Onboarding Gift for New Employees: What Works and What Doesn't (2026)

Welcoming a new colleague on their first day with a gift has become standard at many companies. A welcome package on the desk, a warm note, something personal. It works, but only if you do it right. A poorly chosen welcome kit feels obligatory and cheap, a well-chosen one sets the tone for the entire work relationship.

We are the makers of MOYU. Our notebooks are used by many companies in onboarding kits (B Corps, scale-ups, corporates) and over the years we have seen well what does and does not work. In this article we share what we have learned.

Why an onboarding gift in the first place?

The first day at work is nerve-wracking for most people. You do not know anyone, you do not know your way around, you have no idea how the coffee machine works. A welcome gift is a small gesture that says: we were expecting you, we are glad you are here.

But it is more than that. Research from Glassdoor, BambooHR and others consistently shows that good onboarding correlates with retention. People who feel welcome in the first week are more often still employed after a year. A welcome gift alone does not solve that, but it is part of the signal you send.

For employer branding it also counts. Many new hires share their "first day pic" on LinkedIn. A nicely personalized package generates organic visibility, without you having to spend on advertising.

What works

Something they actually use

The best onboarding gifts are practical. A notebook, a good water bottle, an agenda, headphones, a desk plant. Something that sits on the desk in the first few weeks and reminds them of the welcome.

Something that fits what the company does

Work at a sustainable coffee roaster? Surprise with your own packaging of coffee and a filter. Work at a sustainability consultancy? Do not give plastic merch but something with substantiated impact data. The message "we stand for something" gets stronger when the gift supports it.

Make it personal

Name on the gift, a handwritten card from the manager, or even a short video message. This is worth more than the gift itself.

Locally or sustainably sourced

For companies with a CSR statement this is logical. For others it is becoming increasingly important because employees (especially millennials and Gen Z) pay attention to this more often.

What does not work

• Generic packages from budget suppliers (umbrella with logo, pen, mug). Feels like an obligatory gesture without care.
• Gift cards for large retailers. Practical but impersonal.
• Gifts that are too expensive for new hires you do not yet know fit the role. Sets the relationship at an unnatural level immediately.
• Edible gifts without considering diet or allergies. Will go wrong sooner or later.
• Giving nothing to people starting remote because they are not physically in the office. Especially then, send something to their home.

Budget per new employee

What we see in practice:

• Junior / entry-level positions: 25 to 50 euros
• Medior and senior positions: 40 to 80 euros
• Leadership and management: 60 to 120 euros

The difference does not have to be big (you do not want to create status differences on day 1) but it can reflect what is appropriate. A second principle: account for your hire rate. If you hire 200 people per year, an 80-euro package per person is 16,000 euros per year. Choose what fits your scale.

What goes into a good onboarding kit?

A typical structure we see often:

• A welcome card from the team or manager (costs nothing, adds the most)
• Something practical and branded (notebook, water bottle, T-shirt or hoodie)
• Something personal or tasty (chocolate, tea pack, local product)
• Practical info (first-day guide, wifi codes, coffee explanation)
• Optionally: a swag item they want to show on LinkedIn (sticker, gadget)

Not everything has to be included. A good package is better than a full one.

Practical example: a MOYU onboarding notebook

Many of our customers use a personalized MOYU notebook in their onboarding kit. A few reasons:

• Practical: a new hire takes many notes in the first weeks (about processes, names, tasks). A physical notebook works better than digital only.
• Sustainable to substantiate: a reusable notebook instead of paper notebooks. We provide an impact certificate per order for MVO comms.
• Personalizable: full-color cover personalization from 25 units, production time 6-8 working days.
• Scalable: for scale-ups that hire 10-50 new people per month, we can manage stock and deliver on demand.

Tip from experience: ask the manager to write a personal note on the first page before the notebook is handed over. It makes the difference.

Remote and hybrid: what then?

More companies are hiring people who work from home for the first days or weeks. A few things to consider:

• Send the gift to their home on time, so it is there on the first day (or better, the day before).
• Wrap it nicely. It is their unboxing moment.
• Add something that does not only function in the office (a notebook works at home too, an ergonomic desk accessory same).
• Do not act as if remote starters are less welcome. Better something slightly more expensive and thoughtful.

Common mistakes

• Arranging too late. A new hire arrives in two weeks and HR only starts purchasing the week before.
• Gift not ready on day 1. That is an instant disappointment.
• Not distinguishing between onboarding gift and Christmas package. Both necessary, different moments.
• Forgetting it is season-dependent. A T-shirt is not handy in December. A mug with "Christmas 2025" is not handy in July.
• Underestimating how often it gets photographed. A welcome kit that looks good works as free marketing.

In closing

An onboarding gift is not a formality. It is a translation of what your company says it is into what you do when someone new comes in. Do it right, or do not do it.

For companies that want to work with MOYU in their onboarding: requests go through moyu-notebooks.com/nl/zakelijk. For the per-order impact certificate: moyu-notebooks.com/nl/zakelijk/impact-certificate.