New employee introduction: what to say and share

Include the person's name, job title and team. Describe the main responsibilities in language colleagues will understand. Add relevant experience or skills where the employee is comfortable sharing them and they help explain the role.

Avoid filling the message with praise that gives readers no practical information. Someone who will collaborate with the new employee needs to know how their work connects, not only that the organisation is pleased to welcome them.

Tell colleagues what will happen during the start. Name the buddy if one has been arranged, explain the introductions and indicate how people can help. The message should reflect arrangements that are actually in place.

An announcement is the opening of the introduction. Follow it with relevant meetings, a workplace or online tour, and information about how to find the people the employee will work with. Use the onboarding buddy guide to clarify the buddy's support.

The following is an illustrative template. Replace the placeholders with agreed information and remove any line that does not fit your organisation.

Hello everyone, please welcome [name], who is joining [team] as [job title]. Their work will include [main responsibilities], and they bring experience in [relevant background]. [Buddy name] will help them find their way around during the first weeks. We have arranged [introductions or welcome activities]. Please say hello and help them find the right person when questions come up. [Manager name].

This fictional example concerns a new implementation colleague at a financial data aggregator. The manager has confirmed the buddy and first-week meetings before sharing the message. Adapt the responsibilities and contacts to your own team.

Hello team, our new implementation colleague starts on Monday. They will help prepare integration handover notes and join the team’s customer-implementation meetings. Their buddy will introduce them to the implementation, support and engineering contacts during the first week. Please invite them to your planned introductions and show them where to find the team’s approved guidance.

An introduction explains where the colleague fits and whom they can ask for help. The company’s responsible owners handle system access and operational approvals separately. See onboarding for financial data aggregators for a related employee-journey example.

Give the employee a choice about speaking during a meeting. If they want to introduce themselves, they can use the following template and share only background they are comfortable discussing.

Hello, I’m [name], joining [team] as [role]. I’ll be working on [responsibilities]. My background is in [relevant experience], and this week I’m meeting [teams or contacts]. I’m looking forward to learning how we work together.

For a remote introduction, agree on the meeting and send the team’s names and roles beforehand. Leave time for colleagues to introduce themselves and explain how their work connects to the new hire’s role.

Invite the employee to check the message and contribute the background they want to share. An introduction can explain their expertise and interests without requiring details about their private life.

Ask how they would like to be introduced to the team. Some people may prefer a short message followed by individual conversations; others may be comfortable speaking during a team meeting. Keep the introduction connected to the people they need to know.

Tell the manager, buddy and immediate colleagues when the person starts and what each of them will do. An introduction message works more clearly when the team is ready for the arrival and the named contacts know they are part of the plan.

Use our preboarding tips for contact before arrival and the employee onboarding checklist template for the preparation work. Choose the first introduction and confirm it with the people involved.