Best Custom Notebooks for Onboarding Kits (Remote + In-Office)

For most new-hire kits, choose a perfect-bound softcover notebook for mailers and a hardcover notebook for in-office desk kits that pairing keeps shipping tidy while still delivering a “keep-worthy” everyday notebook.

Promotional Notebooks

Top recommendations (pick the one that matches how you distribute)

1. Remote onboarding (mailers/boxes): Perfect-bound softcover
2. Best when you need clean edges, easy stacking, and lower kit bulk.
3. → Promotional Notebooks
4. In-office onboarding (desk setup): Hardcover
5. Best for long-term daily use, sturdier corners, and a stronger “welcome” feel.
6. → Promotional Notebooks
7. Role-based training (heavy note-taking): Spiral/wire-bound
8. Best when new hires will be writing for extended sessions and need lay-flat pages.
9. → Promotional Notebooks

Add the “complete kit” companions (high ROI):

• Handouts + forms organizer: Custom Portfolios
• “Ready to write” item: Promotional Stylus Pens
• Quick-reference + reminders: Sticky Notes

Good / Better / Best (simple onboarding kit ladder)

Promotional Notebooks

What to print on onboarding notebooks (visibility + usefulness)

Cover: keep it instantly recognizable

• Use a simple logo lockup (avoid tiny URLs/taglines on the front).
• Prioritize high contrast so the mark doesn’t disappear on dark or textured covers.

Inside cover (high utility for onboarding)

Print content that earns daily use:

• First-week checklist (short, scannable bullets)
• Team values or operating principles (1 screen’s worth)
• “Where to find help” pointers (internal resources list)

If you’re deciding imprint approach, use the rules here:

• Notebook Logo Printing Methods for Custom Notebooks: Rules, Examples, and Common Mistakes

Quantity planning (remote vs in-office math)

Baselines

• Quarterly onboarding forecast × 1.10 (buffer for hiring shifts, replacements, and last-minute adds)
• If onboarding is monthly, plan 4–8 weeks of supply so you’re not scrambling between cohorts.

Remote onboarding (shipping risk buffer)

Add extra units for operational realities:

• +2–5% for address errors, reships, or damaged boxes (especially when shipping to many locations)
• Keep a small “ops reserve” (even 10–25 notebooks) so HR doesn’t pause onboarding when one kit goes missing

In-office onboarding (inventory buffer)

• Keep one extra cohort’s worth in storage if you onboard continuously (smooths hiring variance)
• If storage space is tight, choose a slimmer notebook format and rely on digital guides for long content

If you’re working against a fixed start date, start with what’s available in time: Rush Products

Onboarding operations (what makes kits actually get used)

Distribution format checklist

• Remote: pack for stackability (flat items, fewer snag points, predictable packing)
• In-office: stage kits by start date, not by department, to prevent last-minute scrambling

Assembly (reduce HR workload)

• Standardize the notebook + pen combo and only vary one element (e.g., role-based insert or portfolio)
• Use a simple pick/pack checklist to prevent missing items

Storage + transport

• Perfect-bound and softcovers typically store and stack more cleanly for bulk kits
• Hardcover feels premium but needs more space; stage smaller batches closer to start dates

Mistakes to avoid (what causes “nice but unused” kits)

1. Choosing a notebook that’s too bulky for mailers (remote kits get expensive and awkward).
2. Picking spiral/wire notebooks for shipping-heavy programs (snag risk during packing).
3. Printing low-contrast branding that disappears on the cover.
4. Overloading the front cover with tiny text (no one reads it).
5. Forgetting a pen new hires can’t use the notebook immediately.
6. Not planning a buffer (HR runs out the week you hire faster than forecast).

FAQs

What notebook style is best for remote onboarding kits?

Perfect-bound softcover notebooks are usually best because they pack and ship cleanly with fewer snag points.

What notebook style is best for in-office onboarding?

Hardcover notebooks are usually best because they feel more durable and “keep-worthy” on a desk.

Should onboarding notebooks be small or large?

Choose a size based on how much writing happens in the first two weeks. Short note-taking programs can use smaller notebooks; training-heavy roles benefit from more writing space.

What should I print on an onboarding notebook besides the logo?

A short first-week checklist or resource list inside the cover is a high-utility add that gets reused.

Which binding is best for training-heavy onboarding?

Spiral/wire-bound is best for training sessions because it lays flat and stays open while writing.

See: Custom Spiral Notebooks vs Perfect-Bound Notebooks: Which Should You Print?

Hardcover vs softcover how do I decide quickly?

Hardcover for longevity and desk use; softcover for high-volume distribution and shipping efficiency.

See: Custom Hardcover Notebooks vs Softcover Notebooks: Which Should You Choose?

What’s the simplest “complete onboarding kit” bundle?

Notebook + pen + sticky notes is the simplest set that people actually use.

• Promotional Stylus Pens
• Sticky Notes

Where do I shop notebook options for onboarding?

Start here and filter by style/cover/binding options: Promotional Notebooks