Top 10 Welcome Gifts for New Employees For 2023

Everyone loves a good first impression. Welcome kits are an essential part of onboarding new employees to your team. Including branded gifts in your kits can encourage company loyalty, make new staff feel part of the team, and be a great way to make a first impression! 

This is the crucial period when a new hire will learn more about a company’s background and processes, and interact with the rest of their team. If they haven’t already made an impression, this is the time they will either affirm or form new impressions based on how their first few days go. According to a study, a strong onboarding process can improve new hire retention by 82% and improve the productivity of employees by 70%. 

Learn more about the different trends in welcome gifts as well as our curated picks for every situation as we deep dive into how you can create a memorable onboarding experience for new employees. 

Elevating the Onboarding Experience

In 2024, the best new employee gifts are all about personalisation and creating memorable experiences. Generic gifts are a thing of the past and may even point to you being an outdated company that’s not in line with the times. It’s time to ditch those one-size-fits-all gifts of mugs and pens. Give your employees experiences not things — foster team building and team spirit through gift certificates for rock climbing or cooking classes. 

Personalisation matters. It’s more than just knowing what their name is and printing it on their desk. It means going that extra mile to discover what hobbies or interests they have outside of work and incorporating that into their welcome gift box. Being acknowledged is something all people crave and making your employees feel valued from day one can go a long way. 

Red Tomato’s Selection for New Hires

The customer experience is at the heart of everything we do at Red Tomato. For 2024, here are some of the new employee gifts that you should be adding to your radar: 

• Promote Health and Wellness —Show appreciation for your employee’s well-being with a wellness kit. Items like a bean bag, neck pillow, and blanket are perfect for unwinding during break sessions. Encourage an active lifestyle with items like a pace pedometer watch, an active t-shirt, and a sipper bottle.
• Go Grreen with Eco-Friendly Picks — Display your commitment to sustainability by choosing reusable products packaged in eco-friendly materials. Items like a pen in a bamboo box, a spirit level & bottle opener, and a 100% cotton tote are great additions to your welcome employee kit.Support Local Products — Aussie products are high quality, environmentally safe, and great to include in your welcome kits. Choose from a selection of items like a customised whiskey glass, a bamboo cheese board, an artisan leather memo pad, 3D engraved artwork, and more. Wear that Aussie pride by giving back to the community and supporting local.
• Embrace the Season of Spring — Whether it’s a picnic or an outdoor getaway, we’ve got you covered! Soak in the beauty of nature and outdoors with curated items of spring-ready essentials. Our Spring Collection contains gifts such as picnic blankets, lunch bags, wide-brim hats, garden kits, and camping chairs.

From Practical to Personal: A Range of Options

There are many gifts to choose from whether they are practical or personal. Here are our diverse picks for new employee gifts: 

• Gift cards or vouchers — Gift cards will always be popular due to how versatile they are. There is a gift card for anything and everything. Whether these vouchers are for the nearby coffee shop next to your office building or that hip new cycling studio perfect for after-work cardio.
• Ergonomic desk accessories — Desk accessories that are practical and ergonomic are great not only for your employees’ productivity but also for their health. Things like a laptop stand, ergonomic mouse, ergonomic keyboard, footrest, wrist rest, or seat cushions are picks that nobody will say no to.
• Snack baskets and treats — A curated basket of snacks and treats is always a safe choice, perfect for employees needing a quick snack during break times. Swap out the food for healthier picks such as granola bars or wheat biscuits for a healthier option. 

Tech-Savvy Onboarding: Gadgets and Gear for New Hires

Long gone are the days that people use pen and paper for most of their day-to-day work. Laptops, smartphones, and other apps have taken over the workforce, especially for those working remotely. Giving tech gifts to new employees that are functional and innovative are signs that your company pays attention to what they need.

Gadgets That Impress: Enhancing the Onboarding Experience

Impress your new employees with these gadgets that will surely make their onboarding experience memorable. 

