When you join a new office, it is likely that you will be given a formal or informal welcome. Depending on the size of the organisation, this may involve small or large groups of colleagues, including your managers.  The purpose of these welcome meetings is to speed up your ‘integration’ into the organisation by acquainting yourself with colleagues and the work they do. It is also to ease your nerves, make you comfortable and feel welcome into the new set.





From your perspective, you should be mentally prepared for a group welcome. Even if the company you are joining doesn’t have a culture of organising such a group welcome function, your preparation will only stand you in good stead. It is likely that the company will ask you to speak about yourself to the team and give insights into your background; so being prepared will enable you to create a good first impression amongst your new colleagues.
 

If you are indeed given such an opportunity at the office welcome, here are some key aspects to cover in your introduction and thank you speech for the welcome given to you.
 

Start by greeting everyone warmly: You should always start by greeting the group, using an appropriate greeting such as Hello everyone, Good morning everyone, and so on.
 

Thank the person who asked you to speak: After the greeting/salutation, it is always a good practice to follow up by thanking the person who passed on the baton of speaking to you. This thank you could be as simple as “thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity to speak to my new colleagues.”  If you have been given a welcome party or asked to speak at a formal welcome function, then thank the company for organising such an event and making you feel welcome.
 



Introduce yourself: Give your office colleagues a brief introduction about yourself. This should typically cover your personal details such as your name and where you come from, your educational background/ specialisation, and key highlights of your professional work experience (especially your most recent company). If you are a fresher, mention the fact that it is your first job. Office colleagues do tend to go a bit easy on freshers than with the experienced people.


Express your excitement at joining the new company: Without going overboard and making it seem insincere, communicate the nervous excitement that you feel in joining the organisation. If there is any particular area that you are looking forward to work on in the new role, state that. Ensure that you express  hope for the future, in terms of your ability to contribute to the organisation.
 

Finally, thank the team again: To conclude, thank the team once again for the welcome. End on a hopeful note by stating that you look forward to enjoying the new journey in your professional life.
 

Remember, the speech does not have to sound bombastic or very polished. It does help to have a good vocabulary-- and you must constantly strive to improve your English vocabulary- but the key point is to speak clearly, correctly and sincerely. Your speech should communicate that you are truly grateful for the welcome given by the office and that you are really looking forward to working in the new environment. Notwithstanding the eloquence of your speech, the positive vibes from your non-verbal communication (your expressions and body language) will really make a huge difference to how your new colleagues embrace you in to the fold.

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-By Chander Madan