A branded polo on day one sends a message to a new employee: you belong here. It's a small gesture that has an outsized impact on how someone feels walking into work for the first time. Here's how to set up a clean, repeatable ordering process for your onboarding program.
Why polos work for onboarding
Polos thread the needle between formal and casual. They look more professional than a t-shirt, more approachable than a button-down, and they hold up in the office, on the floor, and in customer-facing environments. Embroidered with your company logo, they become a uniform piece that works across departments.
For more on when to choose polos and what to put on them, see our guide on custom embroidered polos for business owners.
Build a standard onboarding shirt spec
The goal is repeatability. Every new hire should get the same shirt — same garment, same logo placement, same thread colors. To make that happen, document your spec once and reorder against it:
- Garment: style, brand, and color (e.g. Port Authority K500 in Navy)
- Logo placement: left chest, centered, specific dimensions
- Thread colors: exact PMS or thread color numbers
- Quantity: how many shirts per hire, which sizes
Once this is locked in, reordering is a 5-minute conversation with your printer.
Sizing for new hires
The tricky part of onboarding shirts is that you don't always know sizes in advance. A few options:
- Ask during hiring: add a shirt size field to your onboarding paperwork
- Keep a buffer stock: order a handful of S, M, L, XL, and 2XL to have on hand for immediate starts
- Order on demand: place a small order once you know the hire's size — works if you have a 5-7 day lead time before their start date
How many shirts per employee?
For office environments, 2-3 polos is the standard. For customer-facing roles or anyone who wears the uniform daily, 3-5 is more practical. If you're not sure, ask your employees — they'll tell you what they actually need.
What about other items in the kit?
Polos are a great anchor piece, but a complete onboarding kit might also include:
- A branded t-shirt for casual Fridays or events
- An embroidered hat or beanie
- A branded tote or bag
We can help source and print all of these. Read our guide on how to order company uniforms for a broader look at outfitting a growing team.
Decoration: embroidery vs screen print for polos
For polos, embroidery is almost always the right call. It looks more professional, holds up through commercial laundering, and doesn't crack or fade the way screen print can on performance fabric. Read our full breakdown in embroidery vs screen print for company apparel.
💡 Set up a standing order with your printer. Once your spec is locked in, a quick call or email with a size and quantity is all it takes to reorder. The best corporate apparel relationships are nearly automatic.
Ready to set up your onboarding shirt program? Call 855-TSHIRT-5 or request a quote online.