What to Include in an Employee Onboarding Kit: 25 Real Examples (2026)
What to Include in an Employee Onboarding Kit: 25 Real Examples (2026)
What to Include in an Employee Onboarding Kit: 25 Real Examples (2026)
5
Min Read
A new hire's first impression of your company is not formed in their first meeting or their first Slack message. It is formed the moment they open their employee onboarding kit. That box sitting on their desk or arriving at their door before day one communicates everything about how the company thinks about its people.
Most onboarding kits are assembled rather than designed. Someone orders a hoodie, a notebook, and a water bottle, puts them in a box, and ships them out. Fine. But fine does not build loyalty, does not get shared on LinkedIn, and does not make a new hire feel like they made the right choice.
This guide covers everything you need to know about building an employee onboarding kit that actually works: what to include, how to structure it by budget, how to handle remote teams, and 25 real examples from companies including Google, Slack, Nike, and Meta that show exactly what the best brands put in their welcome packs.
What to Include in an Employee Onboarding Kit
The goal is not to include the most items. It is to include the right ones: things that make a new hire feel expected, equipped, and part of something from day one.
Every strong employee welcome kit covers three needs: practical so they can do their job, cultural so they feel part of the team, and personal so they feel seen as a person rather than a headcount.
1. A Personalized Welcome Letter
This is the single most important item in any onboarding kit and the one most often done badly.
A generic welcome card is worse than no card because it signals that the kit was assembled for a headcount, not for a person.
A personalized note that references the new hire's specific role, background, or what the company is excited about communicates that someone stopped to think about them specifically.
Write it individually. Even if it takes ten minutes per hire, the impact is worth it.
2. Branded Apparel
A premium hoodie, organic cotton tee, or quality sweatshirt is the cultural item that earns the most immediate daily visibility.
When a new hire wears it to a coffee shop or on a video call with a friend, your brand travels with them.
Quality matters enormously here. A cheap branded tee communicates the same indifference as the generic welcome card.
For a breakdown of which apparel styles work best for different team types, see our guide to custom hoodies for branded swag.
3. A Quality Notebook
Notebooks get used from day one through every meeting, sprint, and brainstorming session that follows.
A well-made notebook with a customized cover or debossed branding communicates quality without shouting it.
The Bespoke Hardcover Notebook with FSC-certified paper and a foil or debossed cover is the premium version. A standard Hardcover in 100% recycled paper is the volume option. Either is better than nothing.
4. Branded Drinkware
A water bottle or tumbler earns permanent desk space, travels to meetings and commutes, and generates brand impressions every single day.
The Stanley Quencher, Dopper Original, or Active Bottle each communicate different things about your brand's values and positioning.
Choose the one that matches your brand rather than defaulting to whatever is cheapest.
5. Tech Accessories
A 6-in-1 charging cable, a magnetic phone stand, or a powerbank solves an immediate daily problem. T
ech accessories have the highest perceived value per pound of any item in an onboarding kit and the highest daily use frequency.
For remote employees especially, a charging cable or laptop stand communicates that the company has thought about how they will actually work.
6. Bespoke Socks
This sounds like a small addition. It is not. C
ustom socks with the company's brand colors and logo woven into the fabric are consistently the most photographed and most shared item in any onboarding kit.
They communicate personality. They say the company has a sense of itself beyond a logo on a hoodie. Include them.
7. Eco-Friendly Packaging
The box itself is the first physical touchpoint.
A branded mailer box or recycled paper fill that matches your brand color communicates quality before anything inside is seen.
Non-recyclable packaging undermines any eco-friendly products inside it. For a broader look at sustainable options across every product category, see our guide to eco-friendly corporate swag.
What Not to Include in an Onboarding Kit
The items below consistently underperform in new hire welcome kits. They are not necessarily bad products. They are just wrong for this moment.
Stress balls and novelty items: they communicate a lack of thought about the recipient's actual daily life.
Cheap branded pens: the quality of a pen is immediately felt. A cheap pen says your brand does not care about the details. If you include a pen, make it a Waterman.
Generic chocolate or sweets without a story: food items work in onboarding kits when they have a brand behind them (Tony's Chocolonely with a custom wrapper) or a sustainability story (Unwaste Soap). Generic supermarket sweets do not.
Too many items: a kit with 15 items feels like a clearing of the warehouse. Six well-chosen items feel intentional. Choose fewer things and choose better.
Employee Onboarding Kit Budget Guide
The right budget depends on the seniority of the hire, the size of your program, and what you want the kit to communicate.
Here is a practical starting framework.
Budget per person | What to include | Best for |
Under €50 | Bespoke Socks + 6-in-1 Charging Cable + Hardcover Notebook + welcome letter | Volume programs, high-frequency hiring |
€50 to €100 | Classic Hoodie + Felt Desk Pad + Dopper Original + Bespoke Socks + Hardcover Notebook + welcome letter | Standard onboarding for most team types |
€100 to €150 | Premium Hoodie + Felt Desk Pad + Moleskine Notebook + 6-in-1 Cable + Ceramic Vintage Mug + Bespoke Socks + welcome letter | Mid-senior hires, tech and SaaS teams |
€150 and above | Premium Hoodie + Universal Laptop Stand + LARQ Bottle or Fresh 'n Rebel Headphones + Bespoke Hardcover Notebook + Full Color Mousemat + welcome letter in custom branded packaging | Senior hires, executive onboarding, roles with high retention stakes |
How to Build an Onboarding Kit for Remote Employees
Remote employee onboarding kits have a harder job than in-office ones. They arrive in someone's personal space, competing with everything else in their home for attention and permanence.
The bar for quality is higher, the relevance needs to be sharper, and the timing matters more.
