Eco-friendly onboarding: how to make the best first impression on new employees

Onboarding is much more than filling in forms and getting an email account. It is the moment a professional decides, emotionally, whether joining your company was the right call. That moment can last minutes or weeks, but it is built from the first physical contact.

An eco-friendly onboarding programme sends a powerful message: «People and the planet matter here.» It is not an extra cost, it is an investment in commitment from day one.

What an eco-friendly onboarding looks like

Before the first day

Onboarding starts before the new hire sets foot in the office:

• Welcome email with the agenda for the first day and a mention of the sustainable welcome pack waiting for them.
• Delivery to their home (optional): if you work in a hybrid model, sending the pack to the employee’s address before their first day creates a considerable wow effect.

First day: the welcome pack

The star moment. When the new team member arrives at their desk, physical or virtual, they find a pack waiting for them:

• Personalised stainless steel bottle with their name or the team’s initials.
• Recycled paper notebook with the first week’s agenda printed inside.
• Bamboo pen with the company logo.
• Ceramic mug for their desk.
• Welcome card signed by the team on recycled paper.

First week: practical extras

• Recycled PET lanyard with their ID card.
• Organic cotton backpack or bag for the commute.
• Wooden USB drive with documentation, guides and internal resources.

First month: the settling-in gift

• Organic cotton team t-shirt with a design that reflects the internal culture.
• An invitation to a team breakfast or lunch with reusable tableware, not disposables.

The return on onboarding done well

A Brandon Hall Group study found that companies with a robust onboarding programme improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by 70%. The cost of an eco-friendly welcome pack (20-50 EUR) is negligible next to the cost of a bad hire, which runs between 6 and 18 months of salary.

Personalisation that makes it human

What separates a memorable onboarding from a generic one is personalisation:

• Put the new employee’s name on the bottle or the card.
• Add a handwritten note from their direct manager.
• Personalise the notebook agenda with the key meetings of the first week.
• Include a team photo with a welcome message.

Remote onboarding: why delivery matters

For remote or hybrid employees, sending the welcome pack to their home matters even more. It is the only physical contact with the company in those first days. Looking after the unboxing experience, with well presented kraft packaging, is essential.

Set up your eco-friendly onboarding

Browse our catalogue and pick the products for your onboarding programme. We can prepare a stock of ready-to-use packs, so every new joiner gets their kit straight away.

Want to design an onboarding programme with sustainable merchandise? Get in touch and we will help you create a welcome experience your new employees will remember.