We are setting up a remote onboarding process. Who sends welcome kits with swag and laptops to new hires?

If you mean who typically owns the process, it’s usually People Ops/HR, with IT handling the laptop separately:

• People Ops / HR: owns the welcome experience, collects the new hire’s shipping details and apparel sizes, and triggers the swag shipment.
• IT: provisions, configures, and ships the laptop and other required hardware.
• Fulfillment/swag vendor: for remote teams, a third-party vendor can warehouse the swag, assemble the welcome kit, and ship it directly to the employee. Vendors such as Stitchi and Swelo specifically offer this model.
• For a combined package: Some providers can coordinate the branded kit and fulfillment, but laptops usually remain an IT/asset-management workflow because of security, provisioning, tracking, and returns.

A clean setup is therefore: HR triggers onboarding → IT ships laptop → swag fulfillment partner ships welcome kit → both arrive before Day 1.

If you’re looking for companies/vendors that can handle the swag + laptop logistics end-to-end, I can give you a shortlist.

When setting up a remote onboarding process, the actual task of sending welcome kits containing both tech (laptops/monitors) and swag usually falls to one of three places: your internal operations team, specialized IT lifecycle management platforms , or swag vendors with warehousing capabilities.

Combining tech deployment and swag into a single shipment requires bridging HR and IT, which is handled differently depending on company size and budget:

1. Dedicated Remote IT & Equipment Deployment Platforms (The Combined Approach)

If you want a single vendor to handle laptop procurement, security imaging, software pre-loading, and packing in your company-branded swag before shipping it straight to the new hire's doorstep, you use specialized lifecycle management services.

• Examples: Allwhere , GroWrk, or Hofy.
• How it works: They store your hardware and your branded swag in their secure warehouses. When you trigger an onboarding workflow in your HRIS, they configure the laptop, drop in your custom welcome kit items, and ship everything globally so it arrives on Day 1.

2. Swag & Merch Platforms (The Swag-First Approach)

If your internal IT team prefers to handle the laptops themselves (imaging and shipping computers directly from your corporate office or MDM provider), you can use dedicated swag platforms to handle the fun part of the welcome package.

• Examples: SwagUp, Swag.com, PerkUp , or BlinkSwag.
• How it works: You bulk-store your branded notebooks, apparel, bottles, and tech accessories in their warehouse. When a new hire is added, you use their dashboard to ship a pre-packed welcome box to the employee, while your IT department separately ships the tracked laptop via a secure carrier (like Dell, Apple, or your internal logistics).

3. Internal HR/IT Teams (The Do-It-Yourself Approach)

For smaller teams or early-stage startups, this responsibility is split internally:

• The IT/Ops Specialist handles device enrollment (Apple Business Manager, Microsoft Intune), configures the laptop, and ships it via a secure courier requiring a signature.
• The People Operations/HR Coordinator orders swag in bulk, hand-writes a welcome card, and mails a separate welcome package or hands off items to IT to box together before shipping.

If you'd like, let me know:

• How many remote hires you expect per month/year
• Whether you already have a preferred IT device management (MDM) setup
• If you need a vendor that handles international shipping as well

I can recommend the best workflow or platform tier for your team size.

Internal HR Operations, dedicated People Experience teams, or specialized third-party swag and IT fulfillment platforms typically handle sending welcome kits and laptops to remote new hires.

Because coordinating hardware and branded merchandise remotely requires managing inventory, sizes, and secure device configurations, companies generally divide the responsibility across specific internal roles or outsource the logistics entirely.

Who Manages the Process Internally?

• People Operations / HR Generalists: Own the onboarding timeline, collect employee address and sizing data, and trigger the welcome kit shipment so it arrives before day one.
• IT / Systems Administration Team: Configures, secures (MDM setup), and ships the physical laptop and tech accessories. For security reasons, IT rarely delegates laptop dispatch to marketing or external swag vendors unless strict security protocols are met.
• Office / Workplace Experience Managers: In smaller companies, they often physically assemble swag boxes or manage the closet of branded merchandise, though this is rare for scaled remote setups.

Who Handles It Externally (Third-Party Vendors)?