• Personalised Airpods — Let them listen to music and participate in video meetings in style with their own Airpods, personalised with their name or initials. 
• Fitness Tracker — Exercise is the best antidote to stress. Encourage your new hires to stay active and healthy with a fitness tracker that will become their workout buddy wherever they go. 
• Noise-cancelling Headphones — Those with a budget can invest in good quality noise-cancelling headphones. These headphones can block out noise and outside distractions while they work, leaving them focused and locked in during meetings. 
• Charging Port or Powerbank — A charging port or powerbank can become a lifesaver for new employees when their smartphone is low on battery. Choose one that is compact and easy to carry around.

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Gifting for New Hires

There’s a growing trend of sustainable consumption everywhere and companies are no exception. Research states that 50% of employees prefer being a part of companies that value sustainability. Show your commitment to an eco-friendly future by giving sustainable gifts for new employees. 

Eco-Conscious Choices: Red Tomato’s Commitment to Sustainability

We take our commitment to sustainability seriously at Red Tomato. Check out our sustainable new employee gifts to add to your welcome kit: 

• Premium Sushi Set — Impress sushi lovers with this premium bamboo sushi set containing a board, two sets of chopsticks, ceramic holders, and a bowl. 
• Eco-friendly Bamboo Lamp — Light up your desk with this foldable desk lamp made out of bamboo. It also doubles as a wireless charger for your mobile devices. 
• Bamboo Golf Accessories — Get ready for a hole-in-one with these eco-friendly bamboo golf accessories containing 6 tees, a divot tool, and 2 ball markers in an organic cotton bag. 

Red Tomato’s Success Stories: Memorable Onboarding Moments

Here at Red Tomato, creating lasting impressions matters as much as delivering great products. We have helped countless companies in creating a meaningful onboarding process and here’s what they have to say: 

“We have been working with Red Tomato for a number of years now in producing our Welcome Kits for new starters and other sales merchandise and they have been an absolute hit. The team is professional, friendly, and efficient and the result is a high-quality product that always receives great feedback. Highly recommended!” 

• Trang Trinh

“Wonderful company to deal with- the promo packs we received were created and shipped super fast and the quality of the products we received was excellent.” 

• Vanessa Taylor

Case Studies: Memorable Moments Crafted by Red Tomato

Our client Hologic was in the middle of moving offices when they decided that they wanted to gift their employees a welcome pack to celebrate this business milestone. They browsed through our welcome pack catalogue and personalised it, handpicking items like a branded USB hub and hoodie. It was a great addition to their office move and something their employees appreciated. 

Choosing the Perfect Gift: A Guide for Employers

Picking the perfect gift is no walk in the park. Everyone has their definition of what a perfect gift is, but at the very least, a good gift is a memorable one. Here are some of the gifting considerations to give your employees a welcome to remember: 

• Personalisation — Adding a touch of personalisation matters. Whether it’s a handwritten note, a curated gift basket, or branded items reflecting their department, your employees are sure to appreciate being valued for their individuality. 
• Audience — Most people think of new employee gifts as any item that includes the brand’s logo. You don’t need to include the logo in all items since the point of these gifts is to show your gratitude.  
• Company Culture — Pick gifts that will align with your company’s values and overall work environment. Think of your company culture as a compass and the employee gifts are tools that will aid them in their journey with the company. 
• Budget — A higher budget can buy you more gifts, but more doesn’t always mean better. Curating a well-made employee welcome kit is still possible no matter the budget. 

Beyond Welcome Packs: Elevating Your Gifting Strategy

It can be tempting to follow what other companies do, they are called ‘tried and tested’ for a reason. Doing something different can feel scary but they can also pay off. Consider what your company values and how you can tie it with a gift. A design studio may consider giving their new employees a caricature drawing of themselves. An adventurous marketing team may enjoy a gift voucher to an escape room that doubles as a team bonding activity. The only limit is your imagination and your willingness to go outside the box! 

Conclusion

In 2024, redefine your approach to welcoming new hires with Red Tomato’s curated selection of gifts. Elevate your onboarding experience and create lasting impressions that resonate throughout your employee’s journey with the perfect welcome kit.

To learn more, speak to our Red Tomato team today.