How to build an employee onboarding kit people keep.

Updated October 2026. Written by Flex Branding.

A good onboarding kit tells a new starter they're part of something before they've opened their laptop. A bad one is a bag of logo junk that goes straight in a drawer. Here's how to build one people keep.

Start with the job the kit has to do

Decide what you want the new starter to feel and do. Welcome and belonging? Pride in wearing the brand? Ready to work from home on day one? The answer decides what goes in the box, and stops you buying items because they're cheap.

What to include

• One quality wearable. A hoodie, crew or jacket people choose to wear on the weekend. This is the piece that does the most for your brand, so spend here.
• Something for the desk. A drink bottle, keep cup, notebook or quality pen that gets used every day.
• Useful tech. A charger, cable set or desk accessory, especially for remote staff.
• A personal touch. A handwritten note from the manager or team. It costs almost nothing and is often the part people remember.
• Packaging that fits the brand. A branded box or mailer makes the unboxing feel intentional. Skip the individual plastic bags.

What to leave out

Stress balls, cheap pens and anything you wouldn't use yourself. Three good items beat ten forgettable ones.

Sizes without the spreadsheet

Apparel is where kits go wrong: wrong sizes, chasing people for answers, reorders. A sizing link fixes it: each new starter picks their size on their phone, no login needed, and can enter their own delivery address.

Shipping to remote staff

Kits can be packed and shipped straight to each new starter's home, anywhere in Australia, so day one feels the same in the office or at the kitchen table.

Make it repeatable

If you hire regularly, don't rebuild the kit every time. An online swag store holds your approved kit and stock, so a manager can send a kit to each new starter in a few clicks. More on onboarding packs.