What does a preboarding email for a new production employee look like?

The period between accepting a job and the first shift is when many new starters have doubts. They do not know exactly where to go, what to wear or what to expect. Some accept another offer, and some simply do not turn up. Preboarding fills that gap.

This article gives you ready-to-use preboarding examples for production and other frontline roles: an email, an SMS sequence and a WhatsApp sequence. It also explains how to preboard people who do not have a laptop or company email, and what the benefits are for manufacturers, warehouses, construction firms and facilities companies.

What is preboarding?

Preboarding is everything you do between the signed offer and the first day. It is the first part of onboarding. The aim is simple: make sure new starters feel expected, arrive prepared and already know the most important things.

For production employees, good preboarding covers:

• practical details: start time, address, entrance, parking, who meets them;
• what to wear and bring;
• what the first day looks like;
• a first introduction to the site and team;
• the first safety basics, such as site rules and what to do in an emergency.

Keep preboarding light. It is information and welcome, not a replacement for your induction. Health and safety training required under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (reg. 13) must take place during working hours, so the full safety induction belongs in paid time on or after day one.

Example preboarding email

Use this example for new starters who do use email. Keep it short and practical.

Subject: Welcome to [Company], see you on Monday [date]

Hi [first name],

Welcome to the team. We are glad you are joining us as a [job title] at our [site] site.

Here is what you need for your first day:

• Start: Monday [date], 7:00 am. Please arrive 15 minutes early.
• Where: [address]. Use the staff entrance at [gate/door] and report to reception.
• Parking: [details], or [bus stop] is a five-minute walk.
• Who meets you: [supervisor name], your supervisor. [Buddy name] will be your buddy for the first weeks.
• What to wear: comfortable work trousers. We provide safety shoes, hi-vis and other PPE. Please let us know your shoe size.
• Bring: your bank details and lunch (or use the canteen).

On your first day you will get a tour, meet the team and go through the safety rules before you start work.

If you have any questions, call or message [name] on [number].

See you on Monday, [Name]

Example SMS preboarding sequence

Many production workers do not check email. A short SMS sequence works better. Keep each message under two or three lines.

1. On acceptance: "Hi [name], welcome to [Company]! You start Mon [date] at 7:00 at [site]. We'll send the details closer to the date. Questions? Call [name] on [number]."
2. One week before: "Hi [name], what's your shoe size? We provide safety shoes and hi-vis. Wear comfortable work trousers on your first day."
3. Three days before: "Your first day: arrive 6:45 at the staff entrance on [street]. [Supervisor] will meet you at reception."
4. The day before: "Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow at 6:45! Bring your bank details and lunch. Any problem, call [number]."

SMS is short and reliable, but it cannot carry photos, video or questions. For that, WhatsApp is the better channel.

Example WhatsApp preboarding sequence

WhatsApp lets you combine text, photos, video and short questions. Use a business platform, not a personal phone, so numbers stay private and you can see who has read what.

When	Message	Content
On acceptance	Welcome	Short welcome video from the supervisor or site manager
One week before	Practical details	Start time, address, a photo of the entrance and parking
Five days before	What to wear	Clothing and PPE, with a question about shoe size
Three days before	Your first day	Day-one programme and who meets them, with a photo of the supervisor and buddy
Two days before	Safety basics	Site rules, emergency alarm and assembly point, with two short questions
The day before	See you tomorrow	Reminder of time and place, and a contact number

Each message takes a minute or two to read. By the first day, the new starter already recognises the entrance, knows their supervisor's face and has seen the main site rules.

Preboarding without a laptop or computer

Most production, warehouse, cleaning and construction workers do not get a laptop or company email. Traditional online preboarding portals, with a login and a set of e-learning modules, do not reach them.

What works instead:

• Use the phone they already have. Almost every new starter has a smartphone with WhatsApp.
• No login, no app. Every extra step is a reason not to open it.
• Short messages. One topic per message, readable in a minute or two.
• Visual content. Photos of the entrance, the canteen and the workplace; short video from the supervisor.
• Their language. New starters whose English is limited get the messages in their own language. See how to set up onboarding for employees who don't speak the local language.
• Opt-in. Explain why you use their number and keep it voluntary, in line with UK GDPR.

Benefits of preboarding in manufacturing

• Fewer no-shows. New starters who feel expected, and who have already had contact with their supervisor, are more likely to turn up on the first day.
• A better first day. PPE in the right size is ready, and the new starter knows where to go.
• Less overload on day one. Practical information is already known, so the induction can focus on safety and the job.
• Faster productivity. People start with a head start on the basics.
• A professional first impression. It shows the company is organised and cares.
• Consistency. Every starter receives the same information, whichever shift they join.

Starting preboarding via WhatsApp before day one

Getting started is simpler than it seems.

1. Write down what new starters always ask in their first days. That is your preboarding content.
2. Take photos and short videos of the entrance, parking, canteen and work area.
3. Ask the supervisor to record a 30-second welcome.
4. Set up the sequence once and use it for every new starter in that role.
5. Connect it to your HR and planning systems so new starters are added automatically.
6. Ask for feedback after the first week: what helped, what was missing?

After day one, the same channel carries on with the rest of onboarding. See which onboarding apps work best for manufacturing and the free onboarding checklist.

Frequently asked questions

What should a preboarding email include?

Start date and time, address and entrance, parking or public transport, who meets them, what to wear and bring, what the first day looks like and a contact person for questions.

When should preboarding start?

As soon as the offer is accepted. A welcome message straight away, then practical information in the week or two before the first day, works well.

Can you do preboarding by SMS or WhatsApp?

Yes, and for frontline workers it often works better than email. SMS is good for short reminders. WhatsApp also lets you share photos, video and short questions, through a business platform so numbers stay private.

What is online preboarding?

Online preboarding means sharing welcome and practical information digitally before the first day. For office staff that is often a portal; for frontline workers it works best on the phone, via short WhatsApp messages with photos and video that need no login.

Should new starters complete safety training before day one?

Share the safety basics as information, but keep the formal health and safety training for paid working time on or after day one, as MHSWR reg. 13 requires training to take place during working hours.

How do you preboard agency or temporary workers?

The same way, but faster: send practical details and the site safety basics to their phone a day or two before their first shift, in their own language.

How E-lia helps

E-lia sends preboarding and onboarding messages to new starters via WhatsApp. No app, no login, in each worker's own language. Welcome videos, practical information and safety basics arrive before day one, followed by short onboarding modules with a few questions each. Everything is recorded in your dashboard, so you can see who is ready to start.