For a full breakdown of which products work best for home office environments, how to structure remote care packages beyond onboarding, and kit combinations at every budget tier, see our dedicated guide to remote work gifts and WFH swag.
Ship Before Day One
A remote onboarding kit that arrives after the first day has missed its moment.
The new hire has already formed their first impression of the company without any physical input from you.
Ship at least three working days before the start date and follow up to confirm delivery.
Prioritize Home Office Upgrades
The best remote onboarding kits include at least one item that genuinely improves the recipient's working environment in a way they would not have done for themselves.
These may include a Felt Desk Pad, a Universal Laptop Stand, a magnetic phone charging stand, or a Full Color Mousemat.
These sit permanently on the desk and generate daily brand impressions in every video call and working session.
Include Audio for Virtual Presence
For remote employees whose primary interface with colleagues and clients is a video call, audio quality is a meaningful upgrade.
Fresh 'n Rebel Noise Cancelling Headphones or JBL Earbuds in an onboarding kit communicate that the company cares about how the new hire shows up professionally, not just how they feel about the brand.
Make the Welcome Letter Count More
In a home environment, the personalized note lands with more emotional weight than it does in an office.
A generic welcome card sent to a home is more obviously generic than one placed on an office desk surrounded by colleagues.
Write specifically. Reference the role, the team, what you are building, and what the hire brings. This single action separates a well-built remote kit from one that just happens to be well-packaged.
25 Real Employee Onboarding Kit Examples from Top Companies
If you still have no clue on how to start, and you need more inspiration, here’s a list of new-hire welcome kit examples of different companies.
Some boxes are more creative containing some unique items, while others are more traditional.
The important thing is that the boxes capture the spirit of their company with the design and product choices!
The best onboarding kits reinforce brand identity through the strategic placement of logos on items like tumblers, notebooks, and tech gadgets, and thoughtfully reflect the brand's culture by aligning with core values such as sustainability and well-being.
BCG Onboarding Kit
The consulting firm BCG welcomes new team members with a clean, professional set of branded swag.
Each item, including the water bottle, cotton tote bag, insulated coffee cup, pen, and notebook, features the company logo to reinforce brand identity from the first day.
The addition of mints and hand sanitizer ensures new hires are ready for client meetings immediately. The kit communicates professionalism above all else, which aligns precisely with BCG's brand.
Canon Onboarding Kit
Canon’s welcome kit opens with a box designed to look like a camera, an immediate brand statement before a single item is seen.
Inside: a polo shirt, pen drive, pencil, notebook, sticker set, and other quality items, each positioned carefully within the box.
The meticulous presentation mirrors Canon's reputation for precision and attention to detail in its core product line.
Brooks Onboarding Kit
Ready to be part of the Run Happy Team? Brooks offers a full running kit to encourage their new employees to focus on fitness and active lifestyles.
The box contains various printed t-shirts, a hat, and different sporty items. This aligns with Brooks’ brand ethos of promoting health and happiness through running, and reflects the company's mission and values by fostering a sense of belonging and reinforcing their commitment to wellness.
Google Onboarding Kit
The playful and practical items in the “Noogler Welcome Kit” feature a design that reinforces Google's brand identity, mirroring Google’s innovative culture and encouraging creativity and collaboration among newcomers.
This onboarding kit contains a pair of polka-dot socks, a t-shirt, a tea mug, and a plastic water bottle.
These items are designed to make new hires feel part of the Google family while promoting a fun and engaging work environment.
Meta Onboarding Kit
With items showcasing the new branding and prominently featuring the company logo to reinforce Meta's brand identity, Meta’s kit serves not just as a welcome gesture but also as a symbol of the company’s evolution, inviting employees to be part of its new chapter.
The welcome kit includes comfortable items perfect for work-from-home employees, designed to make them feel part of the team even when they are away from the office.
L'Oréal Onboarding Kit
L’Oréal opted for a self-care pack that reflects the brand’s culture and company's values, encouraging new employees to prioritize their well-being as they join the company.
The kit includes wellness products as part of the self-care pack, supporting health and relaxation from day one.
All items that the company chose for the onboarding process are eco-sustainable from the water bottle to the tote bag. This reflects L’Oréal’s commitment to sustainability and employee well-being.
Shopee Onboarding Kit
The signature orange hue and prominent company logo on Shopee’s welcome kit reinforce the brand’s identity, visually communicating the brand’s energetic and dynamic culture and making new hires feel immediately integrated into the company’s vibrant community.
The box contains a t-shirt, tote bag, notebook, pen, and a leather ID tag holder, each featuring the company logo to strengthen brand recognition and consistency.
These items are both practical and stylish, ensuring that new employees are well-equipped and proud to represent Shopee.
Aimbulance Onboarding Kit
This box is replaced by an alternative plastic bag, which contains a water bottle, notebook, and pens.
However, the best part is the “Care Book,” a guide book with 100 tips for everyday work life, from how to set up meetings to where to find cookies.
This thoughtful inclusion adds a personal touch to the onboarding kit, showing Aimbulance’s dedication to supporting its employees’ daily work-life needs.
Just Eat Onboarding Kit
The choice to use recycled materials for the welcome kit’s items reflects the company's values by demonstrating Just Eat’s dedication to sustainability, aligning new employees with the company’s environmental values from day one.
Best swag item: the “cutting edge” to cut pizza ❤️🔥 🍕
Uber Onboarding Kit
By providing a mix of branded wearables and practical items, Uber’s welcome kit remains minimalist, with the kit’s design and prominent company logo reinforcing Uber’s brand identity.
This kit includes a hoodie, a hat, a pen drive, a notebook, a pen, and a backpack equipped with drawstrings. The minimalist design and functional items reflect Uber’s efficient and modern approach to business.
