Introducing yourself to the rest of the team is one of the first things to do in a new job. Simple enough if your new colleagues are on the same corridor. But what if they’re spread all over the world? If you’re not likely to meet them in person until much later, why not introduce yourself by email?
Whether you send one email to the whole team or write to each member individually depends on the situation. I’ve imagined what I would say if I were writing to the whole team, but the phrases would also work for an email to just one person – perhaps adding a few more specific, personal remarks.
Opening
First of all, you need an opening that puts everyone in the picture and explains why you’re writing.
- As you may have read in the bulletin on the intranet, …
- You’ve probably already heard that …
- As a result of the recent reorganization,
- … I’ve taken on the position of [job title].
- … I’ve been appointed [job title].
- … I’m now responsible for [role].
- … I’ll be taking over from xy on [date].
- I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself.
- I’d like to tell you a little about myself.
- As we probably won’t meet in person in the near future, I felt it was a good idea to introduce myself by email.
- We’ll meet at [name of event], I’d thought I’d introduce myself by email.
Saying a little about yourself and your role
You don’t need to go into too much detail, so be selective. Personally I’d keep it pretty factual and wouldn’t emphasize my previous successes for fear of coming across as boastful. But that’s a question of (national and organizational) cultural background and personality.
- I’ve been with [name of company] for xx years.
- I started out as a [job], then took on the position of [name of position].
- Before joining the company in [month or year], I worked as a [job] at [name of previous company].
- Before taking on this new role, I was in the [name of department], where I particularly enjoyed working on the xxx project.
- In my new job I’m responsible for xxx . That involves xxx and xxx.
Looking ahead
Close on a positive note by saying what you’re looking forward to and inviting the recipients to contact you.
- One thing about this new position that I’m really looking forward to is working in an international team.
- I’m very much looking forward to working with you.
- I’m here to support you with … Just let me know what I can do.
- Please feel free to contact me if you have any concerns / ideas / …
We have some challenging / demanding projects ahead of us. I’m sure that with all the expertise we have in the team we’ll be able to make a great success of them. (in a leadership role)
As this is your first contact with the recipients it’s essential to strike the right note. The phrases above will help you to come across as approachable and friendly. And pave the way for positive relationships.
Do you need support in finding exactly the right words for your individual situation? My email coaching offers just that.
