Welcome letter.
A short welcome letter from the hiring manager — sent the morning of day 1. Tone matters more than length; the template is two paragraphs and a logistics block.
Dear [First Name], Welcome to [Company Name]. I'm glad you're starting today, and I'm looking forward to working with you on [specific thing — the project, the team mission, the outcome you discussed at interview]. The team has been ready for someone with your [skill / experience], and I'm confident this is going to be a good fit on both sides…
What's inside the document.
From the manager; addressed to the new hire by name; dated to the start date.
Why you hired this person; what you're looking forward to; one sincere line of welcome.
What today looks like, what the first week looks like, who they'll meet.
Buddy's name and contact, the 1:1 cadence, where to ask questions, how to flag anything they need.
Manager signature with a short personal note. Avoid corporate sign-offs.
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — print or share with managers
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
Three formats, one document.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
4 steps from download to use.
- 01Draft this letter when the offer is accepted, not on day 1.
- 02Read it aloud — if a sentence feels corporate, cut it.
- 03Send first thing on day 1 (or place printed on the desk for in-person hires).
- 04Keep it to one page. The relationship grows in conversations, not letters.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this letter for every new hire. It is the manager's first written artefact in the relationship and shapes the tone of the next 90 days.
For executive hires, the welcome letter often comes from the CEO or chair instead; the structure is the same, the names change.
Honest answers before you download.
- Should the letter be personal or formal?
- Personal. Use the new hire's first name, mention something specific from the interview process, name one thing you're looking forward to. Corporate-template welcome letters do more harm than no letter at all.
- Is one page too short?
- No — one page is the right length. Longer letters read as performative; shorter ones read as effortful.
- When should I send it?
- First thing on day 1. Earlier is fine too; later defeats the purpose.
This welcome letter template is a professionally drafted starting point and is not legal advice. The clauses follow current US and AU practice; adapt the document for your specific jurisdiction and have qualified counsel review any clauses you add before signing or distributing. Full disclaimer.