Employee onboarding shapes the earliest impressions new hires form about a workplace. A thoughtfully planned onboarding process builds trust and inclusion, paving the way for long-term engagement. 

Integrating custom apparel into onboarding delivers tangible benefits, forging connections between new teammates and reinforcing company culture from the first day. When new employees receive branded items such as wristbands, lanyards, or accessories to pair with t-shirts, they feel included as active members of the organization.

Custom apparel also projects a cohesive brand identity, ensuring recruits see themselves as valued contributors while enhancing team unity and workplace pride.

Boost Employee Morale

Custom apparel enables new employees to connect with the team and quickly understand workplace values. Providing branded items during onboarding isn’t just about style—it is an effective tool for building a positive work environment right from the start.

Benefits of introducing custom apparel at onboarding:

  • • Instant Inclusion: Accessories like lanyards, wristbands, and gear complementing staff shirts allow team members to identify with the company culture immediately.
  • • Stronger Company Identity: Custom gear promotes a sense of pride in the brand and makes workplace culture visible and memorable to employees and visitors.
  • • Team Unity: Shared apparel breaks down barriers between departments and job roles, helping people collaborate and communicate more effectively.
  • • Engaged Employees: Providing great quality onboarding gear builds rapport and shows that the organization values its people from day one.

Key Points To Consider

  • • New employees often feel more confident when they look and feel like they are part of the team.
  • • Consistent use of custom apparel improves professionalism and strengthens the organization’s internal and external reputation.
  • • Apparel can be a conversation starter, especially in hybrid or remote environments.
  • • Branded items that complement customized workwear, like lanyards and wristbands, enhance professionalism across all departments.

Introducing custom apparel as part of employee onboarding ensures each new hire is welcomed as a worker and an essential member of a unified company.

Best Custom Apparel Options for Your New Employees

These selections combine practicality, comfort, and branding impact to help new employees feel connected and valued from day one. Below are the top products reinforcing your commitment to quality, consistency, and company pride.

Custom Silicone Wristbands


Custom Debossed Color Filled Wristbands

Custom debossed color-filled wristbands are ideal for team apparel and onboarding gifts. These premium silicone bracelets feature a personalized inward message filled with your chosen color for high visibility and lasting impact.

They hold up well to daily wear, maintain vibrant colors, and allow you to showcase logos or unique statements.

Custom Lanyards


Custom Polyester Lanyards

These stylish badge holders, made with comfortable polyester fabric, complete any onboarding welcome kit. The dye sublimation process allows the company logo and any intricate design to appear crisp and vibrant without fading or peeling over time.

Comfortable to wear and highly practical for ID badges or keys, these lanyards help new hires effortlessly showcase both their team identity and your brand from day one.

Custom Tote Bags

Custom Small Gift Tote Bags

Custom small gift tote bags' compact size makes them ideal for presenting various small—to medium-sized items, while high-quality, water-resistant materials ensure durability and a premium feel. 

Customizable with vibrant colors, logos, and messages, these tote bags help convey your brand’s style and professionalism, making each gift memorable and functional. 

Their reusable nature also supports sustainability efforts, adding thoughtful value to your corporate gifting strategy.

Custom Pens

Custom Provence Ballpoint Pens with Stylus

Custom Provence ballpoint pens with a stylus offer a sleek, functional branding tool perfect for any team. They feature a comfortable rubber grip and a twist-action ballpoint for smooth writing, and they also include a stylus tip, ideal for touchscreen devices.

Their compact 5.5-inch size makes them easy to carry, and the screen-printed customizable imprint area ensures your company logo or message stands out clearly.

Durable and practical, these pens serve as everyday essentials that promote your business whenever they’re used.

Apparel distribution checklist: Create a checklist to monitor the distribution of custom apparel and minimize logistical oversights.

Preboarding Tips to Impress New Hires

Preboarding is the critical window between a new hire's acceptance of your offer and their first day on the job. Properly handled, it builds excitement, reduces anxiety, and sets the stage for a smoother onboarding experience.

A thoughtful preboarding process sets the stage for a successful employee journey. Here’s why it’s a crucial step before day one:

  • • Reduces first-day stress: New hires gain clarity on what to expect and feel more confident arriving prepared.
  • • Boosts early engagement: Introducing culture, teams, and job expectations early fosters loyalty and emotional connection.
  • • Improves productivity: Completing paperwork and accessing tools before day one accelerates readiness. 
  • • Decreases no-shows: Early communication reduces last-minute dropouts and “ghosting.”
  • • Strengthens employer brand: A polished preboarding process signals professionalism and care.