Wrike Onboarding Kit
Offering a well-rounded onboarding kit that includes employee welcome gifts, along with celebrating significant hiring milestones, Wrike emphasizes its value on employee recognition and creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere for every new team member.
New hires are welcomed with a complete kit that features a cotton tote bag, a t-shirt, a pair of socks, a mug, a planner, a pen, and a pencil.
DigitalOcean Onboarding Kit
DigitalOcean is one of the most popular hosting providers in the world. Their way of welcoming new hires doesn’t go unnoticed.
They attach balloons to the desks of new employees, and they give them packs of t-shirts, huge funny plush slippers, and metal water bottles, along with office essentials and office supplies to help new hires feel prepared.
SEGA Onboarding Kit
Adding a touch of nostalgia to our list of employee welcome kit ideas, the Japanese video game company SEGA offers its new hires a set of bags, notebooks, a water bottle, a sticker, some comics and, the icing on the cake, a portrait of the iconic Sonic.
This unique and playful kit reflects SEGA’s rich history and beloved gaming culture, while the strategic placement of SEGA logos on the swag helps reinforce the company's brand identity.
Element Three Onboarding Kit
Another good example of a new hire welcome kit comes from Element Three, an American marketing agency.
Its mascot, an elephant, along with the company logo, is nicely represented in a color-coordinated set that contains stickers, a t-shirt, a pendant, a pen, notepads, and a water bottle, all reinforcing Element Three's brand identity. Here the main character is the mascot.
If your company has a mascot this box is the perfect inspo for you!
Ogilvy & Mather Onboarding Kit
This company is one of the most well-known marketing and PR agencies in the world. Their onboarding kit stands out to be very stylish and aesthetic.
The new hire is welcomed with an exclusive copy of a secret red book, written by David Ogilvy, the founder of the company. This book isn’t available in stores, and you can only get it if you work at the agency.
Ogilvy uses a very good method to increase loyalty, starting from an employee’s first steps in the company.
Rocket Genius Onboarding Kit
The inclusion of a glass as a piece of branded drinkware, along with typical swag items, adds a personal and celebratory touch, welcoming new hires to the team in a manner that suggests they are valued and a reason for celebration.
The rest of the items are a cap, a jumper, a t-shirt, a mug, and various stickers. This kit combines practicality with a festive spirit, making new hires feel special. Great welcome kit by Rocket Genius.
Boxer Property Onboarding Kit
Choosing branded drinkware—a stainless travel tumbler featuring the company logo—for their welcome kit, Boxer Property adds a unique and practical element that sets their onboarding experience apart, promoting utility and brand visibility in everyday use.
Their welcome kit also contains a formal polo instead of a typical t-shirt, a notebook + pen and some funny customised cards.
Percolate Onboarding Kit
Marketing technology company Percolate takes the onboarding kit tradition to another level.
Before their initial day, new employees receive a welcome box that includes notebooks, pens, a mouse pad, and a stainless water bottle.
In addition to the other items, Percolate decided to include homemade granola for its new employees! This combination of practical items and personal touches helps new hires feel valued and well-prepared.
Boxed Onboarding Kit
The company delivers wholesale goods and products in boxes.
So of course their new employee welcome kit is packaged in their signature box, which is a smaller version than the one that Boxed clients are familiar with.
The box contains various colourful items for the office desk, including office essentials such as sticky notes.
Deloitte Onboarding Kit
Deloitte wants to distinguish itself as a company that takes care of its employees with its welcome pack, which includes wellness products and ergonomic desk accessories.
It contains an anti-stress ball, as well as an elastic band to relax during difficult moments, branded drinkware in the form of a water bottle, a pen, and a notebook.
This thoughtful welcome kit shows Deloitte’s commitment to employee well-being and productivity.
Apollo Onboarding Kit
Apollo, on the other hand, ensures its new hire has enough time to relax. The box contains a fluffy and warm wearable blanket perfect for a cosy reading session!
This unique item reflects Apollo's focus on comfort and employee satisfaction, ensuring new hires feel welcomed and cared for.
Branch Onboarding Kit
Branch is a mobile marketing service that was founded in 2014.
They decided to welcome their new hires with all the swag displayed on their desks: the clothes are folded, and the poems, notebooks, water bottles, and books are geometrically displayed.
This visually appealing setup makes new hires feel appreciated and excited to join the team, while the branded items featuring the company logo help reinforce Branch's brand identity.
Similarweb Onboarding Kit
Similarweb took the same decision as the company mentioned above, deciding to display all the swag on the desk.
The new hire is welcomed with a classic onboarding kit: branded t-shirt, socks, pen, chocolate, and a backpack.
This simple yet effective approach ensures new hires feel ready and motivated for their new role.
Slack Onboarding Kit
Slack’s onboarding kit mirrors its playful and collaborative culture with a vibrant laptop sleeve, branded drinkware in the form of an insulated drink bottle, a customized “My Paper HQ” notebook, and a candle labeled “A job well done.”
The welcome cards, which include a welcome note, and the candle add a personal touch, while QR codes for resources complete the set, helping new hires feel supported and inspired from day one.
Nike Onboarding Kit
The athletic spirit of Nike shows through in its onboarding kit, welcoming new hires with a sleek messenger bag, a drawstring pouch, a branded mug, and a Jordan notepad.
Collector pins, vibrant stickers, a shoehorn, and engraved keychains featuring the company logo complete the set. This kit reinforces Nike’s brand identity, reflecting its culture of performance and bold innovation.
How to Build Your Own Onboarding Kit with Monday Merch
Monday Merch handles every step of the onboarding kit process: product selection, custom design, production, warehousing, and direct-to-address fulfillment across 65 countries.
You brief the team once, the kits are held in the warehouse, and when a new hire joins, you send the address and the pack ships directly to their door, whether that is a London office or a remote employee's home in Lisbon.
