digital world, many professionals still prefer physical notebooks for brainstorming, meeting notes, and planning. A premium notebook with quality paper, durable binding, and thoughtful design details becomes a trusted companion from day one. Pair it with a quality pen that makes writing a pleasure, and you've created a combo that new hires will use throughout their onboarding and beyond. These items work particularly well because they're immediately useful for capturing information during those crucial first weeks. The tactile experience of writing on quality paper creates positive sensory associations with your brand, and a beautifully designed notebook serves as a conversation starter during video calls when it's visible on someone's desk.
👉 Explore the Large Dovana Journal™ - Refillable (7"x10")
High-Quality Sticker Pack
Best for: Creating personal connections through small touches
Stickers might seem minor, but they serve an important purpose that Amazon's functional approach completely overlooks: giving employees a way to express their connection to your company on their own terms. Include a variety of designs, from standard rounded corner stickers to premium holographic options, and let new hires choose which ones resonate with them and where to display them. These small items have remarkable staying power, remaining visible on laptops, water bottles, and notebooks for months or years. When designed well, they become collectible items rather than throwaway swag. Consider creating designs that reflect your company values, culture, or inside jokes that help new hires feel like insiders from the start.
👉 Explore the Promotional Circle Branding Stickers
Desk Accessories for Remote Work
Best for: Enhancing home office setups Amazon ignores
Amazon sends the equipment needed to work, but nothing to make your workspace more pleasant or functional. Consider including items like cable organizers that tame desk chaos, small plants that bring life to home offices, quality desk pads that define workspace, or ambient lighting that reduces eye strain. These additions acknowledge that remote and hybrid work is here to stay and that employee workspace quality matters. They fill gaps in home office setups with items people might not buy themselves but genuinely appreciate having. Each addition demonstrates understanding of modern work realities and commitment to creating positive work environments, even when they're not in company-controlled spaces.
Building a Scalable New Hire Kit Program That Stays Personal
Creating impressive welcome kits for your first few hires is straightforward. The challenge comes in scaling that experience across dozens or hundreds of new employees while maintaining quality and personalization. Here's how to build a program that grows with your company:
Create consistency with flexibility
Amazon's approach is inconsistent, with experiences varying widely by team. Your program should establish a strong baseline that every new hire receives, ensuring consistent quality and messaging. Then, build in choice points where individuals select items that match their preferences.
Many companies now use platforms that let new hires build their own kits from curated selections. This eliminates size issues with apparel, ensures people receive items they'll actually use, and reduces waste from unwanted products. The technology handles complexity while you maintain control over budget, brand standards, and options.
Perfect your timing
Getting kits to new hires at the right moment requires careful planning. The ideal timing is typically one week before their start date, building anticipation while giving them time to enjoy the package. For global teams, account for varying shipping times and potential customs delays, building buffer time to ensure on-schedule arrival even when unexpected issues occur.
Choose the right partner
Your swag vendor becomes critical in delivering consistent experiences. Look for providers offering global shipping, quality products, flexible ordering, and reliable execution. The cheapest option rarely delivers the best results when factoring in quality issues, shipping problems, and time management complications.
Platforms like PerkUp eliminate traditional pain points by offering no minimum orders, all-inclusive pricing, and global shipping capabilities. This flexibility is valuable as hiring patterns fluctuate, letting you maintain quality whether onboarding two people or twenty in a given month.
Measuring Impact and ROI
Like any business investment, your welcome kit program should deliver measurable returns. While Amazon might view elaborate kits as unnecessary costs, companies that invest in onboarding experience typically see benefits that far outweigh the initial expense:
Direct feedback
Include questions about welcome kits in onboarding surveys, asking what new hires loved, what they use regularly, and what could improve. This qualitative data provides insights numbers alone cannot capture and helps refine product selections over time.
Connection to retention
While welcome kits are just one element of onboarding, companies with strong welcome programs typically see better results in time-to-productivity, 90-day retention rates, and employee engagement scores. When your program contributes even small improvements in retention, the ROI becomes clear. Replacing an employee typically costs 50-200% of annual salary, so preventing even a handful of early departures justifies significant investment in onboarding experience.
Brand building
Unlike Amazon's unbranded or minimally branded items, quality swag that employees actually use creates ongoing brand visibility. When team members wear company hoodies on weekends or use branded water bottles at the gym, they're promoting your employer brand in authentic contexts that paid advertising cannot replicate.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
Learning from Amazon's approach and other companies' missteps helps you create better programs:
Don't sacrifice quality for frugality
Amazon's frugality principle leads to minimal, basic items. While cost consciousness matters, prioritizing the cheapest options creates worse impressions than fewer, higher-quality products. Every item should meet a quality threshold you're proud to attach your name to.
Don't ignore the emotional component
Amazon's purely functional approach misses opportunities to build emotional connection and excitement. Include personal notes, create thoughtful packaging, and choose items that reflect care about new hires as individuals. These touches cost little but amplify impact significantly.
Don't create inconsistent experiences
Amazon's team-specific variations mean some new hires get extra items while others receive bare minimums. This creates inequity and resentment. Establish consistent baseline experiences for all employees, regardless of team or role.
Don't treat it as one-and-done
Welcome kits should be the first of many touchpoints celebrating and recognizing team members throughout their journey. Plan additional moments like 30-day, 90-day, or one-year anniversaries for supplementary recognition. Many companies use automated work anniversary programs, ensuring these touchpoints happen consistently.
Conclusion
Amazon's approach to new hire swag reflects their broader philosophy: focus resources on areas that directly impact customers, and maintain frugality elsewhere. This has helped them build one of the world's most efficient operations, but it also creates a clear opportunity for other companies to differentiate themselves through more thoughtful employee experiences.
The reality shared by Amazon employees on Blind, Quora, and Fishbowl is clear: new hires receive the basics they need to work, but little beyond that. For many employees, this aligns with expectations about Amazon's culture. For others, it feels like a missed opportunity to create excitement and belonging from day one.
Your company doesn't need Amazon's resources to create welcome experiences that make new hires feel valued. You need thoughtful product selection, consistent execution, and a genuine commitment to making people feel they made the right choice in joining your team. When you invest in quality welcome kits that balance practical utility with emotional connection, you create foundations for stronger engagement, faster cultural integration, and better long-term retention.
Ready to create a new hire swag program that goes beyond Amazon's minimalist approach? Book a demo to see how PerkUp can help you deliver exceptional welcome experiences to every new team member, no matter where they're located. With 60,000+ quality products, global shipping to 65+ countries, and no minimum orders, you can create the perfect welcome kit for teams of any size.
More like this
From team swag to event kits, discover what’s trending across global companies
Start sending incredible swag and gifts globally
Simplify and enhance your event swag and gifting experience for better retention, engagement and productivity.
Start sending incredible swag and gifts globally
Simplify and enhance your event swag and gifting experience for better retention, engagement and productivity.
Start sending incredible swag and gifts globally
Simplify and enhance your event swag and gifting experience for better retention, engagement and productivity.