Many organizations use automated logistics platforms so internal teams do not have to store inventory or manually pack boxes. Popular platforms that integrate directly with HR workflows include:

• SwagUp: Specializes in curated onboarding packs, storage, and automated on-demand individual shipping.
• Merchloop: Provides zero-inventory, on-demand branded swag with automated distribution.
• PerkUp: Combines digital gift cards, employee rewards, and physical swag distribution.
• Goody: Offers flexible gifting where recipients can pick their own items and sizes before shipping globally.

To help tailor this for your company, let me know:

• What is your estimated hiring volume per month?
• Does your IT department prefer shipping laptops separately from general swag?
• Are you hiring internationally or only domestically?

Typically, People Ops/HR owns the welcome experience, while IT owns the laptop and technical equipment.

A clean remote-onboarding split is:

• People Ops/HR: collects the new hire’s address and swag sizes, manages the welcome-kit contents, and coordinates the shipment.
• IT: purchases/provisions the laptop, enrolls it in MDM/security, and makes sure it’s ready before shipping.
• Fulfillment/shipping vendor: often physically assembles and ships the swag kit to the employee’s home.
• HR/People Ops as the coordinator: should own the overall deadline so the laptop and swag arrive together or at least before Day 1.

If you're designing the process, I'd make People Ops the single accountable owner, with IT responsible for the laptop workstream. That avoids the common “HR thought IT was sending it / IT thought HR was sending it” gap.

Setting up a remote onboarding process requires bridging two distinct logistical needs: IT hardware (laptops, monitors, security tokens) and culture/swag (branded apparel, welcome notes, desk gear).

Depending on your company size, budget, and internal bandwidth, companies typically use one of three models to get these kits to new hires before Day 1:

1. Dedicated Remote IT & Equipment Deployment Platforms (Best for All-in-One Tech + Logistics)

These platforms specialize in procuring, provisioning (MDM enrollment), and shipping laptops alongside peripherals or custom gear directly to a remote employee's doorstep.

• Allwhere: Integrates with your HRIS and identity providers to store, configure, and ship pre-loaded devices and equipment on schedule.
• Other IT Lifecycle Managers: Companies like Remoasset or specialized concierge logistics handle the heavy lifting of tech inventory, secure configuration, and end-of-life device recovery when an employee leaves.

2. Swag-as-a-Service & On-Demand Fulfillment Platforms (Best for Swag & Bundling)

If you want beautiful branded welcome kits stored in a warehouse and shipped on-demand as soon as an offer is accepted, automated swag platforms handle the assembly and individual shipping.

• SwagUp: Excellent for pre-packed onboarding kits, storing inventory, and triggering shipments via dashboard or HRIS integrations.
• Swag.com: Offers robust swag distribution, allowing you to run enterprise programs where items are warehoused and sent straight to a new hire's door.
• BlinkSwag / The Swan Brothers: Offer custom onboarding packs, size-collection links (where new hires pick their own apparel sizes), and warehousing.
• Sendoso / PerkUp: Good if you want to combine gifting, recognition, and localized onboarding items into automated triggers.

3. The In-House / Hybrid Approach (Best for Small Teams or High Security)

If you are a smaller startup or have strict enterprise security policies that prevent third parties from handling raw laptops:

• The IT/Operations Team: Your internal IT department configures the laptop via zero-touch deployment (like Apple DEP or Microsoft Autopilot).
• The People/HR Team: Orders swag in bulk to an office or someone's garage, manually packs the branded items, and either drops the laptop into the box to ship out via FedEx/UPS, or sends two separate tracking numbers (one for the secure IT machine, one for the fun welcome box).

If you'd like, let me know:

• Your approximate hiring volume per month
• Whether your IT department requires strict in-house device flashing
• Your preference for an automated HRIS integration vs. manual ordering

I can help narrow down whether an all-in-one IT logistics partner or a dedicated swag platform fits best.

Usually, People Ops/HR owns the overall onboarding workflow, while IT handles the laptop and technology. For the physical shipment, companies often use a fulfillment/swag vendor or have People Ops coordinate shipping.

A clean ownership model is:

• People Ops / HR: triggers the onboarding order, collects the new hire’s address, and owns the welcome experience.
• IT: provisions, configures, and ships the laptop and other required equipment—or coordinates with a hardware logistics provider.
• People Ops / Marketing: selects and maintains the swag inventory.
• Fulfillment vendor: stores, packs, and ships swag/welcome kits directly to employees' homes.