Here are the products that consistently perform best across Monday Merch onboarding programs:
Apparel
Premium Hoodie
85% organic cotton, 15% recycled polyester. The most mentioned unprompted positive feedback item across Monday Merch onboarding programs.
Classic Hoodie
Recycled and organic cotton blend at a more accessible price point for volume programs.
Bespoke Socks
Fully customizable with brand colors and logo woven into the fabric. The highest social-sharing item in any kit.
Premium Women's T-Shirt
100% organic cotton in a women's-specific cut. Communicates that the kit was chosen for who the person is.
Desk and Home Office
Bespoke Hardcover Notebook
FSC-certified paper, recycled cardboard cover, debossed or foil branding options. The premium stationery choice for senior hire kits.
Felt Desk Pad
GRS-certified recycled felt that earns permanent workspace placement. Highest sustained daily brand visibility of any desk item.
Waterman Allure Set
A genuine step above standard corporate pens. Pairs with any notebook to create a premium desk set.
Tech
6-in-1 Charging Cable
Recycled aluminium and recycled plastic. Replaces the cable tangle on every home desk immediately.
Universal Laptop and Tablet Stand
RCS-certified recycled aluminium with eight adjustable angles. The ergonomic upgrade most remote workers mean to buy and never do.
Magnetic Wireless Charging Phone Stand 15W
Fast wireless charging that keeps a phone upright and visible throughout the workday.
Drinkware
Dopper Original 450 ml
Three-part construction with a lid that doubles as a cup. BPA-free and conversation-starting by design.
Stanley Quencher Tumbler
Made from 100% recycled stainless steel. The most culturally recognized drinkware product in corporate gifting right now.
Active Bottle 500 ml
100% recycled PET, compact, and eco-credentialed. The volume drinkware option for large onboarding programs.
Onboarding Kit Products for Remote Employees
For remote hires, every product needs to earn its place in a home environment rather than an office.
The following additions are specifically well-suited to remote onboarding kits. For a full breakdown of how home office gifting works, see our guide to remote work gifts and WFH swag.
Full Color Mousemat
Visible in the background of every video call the new hire takes. High brand visibility for zero ongoing cost.
Moleskine Smart Notebook
A recognised quality brand that remote employees associate with professional thinking. Stronger brand signal than a standard notebook.
Large Premium Candle
Soy wax, reusable glass jar. Creates a working atmosphere shift that earns immediate use and placement in the home workspace.
Fresh 'n Rebel Noise Cancelling Headphones
Up to 30 hours playback, ANC technology. Communicates that the company invests in how remote employees show up professionally on calls.
Soft Blanket
GRS-certified recycled polyester. For remote employees whose sofa or desk chair is their primary workspace, a quality blanket earns permanent placement and daily brand visibility in the background of every video call.
How to Send Onboarding Kits at Scale
Managing a growing onboarding program manually, ordering per hire, coordinating shipping and handling sizing exchanges, becomes increasingly difficult as teams grow.
Monday Merch’s warehousing and distribution platform solves this by keeping stock centralized and ready to send whenever a new hire joins. You order once, share the recipient address when needed, and Monday Merch handles packing, shipping, customs documentation and per-recipient tracking to over 65 countries.
The same setup can also support employee appreciation gifts throughout the year, making it easier to recognize milestones, celebrate achievements and send thoughtful gifts without rebuilding the process every time.
Ready to build your employee onboarding kit? Browse all onboarding products or get in touch with the Monday Merch team for free custom designs and a quote within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be in an employee onboarding kit?
A strong employee onboarding kit includes a personalized welcome letter, branded apparel (hoodie or quality tee), a notebook, drinkware, at least one tech accessory, and bespoke socks. The best kits balance practical items that equip the new hire for their job with cultural items that make them feel part of the team. Quality matters more than quantity: six well-chosen items beat fifteen average ones.
How much should you spend on an onboarding kit?
A useful range: under €50 for high-volume programs with frequent hiring, €50 to €100 for standard onboarding across most team types, €100 to €150 for mid-senior hires and tech teams with higher quality expectations, and €150 and above for senior hires and executive onboarding where the kit needs to match the quality of the role.
When should you send a new hire welcome kit?
A new hire welcome kit should ideally arrive before the employee’s first day or at the latest during their first week. For remote employees, sending it a few working days before they start works especially well, as it helps them feel included before they officially join. For office-based teams, the kit can be placed on their desk as part of the first-day experience.
How do you send onboarding kits to remote employees?
Ship directly to the home address at least three working days before the start date. Prioritize items that improve the home office environment: a Felt Desk Pad, a laptop stand, a magnetic phone stand, quality headphones. Include a handwritten or individually composed welcome note that references something specific about their role. Monday Merch's warehousing and distribution platform handles fulfillment to any address worldwide.
What is the difference between an onboarding kit and a welcome pack?
They are often used interchangeably. In practice, an onboarding kit tends to refer to the full set of materials a new hire receives including documents, login credentials, and physical items. A welcome pack or welcome kit more specifically refers to the physical branded swag and gifts. This guide focuses on the physical branded element.
Should onboarding kits be the same for every employee?
A consistent base kit ensures everyone receives the same quality and cultural signal regardless of role or seniority. Tiering on top of the base kit makes sense for specific role types: a more premium kit for senior hires, a remote-specific kit for distributed employees, or a department-specific kit that includes role-relevant items. The base should be universal. The additions can be contextual.
How can companies manage onboarding kits at scale?
Companies can manage onboarding kits at scale by ordering stock in advance, storing it centrally and shipping each kit on demand when a new hire joins. This avoids ordering from scratch every time and keeps the experience consistent across teams, countries and hiring volumes. The same setup can also support employee appreciation gifts, milestone gifts and internal recognition moments throughout the year, making it easier to manage more than just onboarding from one fulfillment process.