A strong preboarding strategy sets the tone for a positive employee experience before day one. Here are some best practices to help new hires feel welcomed, prepared, and connected from the start:

Send A Warm, Personalized Welcome

Start with a short, personalized email or video from the new hire's direct manager. Mention the employee’s role, express enthusiasm about their arrival, and explain how their work supports the team's goals. 

Include a brief overview of the company’s mission, values, and culture.

Ideas to include in your welcome message:

  • • Mention the employee's name and role
  • • Share how their work will contribute to the team
  • • Highlight the company’s mission and values
  • • Include a short “what to expect” for their first day or week
  • • Attach helpful employee onboarding resources or FAQs
  • • Offer a contact person for any questions before day one

Clearly outline what the employee should expect in their first week—such as introductions, tools, or meetings—to help reduce uncertainty and start building trust early.

Digitize Essential Paperwork Early

Send the necessary documents for electronic completion before the new hire’s first day. This includes contracts, tax forms, NDAs, and payroll setup forms. 

Use secure digital platforms to reduce manual processing time and avoid delays affecting the employee onboarding schedule. Here are the documents to send in advance:

  • • Employment contract and offer letter
  • • Tax forms
  • • Confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements
  • • Direct deposit and payroll setup forms
  • • Benefits enrollment and policy documents
  • • Company handbook or code of conduct

Giving access to these forms in advance ensures compliance, accuracy, and a smoother first-day experience.

Ship Equipment And Swag Ahead

Ensure all necessary tools—laptops, security badges, notebooks, or uniforms—arrive before the employee’s first day. This prevents delays, eliminates first-day friction, and helps new hires feel prepared and appreciated.

What to include:

  • • Pre-assigned devices (laptop, phone, badge)
  • • Desk supplies or department-specific tools
  • • Branded items like shirts, custom-made pens, stationery supplies, and water bottles
  • • Printed welcome letter with key info and contacts
  • • Set up instructions or internal system access guide
  • • Optional extras: employee handbook or team intro booklet

Including branded swag reinforces company identity and builds a sense of belonging early in the process, whether employees are onsite, hybrid, or remote.

Share A Clear Preboarding Timeline

Provide a straightforward, step-by-step timeline that outlines precisely what the new hire needs to do and when. Include all critical preboarding tasks such as document submissions, IT setup, and onboarding sessions. Break down dates, times, locations, and relevant links. 

Key items to include in the timeline:

  • • Deadline for completing digital paperwork
  • • Schedule for virtual or in-person orientation
  • • Links to the onboarding portal or training modules
  • • Dates for meet-and-greet calls or team intros
  • • Info session or Q&A meeting times
  • • Contact for help with completing tasks

Keeping everything organized in one place prevents confusion, improves task completion rates, and reduces the number of last-minute questions.

Assign A Buddy Or Mentor

Pair newly hired employees with a peer who knows the company, tools, workflows, and team dynamics well. 

"Those with highly engaged workers spend an average of 35 weeks grooming new employees, compared to only 15 weeks that employers with low employee engagement spend." — Watson Wyatt, Worldwide, Inc.

A designated buddy helps reduce the volume of unknowns by answering logistics questions, introducing informal norms, and offering advice on how to navigate internal systems. 

Ideas for an effective buddy program:

  • • Choose peers with strong communication skills and team knowledge
  • • Schedule an intro meeting before the new hire’s first day
  • • Suggest weekly check-ins during the first month
  • • Encourage the buddy to cover both work tools and unwritten team norms
  • • Share a checklist or topics to guide initial conversations
  • • Make buddy duties time-bound (e.g., first 30–60 days) with clear expectations

This early connection supports faster integration, builds confidence, and helps new hires feel part of the team faster.

Integrating these preboarding practices with your onboarding process ensures new employees begin their journey feeling informed, supported, and genuinely welcomed. This foundation reduces early friction and accelerates engagement, setting the tone for long-term productivity and satisfaction.

Eco-friendly workwear choices: Consider sustainable or eco-friendly apparel choices to demonstrate environmental responsibility and align with modern workforce values.

Elevate Employee Onboarding Apparel

Create a complete employee onboarding experience by pairing your workwear (like custom work shirts or custom shirt uniforms) with high-impact branded gear. Think tote bags, pens, wristbands, and lanyards that showcase your brand's style and company logo.

Providing branded apparel during onboarding helps new employees feel welcomed and part of a unified team from their very first day. Explore a range of durable, visually distinctive custom items that support lasting team pride and foster deeper workplace connections.

Discover how the right custom apparel can turn onboarding into a meaningful first step in your employees’ journeys at Wrist-Band.com.