9 Cool New Hire Orientation Ideas

Looking for new hire orientation ideas to help welcome your new employees in style? At Peerspace, we get it! New hire orientations are a great way to onboard new employees. Whether you have just a few new faces or an entire office full of new hires to orient to your company, throwing a fun new hire orientation can make all the difference between a smooth transition and a confusing one.

This is your chance to familiarize new team members with your company’s policies, introduce them to existing staff members, and make sure they know their way around the workplace. With that in mind, here are nine cool new hire orientation ideas to help you kick off your onboarding process.

1. Have an introductory scavenger hunt

Introducing yourself to your coworkers can be one of the most intimidating parts of your first day at the office. So make it easy on your new hires by creating a scavenger hunt designed to get them interacting with everyone on the team.

For example, one colleague could be hiding a clue to the WiFi password, while another has the new hire’s company ID card hidden in their drawer. Give them a week’s worth of clues to complete that will take them to every corner of the office. It’s more fun than a simple checklist, and it gets them thinking outside the box from Day One!

2. Create a welcome video

Give each new hire a personalized welcome video to help them “meet” everyone in the office — and remote colleagues, too. For one thing, it’s more memorable than a list of names and photos. Plus, it makes it clear that you already see them as a valued member of the team.

This is especially important if your company has multiple offices and your executives aren’t able to say hello in person. Among new hire orientation ideas, a welcome video can make or break a first day!

3. Make it an off-site retreat with Peerspace

If you have a significant number of new team members joining your company at once, host an off-site retreat to welcome them on board. This is a great way to onboard remote workers or welcome new hires from multiple offices.

Treat it as seriously as you would a company retreat or team-building workshop by renting a memorable Peerspace venue to host your event. The possibilities for fun new hire orientation ideas is endless! From modern corporate venues to coworking spaces and meeting rooms, you’ll find a range of event spaces available to suit your team.

Here are a few of our favorite corporate retreat venues to check out:

• This perfect corporate retreat venue on the beach in Richmond, BC, with space for 50, an on-site cafe, and A/V equipment
• This luxury lodge with 360-degree mountain views in Scottsville, VA, with space for 75, a cedar pergola, a garden, a kitchen, and an outdoor fireplace
• This executive off-site retreat space in Sonoma, CA, with space for 18, a conference room, coffee service, a kitchen, on-site catering, and outdoor space in a villa setting
• This retreat oasis in the Malibu Hills, Los Angeles, CA, with space for 50, yoga and meditation space, a lounge, a fireplace, and hiking trails (pictured above)

These are just a few examples of the types of amazing venues you can book on Peerspace. Many have all the A/V equipment you’ll need to host a professional workshop, while others have additional amenities, such as a kitchen or dining room, where you can host a catered dinner or buffet. Contact your space’s friendly local host if you need something that isn’t available at your venue. They are always more than happy to make your experience in their space as wonderful as possible!

Check out our exciting corporate retreat ideas for more inspiration!

4. Host a game show

Depending on the size of your company, your new hires may have a lot of department names, terms, and acronyms to learn. Help them memorize this information in a fun way with this cool new hire orientation idea that trades in standard trivia questions for company-specific content. You can give them time to study the company handbook first or just jump right in.

5. Surprise them with a gift basket

You can find out your new hire’s favorite music, candy, sports team, vacation destination, or beverage with a little detective work. You may have already found out some of this information at their interview or from their job application. If not, ask these questions as part of an icebreaker game, then send someone else to assemble a surprise gift package to leave at their desk.

For those whose love language is receiving gifts, this is one of the top new hire orientation ideas to make a person feel valued.

6. Have a desk plant contest

Give each of your new hires a desk plant or terrarium to care for at their desk. Spend a little time decorating the pots, then have a contest to see who can grow the most successful plant by checking in on them every few months. For the most fun, choose plants that will produce flowers or herbs when cared for properly. This is among the most noteworthy new hire orientation ideas for those who have a green thumb.

7. Host a film screening

Welcome your new employees on board with a private screening of a movie that encourages teamwork or reflects positively on your industry. From Moneyball to Apollo 13, here are a few movies that HR professionals can use to offer useful lessons or talking points to new hires. If you need a venue to host your screening, then search on Peerspace for a private theater. The venue you choose will have the equipment you need as well as an amazing ambiance for your screening.

Whether it’s the holidays or just a Friday, our fun office party ideas will delight your entire team!

8. Have the CEO serve breakfast (or drinks)

Give your new hires a less intimidating way to meet the CEO by inviting your executive team to serve as the baristas or bartenders at your orientation event. Turn the tables for a few hours and let the CEOs serve the coffee and donuts to your new employees. It’s a fun new hire orientation idea that shows that your executives are approachable and don’t take themselves too seriously.

9. Gamify your new hire orientation with an app

If you have frequent new hires throughout the year and can’t take time out to plan an in-person orientation event for each of them, why not use an app to streamline the process? You can also use an app like OrgLynx to compile all of your onboarding activities into a single virtual orientation.

Some of the ideas on this list, such as a scavenger hunt, are a natural fit for an onboarding app. You can use surveys and quizzes to make sure your new employees have read the handbook and QR codes to bring up handy information about each department or workspace. Plus, you can use the GPS tools to have them “check in” at different locations around the office. It’s among the most creative new hire orientation ideas that are perfect for tech-savvy teams!

Bonus: host a photoshoot

One of our coolest new hire orientation ideas is to have a photoshoot to welcome your new employees. And when you have a resource like Peerspace at hand, you can easily book incredible photoshoot studio location for you and your colleagues to gather, pose, and bond over the shared experience. Ask your Peerspace host to get you in contact with a photographer who can give you and your new hires the professional treatment. Best of all, your new hires will have a photographic souvenir to commemorate the start of their new job.

New hire orientation ideas: conclusion

Deciding on where to host your orientation depends a lot on the size and structure of your group. Will hosting the event at your office get in the way of day-to-day operations? Then rent a unique event venue on Peerspace that can accommodate your team for a memorable afternoon away from the office.

With so many options to choose from, from casual meeting spaces to high-tech boardrooms, you won’t have any trouble bringing your new hire orientation ideas to life!

Find unique new hire orientation venues on Peerspace