A new hire's first impression of your company is not formed in their first meeting or their first Slack message. It is formed the moment they open their employee onboarding kit. That box sitting on their desk or arriving at their door before day one communicates everything about how the company thinks about its people.
Most onboarding kits are assembled rather than designed. Someone orders a hoodie, a notebook, and a water bottle, puts them in a box, and ships them out. Fine. But fine does not build loyalty, does not get shared on LinkedIn, and does not make a new hire feel like they made the right choice.
This guide covers everything you need to know about building an employee onboarding kit that actually works: what to include, how to structure it by budget, how to handle remote teams, and 25 real examples from companies including Google, Slack, Nike, and Meta that show exactly what the best brands put in their welcome packs.
What to Include in an Employee Onboarding Kit
The goal is not to include the most items. It is to include the right ones: things that make a new hire feel expected, equipped, and part of something from day one.
Every strong employee welcome kit covers three needs: practical so they can do their job, cultural so they feel part of the team, and personal so they feel seen as a person rather than a headcount.
1. A Personalized Welcome Letter
This is the single most important item in any onboarding kit and the one most often done badly.
A generic welcome card is worse than no card because it signals that the kit was assembled for a headcount, not for a person.
A personalized note that references the new hire's specific role, background, or what the company is excited about communicates that someone stopped to think about them specifically.
Write it individually. Even if it takes ten minutes per hire, the impact is worth it.
2. Branded Apparel
A premium hoodie, organic cotton tee, or quality sweatshirt is the cultural item that earns the most immediate daily visibility.
When a new hire wears it to a coffee shop or on a video call with a friend, your brand travels with them.
Quality matters enormously here. A cheap branded tee communicates the same indifference as the generic welcome card.
For a breakdown of which apparel styles work best for different team types, see our guide to custom hoodies for branded swag.
3. A Quality Notebook
Notebooks get used from day one through every meeting, sprint, and brainstorming session that follows.
A well-made notebook with a customized cover or debossed branding communicates quality without shouting it.
The Bespoke Hardcover Notebook with FSC-certified paper and a foil or debossed cover is the premium version. A standard Hardcover in 100% recycled paper is the volume option. Either is better than nothing.
4. Branded Drinkware
A water bottle or tumbler earns permanent desk space, travels to meetings and commutes, and generates brand impressions every single day.
The Stanley Quencher, Dopper Original, or Active Bottle each communicate different things about your brand's values and positioning.
Choose the one that matches your brand rather than defaulting to whatever is cheapest.
5. Tech Accessories
A 6-in-1 charging cable, a magnetic phone stand, or a powerbank solves an immediate daily problem. T
ech accessories have the highest perceived value per pound of any item in an onboarding kit and the highest daily use frequency.
For remote employees especially, a charging cable or laptop stand communicates that the company has thought about how they will actually work.
6. Bespoke Socks
This sounds like a small addition. It is not. C
ustom socks with the company's brand colors and logo woven into the fabric are consistently the most photographed and most shared item in any onboarding kit.
They communicate personality. They say the company has a sense of itself beyond a logo on a hoodie. Include them.
7. Eco-Friendly Packaging
The box itself is the first physical touchpoint.
A branded mailer box or recycled paper fill that matches your brand color communicates quality before anything inside is seen.
Non-recyclable packaging undermines any eco-friendly products inside it. For a broader look at sustainable options across every product category, see our guide to eco-friendly corporate swag.
What Not to Include in an Onboarding Kit
The items below consistently underperform in new hire welcome kits. They are not necessarily bad products. They are just wrong for this moment.
Stress balls and novelty items: they communicate a lack of thought about the recipient's actual daily life.
Cheap branded pens: the quality of a pen is immediately felt. A cheap pen says your brand does not care about the details. If you include a pen, make it a Waterman.
Generic chocolate or sweets without a story: food items work in onboarding kits when they have a brand behind them (Tony's Chocolonely with a custom wrapper) or a sustainability story (Unwaste Soap). Generic supermarket sweets do not.
Too many items: a kit with 15 items feels like a clearing of the warehouse. Six well-chosen items feel intentional. Choose fewer things and choose better.
Employee Onboarding Kit Budget Guide
The right budget depends on the seniority of the hire, the size of your program, and what you want the kit to communicate.
Here is a practical starting framework.
Budget per person | What to include | Best for |
Under €50 | Bespoke Socks + 6-in-1 Charging Cable + Hardcover Notebook + welcome letter | Volume programs, high-frequency hiring |
€50 to €100 | Classic Hoodie + Felt Desk Pad + Dopper Original + Bespoke Socks + Hardcover Notebook + welcome letter | Standard onboarding for most team types |
€100 to €150 | Premium Hoodie + Felt Desk Pad + Moleskine Notebook + 6-in-1 Cable + Ceramic Vintage Mug + Bespoke Socks + welcome letter | Mid-senior hires, tech and SaaS teams |
€150 and above | Premium Hoodie + Universal Laptop Stand + LARQ Bottle or Fresh 'n Rebel Headphones + Bespoke Hardcover Notebook + Full Color Mousemat + welcome letter in custom branded packaging | Senior hires, executive onboarding, roles with high retention stakes |
How to Build an Onboarding Kit for Remote Employees
Remote employee onboarding kits have a harder job than in-office ones. They arrive in someone's personal space, competing with everything else in their home for attention and permanence.
The bar for quality is higher, the relevance needs to be sharper, and the timing matters more.
For a full breakdown of which products work best for home office environments, how to structure remote care packages beyond onboarding, and kit combinations at every budget tier, see our dedicated guide to remote work gifts and WFH swag.
