A new employee starts the job, and the first two weeks determine whether they stay or start considering other offers. HR spends time on this: explaining the same things, forwarding instructions, answering the same questions from new hires over and over.
A welcome chain solves this problem: a series of emails goes out automatically, the new hire gets information exactly when they need it, and HR only steps in where it's genuinely needed.Why a folder of PDFs doesn't work
Standard onboarding looks like this: on the first day, the new hire gets a folder of documents — policies, org structure, contacts, instructions. The person opens it while stressed, skims it, and closes it.
All the information arrives at once, when most of it isn't needed yet. A week later, the employee doesn't remember where anything is and goes back to HR with questions.
An email chain spreads the information out over time: the first week covers basic contacts and tasks, the second covers processes and tools, the third covers feedback. Each email arrives exactly when its content becomes relevant.
Why welcome chains matter
They reduce the load on HR: set it up once, and the chain runs for every new employee with no manual work.
They speed up onboarding: the employee gets information gradually, not all at once on day one.
They reduce probationary-period churn: a new hire who feels structure and attention from the company is less likely to leave in the first three months.
They provide data for improvement: analytics show at what stage attention drops off and what needs work.
The structure of a welcome chain
The optimal length for most companies is 5-6 emails over the first 30 days. Fewer, and the information doesn't sink in. More, and the emails start getting ignored.
Day | Subject line | Content |
|---|---|---|
1 | Welcome | A brief overview of the company, key contacts, first-day tasks |
3 | The team and structure | Who's responsible for what, who to go to with which questions |
7 | Tools and processes | The team's services, workflow, document storage |
14 | First check-in | What's become clear, what's still unclear |
21 | Culture and traditions | How communication works, the team's unwritten rules |
30 | First-month wrap-up | What's been accomplished, the plan for the next period |
The day-1 and day-3 emails matter most. That's when a new hire is at their most attentive and anxious. If they get the information they need and feel the company's attention on those days, the first impression forms correctly.
What to write in each email
Day 1. Welcome
Specifics, not three paragraphs of corporate copy. What needs to happen today: who to see, what to sign, where to get a badge, how to connect to work systems. One contact for questions — a specific name and phone number, not "reach out to HR".
In Letteros, build the email from ready-made modules: add a text block with the welcome message, a numbered-list block for first-day tasks, and a contacts block. All the modules are in the left panel of the editor, under "Modules". Swap in your company's text, and the email is ready in 15 minutes.
Day 3. The team and structure
A short map: who's on the team, who's responsible for what, who to approach with which questions. You can also add photos of colleagues — it lowers the barrier to first contact, and the email can always be revisited.
In Letteros, use a module from the "Content blocks" section — for example, a card block where you can add an employee's photo along with their name and job title. Upload the photos and fill in the names right in the editor.
Day 7. Tools and processes
Which services the team uses, how the workflow is set up, where documents are stored, how tasks get approved. Enough for the employee to work without pulling colleagues away with basic questions.
In Letteros, use a module from the "Content blocks" section — it visually breaks the information into steps and makes the email easier to read.
Day 14. Feedback
Two questions in the email: what's already clear, what's still raising questions. The answers help improve onboarding, and the employee understands that their experience at the company matters.
In Letteros, add a text block with a numbered list of questions from the "Text blocks" section in the editor's left panel.
Day 21. Culture and traditions
The informal part: how the team communicates, whether there are traditions, what life looks like outside of tasks. This email works best in a warm, informal tone.
In Letteros, use a plain text block with no extra visual elements — a simple email from a specific person feels more genuine than a heavily designed HTML template.
Day 30. First-month wrap-up
What's been accomplished this month, and what the plans are for the next period. A good moment to invite the employee to a one-on-one with their manager — to review progress and discuss what's next.
In Letteros, add a button module from the "Buttons" section and insert a link to the manager's calendar or a booking form.
How to build an onboarding chain in Letteros in a single day
Step 1. Create an email and choose a template
In your personal account, click "Create email" and choose a suitable template from the library.
Step 2. Build the email from ready-made modules
In the left panel of the editor, open the "Modules" section. There you'll find headers, banners, text blocks, quotes, contacts, dividers, and footers. Drag the blocks you need into the email and fill them with content.
Step 3. Customize it for your brand
Upload your logo, swap in your own text, and change the colors to your brand's. This is all done right in the editor, no coding required.
Step 4. Check how it displays
Click the paper-plane icon in the top-right corner and send a test email to your own address. Check how it looks in Outlook and on mobile.
Step 5. Send or export
If you use an external ESP or HR system, export each email's HTML, upload it there, and set up the launch trigger: adding an employee to the database. If you'd rather send straight from Letteros, use the built-in Sender with no switching between tools.
Technical details
Automation. The chain should launch automatically when an employee is added to the database. Sending each email manually adds extra work for HR with every new hire.
Personalization. At a minimum — the employee's name in the subject line and body. The next level — different chains for different departments or roles. An email for a developer and one for a sales manager should differ at least in the section about tools and processes.
Email length. Each email — one topic, one focus. If there's a lot of information, it's better to add another email to the chain than to overload one.
Sender. It's better to send from a specific person — a manager or an HR specialist — rather than a corporate address like info@company.com. The tone instantly becomes more human.
What to watch in the analytics
Metric | What it means |
|---|---|
Open rate below 40% | A problem with the subject line or send time |
Low open rate on day 14 | The feedback email is perceived as a formality |
No responses to the questions | The form is too complex or the questions are too generic |
High unsubscribe rate | Too many emails, or they're arriving at the wrong time |
An employee email chain works on the same logic as a marketing one: opens, clicks, and replies show where the emails are working and where they aren't.