BlogGuide
New Hire Welcome Packet: Free One‑Pager Template and Examples
A free new hire welcome packet on one page: the first week day by day, what to do before day one, who to meet and how to get there, with two examples.
By MakeOnepagers Team
Updated · 6 min read
A new hire welcome packet is what you send a new employee before their first day: what the first week looks like, what to finish before Monday, who they will meet and how to get in the door. Most companies send a 20-page handbook. New starters read the first page and save the rest for later. Put the first page on its own and make it the whole welcome. Below is a free new hire welcome packet One-Pager template, two examples and what to put in each block.
One‑Pager examples
Real One-Pagers made with MakeOnepagers. Open any one to edit it as your own.
Every example was made with MakeOnepagers. The names and figures are samples, and each one opens as a template you can edit for free.
What goes in a new hire welcome packet
| Block | The question it answers | Keep it to |
|---|---|---|
| Welcome, by name | Am I expected? | Their name and start date |
| First week | What happens each day? | One line per day |
| Before Monday | What do I need to do first? | A checklist of five to seven items |
| People to meet | Who do I ask? | Four people and what each one helps with |
| Getting here | Where do I go? | Address, entrance and parking |
| First goals | What does a good start look like? | Two goals |
| Contact | Who do I call if I am lost? | Their buddy and the front desk |
The handbook, benefits guide and policies still matter. Link to them from the packet rather than putting them in it.
New hire welcome packet example
Edit this template
A first-week welcome for one person: every day planned, every question about Monday morning answered.
What to copy:
- Their name in the headline: "Welcome to Lumen, Sam". It takes ten seconds to change and it is the line they show their family.
- The week, one line a day: a welcome breakfast at 9:00 on Monday, a product tour on Tuesday, customer calls on Wednesday, a first small task on Thursday, a review with the manager on Friday at 4 pm.
- A checklist with the done items ticked: the contract and payroll details are crossed off, so the new hire sees the company has already done its part.
- Four people, each with a reason to talk to them: the manager for a weekly one-to-one, the buddy to "ask him anything", the product lead for the tour and the people team for payroll and benefits.
- The side door: "Side door on Pine Street, take the lift to 4", plus where to park and how to get a pass. This is the question every new starter has at 8:50 on day one.
Open it: new hire welcome template.
For a new manager: 30-60-90 day plan
Edit this template
For a senior hire, send the welcome page and a plan that shows what success looks like by day 90.
- One table for the whole plan: four areas down the side, 30, 60 and 90 days across the top. "Meet the 20 largest" customers, then "Visit the 5 at risk", then "Renewal plan for each".
- Success in numbers: 20 of 20 top accounts met, 95% renewals on time, 4.5% monthly churn, 8 of 8 team goals agreed. Both sides know what day 90 will be judged on.
- Who helps, with a time: check-ins every Friday for 30 minutes, and the review at day 90 with the VP.
Open it: 30-60-90 day onboarding plan template.
A free new hire welcome packet template
Copy this outline, or open the example above and edit it.
- Headline: Welcome to [company], [first name]. Your first week starts [day and date].
- Your first week: Monday to Friday, one line each, with a time where it matters.
- Before Monday: contract, payroll details, laptop choice, handbook, two-step sign-in, photo ID. Tick what is already done.
- People to meet: manager, buddy, one teammate and HR, each with what they help with.
- Getting here: address, entrance, parking. For a remote hire, the link for the first call and when the laptop arrives.
- Your first goals: two things that make a good first week.
- Good to know: two small things, such as when lunch is on the company.
- Contact: the buddy's email and the front desk number.
How to make a new hire welcome packet in 5 steps
- Plan the first week with the manager before the offer is signed, one thing a day.
- Pick a buddy who is not the manager, and put their name in the packet.
- List what the new hire must do before day one, and tick what HR has already done.
- Write the arrival details as if they have never been to the building.
- Send it a week before the start date, so the new hire has time to finish the checklist.
Have a long onboarding handbook? Drop it into the free AI One-Pager generator and get a first welcome page back to edit.
New hire welcome packet mistakes
- A handbook instead of a welcome. Policies can wait. The first page should be about Monday.
- No name. "Dear new team member" tells them the packet was not written for them.
- An empty first week. "Settling in" for five days makes people wonder if anyone planned for them.
- No buddy. New starters ask a peer the questions they will not ask a manager.
- Arrival details missing. Nobody starts well after twenty minutes looking for the right door.
Make your new hire welcome packet
Open the free new hire welcome template and put in your new starter's week, or drop your handbook into the free AI One-Pager generator and get a finished page back. Browse every One-Pager template for more layouts.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a new hire welcome packet?
The first week day by day, a checklist of what to do before starting, the people they will meet, how to get there, a couple of first goals and who to contact. Link to the handbook and benefits rather than including them in full.
When should you send a welcome packet to a new hire?
About a week before the start date, once the contract is signed. That gives them time to finish the checklist and arrive ready.
Can a welcome packet be one page?
Yes, and it works better that way. One page gets read before day one. The longer documents can be linked from it and read in the first week.
What is the difference between a welcome packet and an onboarding plan?
A welcome packet covers the first week and the practical details. An onboarding plan, such as a 30-60-90 day plan, sets goals for the first three months. Many companies send both.