Ship Before Day One
A remote onboarding kit that arrives after the first day has missed its moment.
The new hire has already formed their first impression of the company without any physical input from you.
Ship at least three working days before the start date and follow up to confirm delivery.
Prioritize Home Office Upgrades
The best remote onboarding kits include at least one item that genuinely improves the recipient's working environment in a way they would not have done for themselves.
These may include a Felt Desk Pad, a Universal Laptop Stand, a magnetic phone charging stand, or a Full Color Mousemat.
These sit permanently on the desk and generate daily brand impressions in every video call and working session.
Include Audio for Virtual Presence
For remote employees whose primary interface with colleagues and clients is a video call, audio quality is a meaningful upgrade.
Fresh 'n Rebel Noise Cancelling Headphones or JBL Earbuds in an onboarding kit communicate that the company cares about how the new hire shows up professionally, not just how they feel about the brand.
Make the Welcome Letter Count More
In a home environment, the personalized note lands with more emotional weight than it does in an office.
A generic welcome card sent to a home is more obviously generic than one placed on an office desk surrounded by colleagues.
Write specifically. Reference the role, the team, what you are building, and what the hire brings. This single action separates a well-built remote kit from one that just happens to be well-packaged.
25 Real Employee Onboarding Kit Examples from Top Companies
If you still have no clue on how to start, and you need more inspiration, here’s a list of new-hire welcome kit examples of different companies.
Some boxes are more creative containing some unique items, while others are more traditional.
The important thing is that the boxes capture the spirit of their company with the design and product choices!
The best onboarding kits reinforce brand identity through the strategic placement of logos on items like tumblers, notebooks, and tech gadgets, and thoughtfully reflect the brand's culture by aligning with core values such as sustainability and well-being.
BCG Onboarding Kit
The consulting firm BCG welcomes new team members with a clean, professional set of branded swag.
Each item, including the water bottle, cotton tote bag, insulated coffee cup, pen, and notebook, features the company logo to reinforce brand identity from the first day.
The addition of mints and hand sanitizer ensures new hires are ready for client meetings immediately. The kit communicates professionalism above all else, which aligns precisely with BCG's brand.
Canon Onboarding Kit
Canon’s welcome kit opens with a box designed to look like a camera, an immediate brand statement before a single item is seen.
Inside: a polo shirt, pen drive, pencil, notebook, sticker set, and other quality items, each positioned carefully within the box.
The meticulous presentation mirrors Canon's reputation for precision and attention to detail in its core product line.
Brooks Onboarding Kit
Ready to be part of the Run Happy Team? Brooks offers a full running kit to encourage their new employees to focus on fitness and active lifestyles.
The box contains various printed t-shirts, a hat, and different sporty items. This aligns with Brooks’ brand ethos of promoting health and happiness through running, and reflects the company's mission and values by fostering a sense of belonging and reinforcing their commitment to wellness.
Google Onboarding Kit
The playful and practical items in the “Noogler Welcome Kit” feature a design that reinforces Google's brand identity, mirroring Google’s innovative culture and encouraging creativity and collaboration among newcomers.
This onboarding kit contains a pair of polka-dot socks, a t-shirt, a tea mug, and a plastic water bottle.
These items are designed to make new hires feel part of the Google family while promoting a fun and engaging work environment.
Meta Onboarding Kit
With items showcasing the new branding and prominently featuring the company logo to reinforce Meta's brand identity, Meta’s kit serves not just as a welcome gesture but also as a symbol of the company’s evolution, inviting employees to be part of its new chapter.
The welcome kit includes comfortable items perfect for work-from-home employees, designed to make them feel part of the team even when they are away from the office.
L'Oréal Onboarding Kit
L’Oréal opted for a self-care pack that reflects the brand’s culture and company's values, encouraging new employees to prioritize their well-being as they join the company.
The kit includes wellness products as part of the self-care pack, supporting health and relaxation from day one.
All items that the company chose for the onboarding process are eco-sustainable from the water bottle to the tote bag. This reflects L’Oréal’s commitment to sustainability and employee well-being.
Shopee Onboarding Kit
The signature orange hue and prominent company logo on Shopee’s welcome kit reinforce the brand’s identity, visually communicating the brand’s energetic and dynamic culture and making new hires feel immediately integrated into the company’s vibrant community.
The box contains a t-shirt, tote bag, notebook, pen, and a leather ID tag holder, each featuring the company logo to strengthen brand recognition and consistency.
These items are both practical and stylish, ensuring that new employees are well-equipped and proud to represent Shopee.
Aimbulance Onboarding Kit
This box is replaced by an alternative plastic bag, which contains a water bottle, notebook, and pens.
However, the best part is the “Care Book,” a guide book with 100 tips for everyday work life, from how to set up meetings to where to find cookies.
This thoughtful inclusion adds a personal touch to the onboarding kit, showing Aimbulance’s dedication to supporting its employees’ daily work-life needs.
Just Eat Onboarding Kit
The choice to use recycled materials for the welcome kit’s items reflects the company's values by demonstrating Just Eat’s dedication to sustainability, aligning new employees with the company’s environmental values from day one.
Best swag item: the “cutting edge” to cut pizza ❤️🔥 🍕
Uber Onboarding Kit
By providing a mix of branded wearables and practical items, Uber’s welcome kit remains minimalist, with the kit’s design and prominent company logo reinforcing Uber’s brand identity.
This kit includes a hoodie, a hat, a pen drive, a notebook, a pen, and a backpack equipped with drawstrings. The minimalist design and functional items reflect Uber’s efficient and modern approach to business.
Wrike Onboarding Kit
Offering a well-rounded onboarding kit that includes employee welcome gifts, along with celebrating significant hiring milestones, Wrike emphasizes its value on employee recognition and creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere for every new team member.
