Ideas and insights on welcoming, onboarding and more

Stories, practical advice and fresh ideas for bringing people together — from preboarding and onboarding to farewells, celebrations, shared memories and everything in between.

A colleague at his desk in despair after accidentally pressing Reply All to thousands of people

9 September 2026 · 2 min read

The Reply-All That Made Him Famous (For a Week)

He accidentally emailed 2,500 people. Why one honest reply-all became the company's most effective feedback mechanism — and what it teaches us about listening to new starters.

A colleague adjusting an office thermostat while others watch, beneath a 'Don't touch the thermostat' sign

2 September 2026 · 2 min read

The Thermostat (Office Cold Wars #1)

One person in a jumper, one person boiling, and a thermostat nobody admits to touching. The small things decide whether people feel comfortable somewhere.

Two colleagues talking in an office with speech bubbles about emailing Finance and 'It's just how we do it'

26 August 2026 · 2 min read

Unwritten Rules of Work

There's the handbook you're given, and the one nobody can hand you. How workarounds become 'the way it's done' — and why new starters see it fresh.

A business card taped inside an office fish tank during a colleague's leaving do, with a 'Good Luck' banner in the background

19 August 2026 · 2 min read

The Last Day at Work: More Than Just a Goodbye

Hidden business cards, a mystery chirping device, a forwarded desk phone. Last-day pranks only land when people really know each other — and that's the point.

Illustration of a new starter wondering how many people they will meet in their first month

13 August 2026 · 3 min read

Making the First Day Feel Less Like a First Day

We hope for a smooth first day, but some become memorable for not going to plan. Here's how a little preparation before Day One can help.

Split image of a new starter checking her phone at home and her new manager working at a laptop, captioned 'Same Monday. Different perspectives.'

7 August 2026 · 4 min read

Preboarding Option That Leads to Better Onboarding?

Two people, one Monday, two very different sets of worries. A look at whether a simple digital welcome the week before Day One could make onboarding noticeably better.

A Mark IV combination lock mounted on a wooden stand with an engraved 'Thank You' plaque

3 August 2026 · 3 min read

The Leaving Gift They Actually Remembered

A colleague used the same specialist lock every day for 25 years. His leaving gift cost almost nothing — and meant more than any standard present could have.

Colleagues gathered around a leaving speech with a 'Thank You & Good Luck' chalkboard

22 July 2026 · 5 min read

The Send-Off Is Punctuation, Not the Story

After 20 years of office send-offs, one lesson stands out: specificity beats budget. Here's what actually makes a leaving tribute land — and what quietly makes it fall flat.

Illustrated guide cover: How to arrange a leaving collection

21 July 2026 · 6 min read

How to organise a leaving collection in 10 minutes

A practical, interactive guide to organising a leaving collection in about ten minutes — including a fill-in-the-blank message template you can copy in seconds.