[NicoleMiller]

As we continue to grow and hire new employees, I'm trying to determine what office supplies are standard requests. Does anyone have a standard 'kit' of office supplies they provide to new employees? I can think of a couple items off the top of my head (stapler, pens, notepads) but would like to limit the number of trips to the office supply store.

Thanks!

Nicole

[MrsHovey]

One company I worked for used to give a kit with the basics (tape & dispenser, stapler & staple remover, paperclips & holder, pens, and post-its), but they also gave a few extras such as a new mouse pad (nothing says "Welcome" like someone else's dirty mousepad!), a box of tissues, and a re-usable water bottle with the company logo filled with a few goodies like candies, band-aids (papercuts happen!), and a list of important phone numbers or extensions. This was a great way to let the person know they are welcome and valued as well as get them going with some of the basic needs. I also think some kind of drawer or desktop organizer is a must-have, but a lot of people like to pick those out on their own.

[bluemoon8118]

Fantastic idea! It really does mean a lot when something thoughtful like this is done on your first day. I did laugh at the mouse pad bit though - I definitely had my predecessor's old and very over the top (if you can believe it) mouse pad waiting for me at my new desk!

[Patricia]

Great idea. Used earphones are pretty bad too!

[James.Hill]

One of the most helpful items I've ever been given on the first day is a small whiteboard to hang on the wall of my cubicle. The top half was for people leaving messages for me, with the left side for important messages and the right side for fun stuff. The bottom half was for me, so I had a place to write down notes to myself and I didn't use a thousand post it notes.

[Lauren Elder]

As for something you don't have to buy, How about a list of names/emails/phone numbers of contacts who will a new employee will be working closely with? This would have been helpful to me in a lot of jobs.
MrsHovey - I can't believe your employer gave you band-aids and a candy-filled water bottle! That is awesome and goes way beyond the call of duty. It's the little thoughtful things that really do count.

[lschmidt]

A planner or calendar is essential in today's world and it is helpful to have from day one. A business card holder or rolodex is also handy. I always use my date stamp now that I have one and would recommend that everyone have one! They come in various models from cheap to ornate. White-out, stamps (you can get the forever stamps that are valid no matter what the postage ends up going to before you use them), a label maker, a box cutter, tissues, fine-point Sharpies (a million uses), hand sanitizer, a stress ball, etc. are all great ideas that your employees will truly appreciate.

If you want to make it really nice you could add some non-standard items that truly help you out during the day. Depending on your budget you could include a jump drive. Mine is extremely useful, especially for meetings that take place in other offices, and typically if you order in multiples there is a discount involved. A nice touch would be a small gift certificate for your office cafeteria or a local restaurant or Starbucks. Even if it's only five or ten bucks, it makes you feel special when the company buys you lunch or some coffee (if you get them on a regular basis you might be able to work out a discount on this too). If the employee transferred from another city or area for the job you might include a map or a list of nearby restaurants you frequent for lunch or meetings (or copies of menus for places that offer delivery and carry-out). You could also include something seasonal- for instance, if it's winter when they start you could give a pair of gloves or some hot cocoa, or in the summer you could include a travel-size sunscreen or a small fan.

No matter what you give them, there's a lot to be said for presentation. Nothing will welcome them like a nice fabric-lined square basket that holds everything, because then they can use it later for other stuff. A bunch of supplies dumped on their desk isn't that inviting. You can get baskets at the dollar store that look pretty nice! (As a matter of fact you can get a lot of fun stuff at the dollar store). It doesn't have to be elaborate but if you make it look nice your new employee will truly appreciate the thought.

[badgergirl]

Granted I am a little bias, but Lauren's ideas are always great and they look really nice too! A nice basket with office essentials and if it is your job to maintain the phone system, changing the names and extensions before they start is a great way to say, "we knew you were coming and prepared things for you."

[aussieadmin]

This is not strictly stationery but I found an office map with staff names matched against their desk to be very useful.

Even roughly drawn this is particularly helpful in avoiding a number of embarrassing sitations eg.
* as a new employee when your new boss asks you to deliver a document to a specific person and you can't remember what they look like.
* someone you have been introduced to on the first day (one of many) says hello and then you can't remember their name when you need to speak to them again (particularly in a larger office with no name tags).

[Jodith]

In addition to a phone list, if you are at a large corporation, a list of frequently used sites on the companies intranet. Things like where to find company logos and their publishing requirements, standard powerpoint templates, company directory, copy services, mail services, those sorts of things. I've found the search engine that many companies use for their intranets to be less than ideal, so having the links ahead of time can be a real timesaver for a new person.