New hires are welcomed with a complete kit that features a cotton tote bag, a t-shirt, a pair of socks, a mug, a planner, a pen, and a pencil.
DigitalOcean Onboarding Kit
DigitalOcean is one of the most popular hosting providers in the world. Their way of welcoming new hires doesn’t go unnoticed.
They attach balloons to the desks of new employees, and they give them packs of t-shirts, huge funny plush slippers, and metal water bottles, along with office essentials and office supplies to help new hires feel prepared.
SEGA Onboarding Kit
Adding a touch of nostalgia to our list of employee welcome kit ideas, the Japanese video game company SEGA offers its new hires a set of bags, notebooks, a water bottle, a sticker, some comics and, the icing on the cake, a portrait of the iconic Sonic.
This unique and playful kit reflects SEGA’s rich history and beloved gaming culture, while the strategic placement of SEGA logos on the swag helps reinforce the company's brand identity.
Element Three Onboarding Kit
Another good example of a new hire welcome kit comes from Element Three, an American marketing agency.
Its mascot, an elephant, along with the company logo, is nicely represented in a color-coordinated set that contains stickers, a t-shirt, a pendant, a pen, notepads, and a water bottle, all reinforcing Element Three's brand identity. Here the main character is the mascot.
If your company has a mascot this box is the perfect inspo for you!
Ogilvy & Mather Onboarding Kit
This company is one of the most well-known marketing and PR agencies in the world. Their onboarding kit stands out to be very stylish and aesthetic.
The new hire is welcomed with an exclusive copy of a secret red book, written by David Ogilvy, the founder of the company. This book isn’t available in stores, and you can only get it if you work at the agency.
Ogilvy uses a very good method to increase loyalty, starting from an employee’s first steps in the company.
Rocket Genius Onboarding Kit
The inclusion of a glass as a piece of branded drinkware, along with typical swag items, adds a personal and celebratory touch, welcoming new hires to the team in a manner that suggests they are valued and a reason for celebration.
The rest of the items are a cap, a jumper, a t-shirt, a mug, and various stickers. This kit combines practicality with a festive spirit, making new hires feel special. Great welcome kit by Rocket Genius.
Boxer Property Onboarding Kit
Choosing branded drinkware—a stainless travel tumbler featuring the company logo—for their welcome kit, Boxer Property adds a unique and practical element that sets their onboarding experience apart, promoting utility and brand visibility in everyday use.
Their welcome kit also contains a formal polo instead of a typical t-shirt, a notebook + pen and some funny customised cards.
Percolate Onboarding Kit
Marketing technology company Percolate takes the onboarding kit tradition to another level.
Before their initial day, new employees receive a welcome box that includes notebooks, pens, a mouse pad, and a stainless water bottle.
In addition to the other items, Percolate decided to include homemade granola for its new employees! This combination of practical items and personal touches helps new hires feel valued and well-prepared.
Boxed Onboarding Kit
The company delivers wholesale goods and products in boxes.
So of course their new employee welcome kit is packaged in their signature box, which is a smaller version than the one that Boxed clients are familiar with.
The box contains various colourful items for the office desk, including office essentials such as sticky notes.
Deloitte Onboarding Kit
Deloitte wants to distinguish itself as a company that takes care of its employees with its welcome pack, which includes wellness products and ergonomic desk accessories.
It contains an anti-stress ball, as well as an elastic band to relax during difficult moments, branded drinkware in the form of a water bottle, a pen, and a notebook.
This thoughtful welcome kit shows Deloitte’s commitment to employee well-being and productivity.
Apollo Onboarding Kit
Apollo, on the other hand, ensures its new hire has enough time to relax. The box contains a fluffy and warm wearable blanket perfect for a cosy reading session!
This unique item reflects Apollo's focus on comfort and employee satisfaction, ensuring new hires feel welcomed and cared for.
Branch Onboarding Kit
Branch is a mobile marketing service that was founded in 2014.
They decided to welcome their new hires with all the swag displayed on their desks: the clothes are folded, and the poems, notebooks, water bottles, and books are geometrically displayed.
This visually appealing setup makes new hires feel appreciated and excited to join the team, while the branded items featuring the company logo help reinforce Branch's brand identity.
Similarweb Onboarding Kit
Similarweb took the same decision as the company mentioned above, deciding to display all the swag on the desk.
The new hire is welcomed with a classic onboarding kit: branded t-shirt, socks, pen, chocolate, and a backpack.
This simple yet effective approach ensures new hires feel ready and motivated for their new role.
Slack Onboarding Kit
Slack’s onboarding kit mirrors its playful and collaborative culture with a vibrant laptop sleeve, branded drinkware in the form of an insulated drink bottle, a customized “My Paper HQ” notebook, and a candle labeled “A job well done.”
The welcome cards, which include a welcome note, and the candle add a personal touch, while QR codes for resources complete the set, helping new hires feel supported and inspired from day one.
Nike Onboarding Kit
The athletic spirit of Nike shows through in its onboarding kit, welcoming new hires with a sleek messenger bag, a drawstring pouch, a branded mug, and a Jordan notepad.
Collector pins, vibrant stickers, a shoehorn, and engraved keychains featuring the company logo complete the set. This kit reinforces Nike’s brand identity, reflecting its culture of performance and bold innovation.
How to Build Your Own Onboarding Kit with Monday Merch
Monday Merch handles every step of the onboarding kit process: product selection, custom design, production, warehousing, and direct-to-address fulfillment across 65 countries.
You brief the team once, the kits are held in the warehouse, and when a new hire joins, you send the address and the pack ships directly to their door, whether that is a London office or a remote employee's home in Lisbon.
