How to make a welcome card for a new employee
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Quick answer: To make a welcome card for a new employee, create an online group card a week before their start date, share the signing link with the team, and ask everyone for a short hello plus one useful tip. Seal the card and send it on their first morning, so they arrive to friendly names rather than an empty inbox.
First days are a blur of logins, policies and faces. A welcome card from the whole team gives a new starter something warm to read and a list of people who have already said hello. Here's how to organise one, what to write when nobody has met them yet, and how to time it.
Why send a welcome card to a new starter?
It tells the new person the team is glad they're here before they've had a chance to wonder. It also gives them names to put to faces, which is especially useful in hybrid and remote teams.
A welcome card works well alongside a proper induction. The UK's Acas guidance suggests keeping day one focused on essentials and on meeting the manager and team, rather than overloading people with information. A short card fits that well: it's friendly, quick to read and asks nothing of the new starter.
In our experience, the most appreciated welcome cards include small practical notes: who to ask about expenses, where the good coffee is, which Slack channel has the dog photos.
How do you make a welcome card for a new employee?
Create the card, invite the team, then send it on day one. If you've never organised an online card before, our step-by-step guide to group cards online explains the basics; the steps below are tailored to new starters.
1. Set it up a week ahead
On SignThisCard, choose the welcome occasion and a cover design, or upload your own image such as a team or office photo (JPG, PNG or WebP up to 10 MB, ideally 960×1280 portrait). Add a cover message like "Welcome to the team, Aisha!" and pick a colour.
You'll need a free account, and you must verify your email address before sharing or sending the card.
2. Invite the people they'll work with
Paste the signing link into your team channel on Microsoft Teams or Slack, a group email or WhatsApp. For an office team, a QR code on the screen at stand-up gets a lot of signatures quickly.
If you want to track who has signed, send individual invitation links or email invitations instead. Each personal link accepts one signature, and the management page shows each invitation as waiting, opened or signed. Signatures added through the general shared link may not update an individual invitation's status, so pick one approach where you can.
3. Ask for a hello and one tip
Signers don't need an account. They press "Add your message", type a note, add their name, choose a note colour and can draw a signature or add a photo. A writing helper offers suggested text that they can edit.
Giving people a prompt helps a lot. Try this in your invite: "Please add a short hello, your role, and one thing you wish you'd known in your first week."
4. Add something from the team
As organiser, you can add a music track from the library or upload a short video, for example a 20-second "hello" from everyone on a team call. Opening effects are set by occasion and respect reduced-motion settings.
5. Seal and send on the first morning
There's no automatic scheduled sending. Set an email reminder (anywhere from 0 to 365 days before the planned date, sent around 9 am UK time), then preview the card, seal it and send it yourself. Sealing closes signing permanently, so wait until the main signers are in.
Send the finished-card link by email, or paste it into a direct message once their accounts are working. The recipient presses Reveal card and the card opens like a book. They don't need an account.
What should you write in a welcome card for a new employee?
Keep it short, friendly and practical. You probably haven't met them yet, so introduce yourself and offer something useful. Two or three sentences is plenty; our guide to how long a group card message should be explains why short often lands best.
| Who's writing | Example message |
|---|---|
| Manager | "Welcome, Aisha! We're really pleased you've joined us. My door (and calendar) is always open, so grab me any time." |
| Teammate | "Hi Aisha, I'm Tom from the data team. Welcome aboard! Ask me anything about the reporting tools, I've made every mistake already." |
| Someone in another team | "Welcome to the company! I'm Grace in payroll. If anything looks odd on your first payslip, I'm the person to message." |
| Remote colleague | "Hello from Manchester! I'm Leo. We'll mostly meet on Teams, but I'm always up for a virtual coffee." |
| Office buddy | "Welcome! The second-floor kettle is the fast one. Lunch is on me on Friday." |
What to avoid:
- Jokes about how stressful the job is or how many people have left
- Assumptions about their personal life
- Pressure ("hope you can handle it")
- Long messages that bury the welcome
If you're signing for someone you know nothing about, our ideas for writing to someone you don't know well will help.
How do you welcome a remote or hybrid new starter?
A group card helps more for remote starters, because it replaces the walk round the office. Ask colleagues to add a photo so the new person can match names to faces before the first video call.
A few extra tips:
- Include people from other locations and time zones, and give them a day or two to sign.
- Ask each signer to mention which channel or meeting they'll see the new starter in.
- Send the card to a personal email if their work email isn't ready yet, but only if they've shared it with you for work purposes.
The same approach works for other remote celebrations; see how a remote team signs a birthday card.
How much does a welcome card cost?
A small team can do it for free. SignThisCard's Free plan allows one card with up to 15 signers. The free card can be used once only, and sealing or deleting it doesn't give it back.
For larger teams or regular starters:
- Single Card – £1.99: one card, unlimited signers, no subscription
- Plus – £4.99/month (or £47.90/year): up to 5 cards per calendar month, up to 10 active cards
- Unlimited – £9.99/month (or £95.90/year): no fixed card limit, fair use applies
HR teams onboarding several people a month may find a monthly plan simpler. Monthly plans can be cancelled any time, with access to the end of the paid period.
Key takeaways
- A welcome card for a new employee works best when it arrives on their first morning.
- Start collecting messages about a week before the start date.
- Ask signers for a short hello, their role and one practical tip.
- Signers don't need an account; only the organiser needs a free, email-verified account.
- SignThisCard doesn't send cards automatically, but you can set an email reminder before the planned date.
- Photos from signers help remote and hybrid starters put names to faces.
Frequently asked questions
When should a new employee receive a welcome card?
Ideally on their first morning, once they can open email. Some teams send it the Friday before so the new starter feels expected. Either works. Avoid sending it weeks later, when the welcome no longer feels like a welcome. Set a reminder so the date doesn't slip.
Who should sign a welcome card?
Their immediate team, their manager and the people they'll work with most often, such as an onboarding buddy, IT or HR contacts. For a small company, the whole business can sign. Keep it to people who'll genuinely interact with them, so every name means something.
What if I don't know the new employee at all?
That's normal for a welcome card. Introduce yourself, say what you do and offer help: "Hi, I'm Raj in IT. Welcome! Message me if your laptop misbehaves." A clear, kind introduction is more useful than a clever line, and it gives them a contact for later.
Can people sign the card from their phones?
Yes. Signers can use the link on a phone, tablet or computer, and a QR code is available for in-person meetings. They can type a message, draw a signature with a finger and add a photo. No account or app download is needed to sign.
Can I add a team photo to the cover?
Yes. You can upload your own cover image in JPG, PNG or WebP format, up to 10 MB. A portrait image around 960×1280 pixels fits best. A recent team photo or a shot of the office makes a welcome card feel personal straight away.
Can the new starter keep the card?
Yes. They can open the finished card from its link, and there's a print view with a "Download PDF" option. The PDF keeps messages, signatures and photos but doesn't play music or animations. Saving a copy is a good idea, as the card's online lifespan isn't fixed publicly.
Conclusion
A welcome card for a new employee is one of the quickest ways to make a first day feel human. Start a week early, ask for short hellos with practical tips, add photos for remote teams, and send it on the first morning. For other moments worth marking, see our ideas for group cards by occasion.
Ready to greet your next starter? Create a welcome card on SignThisCard and share the link with your team.