The Best Products for Onboarding Staff
Did you know that companies with strong onboarding practices improve employee retention by 82%. Additionally, productivity improves by more than 70% That’s a significant amount when you’re trying to minimise disruption to your business during a period of turnover. Are you aware that 40% of businesses believe their current onboarding strategy needs improvement? If your brand falls into this group, you’re in the right place. We believe that onboarding is one of the eight key moments for brands to make lasting connections with their stakeholders.
In this article, we will show you the best branded products to help your new hires feel welcomed and prepared. We’ll also share all the advice from industry experts to give you everything you need to make the right first impression.
Welcoming the team working from home
Ergo Footrest
Maintaining productivity in a home office is hard when you don’t have the right set up. Making sure a new employee is correctly fitted out for their role is just part of the onboarding process. But it is harder to control when they’re working from home. They will have a computer, the correct adaptors and stationery, but an ergonomic footrest is something they probably lack.
Ergonomic desk chairs and mouse mats have been available for some time. They reduce the strain of sitting for long periods, as well as the repetitive movements that come with deskwork. An ergonomic footrest complements these to provide the foot elevation and movement that our bodies need to make sitting more comfortable. They can be simple or complex, but any variation will improve your new hire’s home/work experience.
Sports Top
Uniforms are the best way to make people feel like a team. Even if they’re not wearing corporate uniforms to their home office, your remote workers can still feel part of the team with branded apparel. Sports tops and casual tees are easily incorporated into a wardrobe for around the house, out and about, or at team-building events.
The number one tip from Forbes when onboarding a new employee is to help them make internal connections. With that in mind, include remote workers in all the external activities your employees engage in. That means the fun runs, the games nights, and the hike you’re going on to celebrate a team leader’s five-year anniversary with the brand. Shared experiences outside the office allow teams to make personal connections and better understand each other.
Onboarding the office crew
Blue Light Glasses
Overexposure to the light emitted by our devices can disrupt our sleep and contribute to vision-related headaches. Depending on how much time your team is spending screen-bound, blue light filter glasses like ours may help alleviate some of the strain.
Printed on the arms, they have a polycarbonate frame and arms and can be supplied in a microfibre pouch or hard cases. Perfect for the desk drawer or backpack.
Fuel Mug
In 2010, MIT conducted a study on call-centre workers at the Bank of America. They confirmed their hypothesis that employees who interacted with each other more often were more productive and less stressed. In the second phase of their study, they examined what would happen if Bank of America adjusted the team’s coffee breaks to allow for more interactions. The study revealed that increasing opportunities for interactions led to stronger personal connections and enhanced the team’s performance. In a matter of months Bank of America was able to report productivity increase worth $15 million.
Your brand can facilitate office interactions with coordinated coffee breaks and top it off with a beautiful and functional coffee mug. The Fuel Mug is the latest, hottest style and that’s not because of the coffee. It is a premium 330ml porcelain mug with a luxurious matt finish on the outside and gloss white inner.
Orientating those on the road
Travel Mug
Insulated drinkware has evolved quickly over the last ten years. From single-wall, to vacuum, to copper, to triple-wall. Keeping a beverage hot or cold for hours on end is no longer an issue, which suits commuters, couriers, and long-haulers just fine.
Your branded travel mugs should be at least double wall insulated. Additionally, they should have a splashproof closure and secure lid. Powder-coated travel mugs can withstand the on-road jostling and will protect your branding. Whether it’s a one, two or full colour print, or a steel-finish engraving, your brand can go everywhere your team does.
Adding a travel mug to your onboarding merchandise helps cover all the bases for what your new hire might need to perform in their new role.
Heather Backpack
Frequently travelling between offices or appointments can be difficult. In particular, for new team members still learning the lay of the land. Keeping all their kit organised can help them stay on top of what they need from stop to stop.
Our heather backpack is comfortable and versatile in black, or grey heather. It is made from poly-canvas and features:
- Woven, padded shoulder straps
- Padded back and internal padded laptop pocket
- Side mesh pockets
- Large front zipper pocket perfect for embroidery
There’s clearly room for all the essentials. You could even fit the whole onboarding pack in there.
Onboarding new team members is a key moment for brands. A great first impression can lead to greater productivity, stronger personal connections and better staff engagement. Branded merchandise is just another tool you can use to improve your onboarding strategy and show your new hires how your brand cares for the people that make it successful. For more inspiration, you can see how our client, Built Environs, uses promotional products in their onboarding.