Here are the products that consistently perform best across Monday Merch onboarding programs:
Apparel
Premium Hoodie
85% organic cotton, 15% recycled polyester. The most mentioned unprompted positive feedback item across Monday Merch onboarding programs.
Classic Hoodie
Recycled and organic cotton blend at a more accessible price point for volume programs.
Bespoke Socks
Fully customizable with brand colors and logo woven into the fabric. The highest social-sharing item in any kit.
Premium Women's T-Shirt
100% organic cotton in a women's-specific cut. Communicates that the kit was chosen for who the person is.
Desk and Home Office
Bespoke Hardcover Notebook
FSC-certified paper, recycled cardboard cover, debossed or foil branding options. The premium stationery choice for senior hire kits.
Felt Desk Pad
GRS-certified recycled felt that earns permanent workspace placement. Highest sustained daily brand visibility of any desk item.
Waterman Allure Set
A genuine step above standard corporate pens. Pairs with any notebook to create a premium desk set.
Tech
6-in-1 Charging Cable
Recycled aluminium and recycled plastic. Replaces the cable tangle on every home desk immediately.
Universal Laptop and Tablet Stand
RCS-certified recycled aluminium with eight adjustable angles. The ergonomic upgrade most remote workers mean to buy and never do.
Magnetic Wireless Charging Phone Stand 15W
Fast wireless charging that keeps a phone upright and visible throughout the workday.
Drinkware
Dopper Original 450 ml
Three-part construction with a lid that doubles as a cup. BPA-free and conversation-starting by design.
Stanley Quencher Tumbler
Made from 100% recycled stainless steel. The most culturally recognized drinkware product in corporate gifting right now.
Active Bottle 500 ml
100% recycled PET, compact, and eco-credentialed. The volume drinkware option for large onboarding programs.
Onboarding Kit Products for Remote Employees
For remote hires, every product needs to earn its place in a home environment rather than an office.
The following additions are specifically well-suited to remote onboarding kits. For a full breakdown of how home office gifting works, see our guide to remote work gifts and WFH swag.
Full Color Mousemat
Visible in the background of every video call the new hire takes. High brand visibility for zero ongoing cost.
Moleskine Smart Notebook
A recognised quality brand that remote employees associate with professional thinking. Stronger brand signal than a standard notebook.
Large Premium Candle
Soy wax, reusable glass jar. Creates a working atmosphere shift that earns immediate use and placement in the home workspace.
Fresh 'n Rebel Noise Cancelling Headphones
Up to 30 hours playback, ANC technology. Communicates that the company invests in how remote employees show up professionally on calls.
Soft Blanket
GRS-certified recycled polyester. For remote employees whose sofa or desk chair is their primary workspace, a quality blanket earns permanent placement and daily brand visibility in the background of every video call.
How to Send Onboarding Kits at Scale
Managing a growing onboarding program manually, ordering per hire, coordinating shipping and handling sizing exchanges, becomes increasingly difficult as teams grow.
Monday Merch’s warehousing and distribution platform solves this by keeping stock centralized and ready to send whenever a new hire joins. You order once, share the recipient address when needed, and Monday Merch handles packing, shipping, customs documentation and per-recipient tracking to over 65 countries.
The same setup can also support employee appreciation gifts throughout the year, making it easier to recognize milestones, celebrate achievements and send thoughtful gifts without rebuilding the process every time.
Ready to build your employee onboarding kit? Browse all onboarding products or get in touch with the Monday Merch team for free custom designs and a quote within 24 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should be in an employee onboarding kit?
A strong employee onboarding kit includes a personalized welcome letter, branded apparel (hoodie or quality tee), a notebook, drinkware, at least one tech accessory, and bespoke socks. The best kits balance practical items that equip the new hire for their job with cultural items that make them feel part of the team. Quality matters more than quantity: six well-chosen items beat fifteen average ones.
How much should you spend on an onboarding kit?
A useful range: under €50 for high-volume programs with frequent hiring, €50 to €100 for standard onboarding across most team types, €100 to €150 for mid-senior hires and tech teams with higher quality expectations, and €150 and above for senior hires and executive onboarding where the kit needs to match the quality of the role.
When should you send a new hire welcome kit?
A new hire welcome kit should ideally arrive before the employee’s first day or at the latest during their first week. For remote employees, sending it a few working days before they start works especially well, as it helps them feel included before they officially join. For office-based teams, the kit can be placed on their desk as part of the first-day experience.
How do you send onboarding kits to remote employees?
Ship directly to the home address at least three working days before the start date. Prioritize items that improve the home office environment: a Felt Desk Pad, a laptop stand, a magnetic phone stand, quality headphones. Include a handwritten or individually composed welcome note that references something specific about their role. Monday Merch's warehousing and distribution platform handles fulfillment to any address worldwide.
What is the difference between an onboarding kit and a welcome pack?
They are often used interchangeably. In practice, an onboarding kit tends to refer to the full set of materials a new hire receives including documents, login credentials, and physical items. A welcome pack or welcome kit more specifically refers to the physical branded swag and gifts. This guide focuses on the physical branded element.
Should onboarding kits be the same for every employee?
A consistent base kit ensures everyone receives the same quality and cultural signal regardless of role or seniority. Tiering on top of the base kit makes sense for specific role types: a more premium kit for senior hires, a remote-specific kit for distributed employees, or a department-specific kit that includes role-relevant items. The base should be universal. The additions can be contextual.
How can companies manage onboarding kits at scale?
Companies can manage onboarding kits at scale by ordering stock in advance, storing it centrally and shipping each kit on demand when a new hire joins. This avoids ordering from scratch every time and keeps the experience consistent across teams, countries and hiring volumes. The same setup can also support employee appreciation gifts, milestone gifts and internal recognition moments throughout the year, making it easier to manage more than just onboarding from one fulfillment process.
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