If you are one of the thousands of companies planning to hire entry-level new grads this year, you’ve got a lot to think about in the next few months:
- In May, over 1.8 MILLION college students will graduate with a bachelor’s degree.
- With a positive job market outlook, employers expect to hire more new grads in 2017 than 2016.
- 64% of millenials care about perks and benefits, a close second to culture and values and a driving factor in their decisions to work for a specific company.
Why not kill two birds with one stone and pull culture and perks together with welcome gifts and experiences? We’ve come up with a few ideas from the promotional products world to make your new employees feel special this summer as they start their journeys into new careers.
Dressed for Success
One of our largest clients knows that starting a new job means buying a whole new professional wardrobe – that’s why they tasked PK with outfitting their new hires for sales success. The company, which employs over 17,000 people, gives each new hire a budget to spend on their custom webstore (that PK manages) to choose company-branded apparel and accessories from premium brands. The store offers items like Nike Dri-Fit polos and Vineyard Vines oxford shirts, alongside other brands that look professional and boast quality – values that match our client’s culture as well. What better way to say welcome to a new hire than to position them to succeed?
Work-Life Blend
Work from home hours are increasingly popular in the work world today. Since employees aren’t in the office every day, why not remind them at home that they’re still part of the team? Custom laptop bags like this one from Swiss Victorniox protect equipment and see daily use, while headphones, powerbanks, and travel gear go everywhere with remote workers. Not only will your employees feel more connected, but your brand will gain exposure at the coffee shops and on the trains where they’re working. Don’t have a work from home program? Portable, useful items and name-brand apparel are promotional products that travel well and make an impression to and from the office, and beyond.
Memory-Making
Companies are dreaming up more and more innovative ways to connect to employees through experience. Pandora has live, in-office concerts, Twitter has 24 hour catered meals, and DDB picks up their new hires in a hired Town Car day one, before giving them a welcome kit full of swag.
Experiences make the strongest impressions, and provide ample opportunities for logo impressions – and these days, you can put your logo on anything. From branded Fender guitars, to custom snowboards, to Maui Jim event welcome kits, we’ve worked with our clients on creative experiences and event prizes that inspire excitement about their brands.
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All that said, a simple welcome gift – whether it be a Patagonia backpack, a Southern Tide sweater or a Moleskine notebook – is just enough to make a new hire feel like they’re part of the team. Moreover, they’ll appreciate the thought that goes into choosing quality brands. (Click here to view employee gifts we’ve come up with for employees of all durations.)
ParsonsKellogg provides exclusive access to promotional apparel and accessories premium sporting goods and lifestyle brands. Welcome your new hires with promotional products that make a killer first impression – contact PK!
