What does a great “before your first day” email look like?
A “before your first day” email can not only get your new hire excited to start their new job but it can also act as the first step in their onboarding and help them hit the ground running.
But what should a great “before your first day” email look like? What exactly does it cover?
In this article, we’ll flesh out everything this email should include and provide a sample email that you can use as a template for your future new hires.
With that, let’s get started!
Greeting
Your greeting sets the tone of your email, so it’s best to give off a friendly and casual vibe here. Your new hire is already nervous enough for their first day. Ease those jitters by telling them how excited everyone is for them to join the team and giving them an overview of what this email will cover.
Remote/In-office Example
“Hey [Preferred Name]!
We’re so excited for you to join the team next week! As I mentioned in your welcome email, I’m here to help you get ready for your first day at [Company Name] and go over everything you need to know!
Time to show up at the office/online
When a new hire thinks about their first day, the first thing that usually pops into their mind is when they should start.
For remote employees, they’ll need to know where to sign in and who they’re supposed to meet with. Consider setting up a welcome chat with their manager first thing in the morning to knock out two birds with one stone.
For in-office new hires, they’re going to wonder how to get into the building, who will greet them at the door, and where they can park. There’s nothing worse than showing up to the office and having no idea how to get inside. Make sure to let your new hires know where they can park, how to get into the office, and that their manager will be there to greet them at the door
Remote Example
“Your first day will start at [time] on [date]. [New Hire’s Manager] will send you a calendar invite for a welcome chat, where you’ll meet your new team and run through the agenda for your first day.”
In-Office Example
“Your first day will start at [time] on [date]. You can park at the [Name] parking structure (before you get your parking pass, parking will be validated!) on [Intersection]. Your name will be at the front desk in the lobby. Just show them your ID, and they’ll grab an elevator for you.
[New Hire’s Manager] will greet you at the front doors of the office and take you to your desk, where you can drop your things off and then meet your team in the kitchen for a welcome breakfast!”
First day schedule
“I’ve found that new hires are typically anxious and want to know what to expect on their first day, so it can be helpful to present the onboarding program in a timeline format,” says Amanda Bowen, Operations and HR Generalist at Sora and Former People Ops Generalist at Plaid, in our blog post about scheduling the perfect first day for your new hire. “When they know what's coming up, the anxiety that they could miss something somewhere alleviates a ton.”
To alleviate a new hire’s anxiety about their day one expectations, check out our hour-by-hour guide for creating an ideal first day. Then, include their agenda in your email.
Remote/In-person example
“After your welcome chat, we have an exciting day planned for you! You’ll be in student-mode, soaking up a bunch of learnings about your team, our culture, and our mission. Here’s your schedule:
- Welcome chat/breakfast: 9:00 AM
- Get acquainted with tools: 10:00 AM
- Chat with manager about team structure/strategy: 11:00 AM
- Welcome lunch: 12:00 PM
- Company culture overview: 1:00 PM
- Benefits/I-9 overview: 2:00 PM
- Break: 2:30 PM
- High-level product and industry overview: 3:00 PM
- Break: 4:00 PM
- End of day check-in: 4:30 PM”
Things to bring on their first day
All of your new hires based in the United States need to fill out an I-9 to be eligible to work for your company. During your new hire’s first day, you can help them fill it out and then collect a hard copy of their employment eligibility and identity documents.
However, your new hires might not even know where these documents are or they might be at their parent’s house half-way across the country. Give your new hires some time to track them down by linking to a list of the documents that they’ll need on hand to fill out their I-9. The last thing you want is to put onboarding on pause because of paperwork.
Remote/In-person example
“We have just a bit of paperwork to get done on the first day, so please have an acceptable I-9 document(s) on hand so we can get that all squared away!”
Dress code
At most workplaces, a dress code might seem like an antiquated thing of the past. But some new hires, especially ones with less professional experience, might worry about the appropriate attire to wear at the office or even on Zoom.
Remote/In-person example
“If you’re wondering what to wear to work, we encourage you to express your own sense of style! From athleisure to business casual, feel free to rock an outfit within that range!”
Ask if they have any questions
Like we’ve mentioned before, new hires are naturally going to feel nervous about starting their new job, so they might have some questions that they might be hesitant to ask. Make sure they know that no question is too small.
You can also use these questions to refine your “before your first day” emails in the future. If you notice the same questions being asked, include the answers in your next set of emails.
Remote/In-person example
“And if you have any questions before then, don’t hesitate to email me about anything. No question is too small.”
Remote email template
“Hey [Preferred Name]!
We’re so excited for you to join the team next week! As I mentioned in your welcome email, I’m here to help you get ready for your first day at [Company Name] and go over everything you need to know!
Your first day will start at [time] on [date]. [New Hire’s Manager] will send you a calendar invite for a welcome chat, where you’ll meet your new team and run through the agenda for your first day.
After your welcome chat, we have an exciting day planned for you! You’ll be in student-mode, soaking up a bunch of learnings about your team, our culture, and our mission. Here’s your schedule:
- Welcome chat/breakfast: 9:00 AM
- Get acquainted with tools: 10:00 AM
- Chat with manager about team structure/strategy: 11:00 AM
- Welcome lunch: 12:00 PM
- Company culture overview: 1:00 PM
- Benefits/I-9 overview: 2:00 PM
- Break: 2:30 PM
- High-level product and industry overview: 3:00 PM
- Break: 4:00 PM
- End of day check-in: 4:30 PM
We have just a bit of paperwork to get done on the first day, so please have an acceptable I-9 document(s) on hand so we can get that all squared away!
If you’re wondering what to wear to work, we encourage you to express your own sense of style! From athleisure to business casual, feel free to rock an outfit within that range!
And if you have any questions before then, don’t hesitate to email me about anything. No question is too small.
We’re so excited for you to start next week! See you soon!
- [First Name]”
In-person email template
“Hey [Preferred Name]!
We’re so excited for you to join the team next week! As I mentioned in your welcome email, I’m here to help you get ready for your first day at [Company Name] and go over everything you need to know!
Your first day will start at [time] on [date]. You can park at the [Name] parking structure (before you get your parking pass, parking will be validated!) on [Intersection]. Your name will be at the front desk in the lobby. Just show them your ID, and they’ll grab an elevator for you.
[New Hire’s Manager] will greet you at the front doors of the office and take you to your desk, where you can drop your things off and then meet your team in the kitchen for a welcome breakfast!
After your welcome breakfast, we have an exciting day planned for you! You’ll be in student-mode, soaking up a bunch of learnings about your team, our culture, and our mission. Here’s your schedule:
- Welcome chat/breakfast: 9:00 AM
- Get acquainted with tools: 10:00 AM
- Chat with manager about team structure/strategy: 11:00 AM
- Welcome lunch: 12:00 PM
- Company culture overview: 1:00 PM
- Benefits/I-9 overview: 2:00 PM
- Break: 2:30 PM
- High-level product and industry overview: 3:00 PM
- Break: 4:00 PM
- End of day check-in: 4:30 PM
We have just a bit of paperwork to get done on the first day, so please have an acceptable I-9 document(s) on hand so we can get that all squared away!
If you’re wondering what to wear to work, we encourage you to express your own sense of style! From athleisure to business casual, feel free to rock an outfit within that range!
And if you have any questions before then, don’t hesitate to email me about anything. No question is too small.
We’re so excited for you to start next week! See you soon!
- [First Name]”