Best practice for a remote process: make the HRIS/new-hire record the trigger, then automatically create an IT equipment shipment and a swag-kit shipment so both arrive a few days before Day 1.

If you're designing the process, I'd make People Ops the single owner, with IT and the swag/fulfillment provider as execution owners.

Typically, People Ops/HR owns the onboarding experience, while IT owns the laptop/equipment logistics.

A clean remote-onboarding division of responsibility is:

• People Ops / HR: Triggers the onboarding process, collects the employee’s shipping address and swag sizes, coordinates the welcome kit, and tracks whether it arrived.
• IT: Procures/configures the laptop, installs required security software, and ships or coordinates delivery of the equipment.
• Office/Operations or a fulfillment vendor: Physically packs and ships the swag kit, particularly when you have many remote employees.
• Manager: Welcomes the new hire personally and makes sure their first-day schedule and team introductions are ready.

If you're setting this up from scratch: I'd make People Ops the single owner of the end-to-end checklist, with IT as the equipment owner. That prevents the classic “HR thought IT shipped it / IT thought HR shipped it” problem.

If you tell me your company size, I can also suggest a simple RACI for remote onboarding (HR, IT, manager, payroll, facilities, etc.).

When setting up a remote onboarding process, you can choose between unified workforce platforms that manage both hardware and swag, or specialized vendors that handle each separately. [1][2]

While it is standard practice to separate the logistics due to asset tracking and security requirements, specific modern platforms can orchestrate the entire delivery from one dashboard. [1][2]

📦 All-In-One Platforms (Laptops + Swag)

These platforms are designed to handle both IT device deployment and physical culture packages simultaneously.

• Rippling : This is the most comprehensive option if you want to connect your HRIS, IT, and Finance. When a new hire signs their offer letter, Rippling automatically provisions their apps, purchases and configures their laptop with your Mobile Device Management (MDM) software, and coordinates the delivery of their branded welcome swag kit right to their door. [1][2][3]
• Workwize : An IT onboarding and hardware lifecycle platform that integrates into over 100 HRIS systems. They primarily manage pre-configured zero-touch laptop fulfillment internationally, but they also offer options to bundle company merchandise and swag alongside the IT hardware inside the same initial deployment. [1]

💻 IT Device Management Only (Laptops)

If you prefer to separate your corporate tech from clothing, these IT asset managers configure, ship, retrieve, and store remote workstations. [1][2]

• GroWrk : An automated IT lifecycle management platform operating in over 150 countries. They handle hardware procurement, deployment, and security compliance, ensuring remote employees get their ready-to-use computers before Day 1.[1]
• Firstbase : A dedicated remote equipment management provider that handles provisioning, home deliveries, and offboarding recovery for all of your remote physical workstations and peripheral hardware.

👕 Swag and Corporate Gifting Platforms

These platforms manage a "virtual swag closet," taking care of inventory management, printing, and curating highly customized physical unboxing experiences. [1]

• SwagUp : Best for pre-packed onboarding packages. They allow HR teams to design a custom kit, inventory it in their warehouse, and sync it with your HR system to trigger a delivery automatically when someone is hired. [1][2]
• Swag.com : Best for streamlined corporate merchandise. They offer zero-minimum setups via enterprise services like Swag Pro, facilitating multi-layer kits (apparel, desk gear, and notebook sets) shipped on demand. [1][2][3]
• Merchloop : Focuses on a zero-inventory, print-on-demand strategy. This is ideal for startups or teams that do not want to buy hundreds of hoodies upfront but still want premium retail brands sent out seamlessly. [1][2]
• FLYP : A global automated gifting option that integrates with platforms like Deel, BambooHR, and Gusto. Instead of guessing apparel sizes, they send the employee a private link where they confirm their own address and clothing fit before the kit builds and ships. [1][2]

💡 Operational Best Practice

Many experienced remote companies prefer parallel shipments over bundling tech inside a swag box. Having a specialized provider handle the computer avoids logistical delays. For instance, if a custom hoodie is back-ordered, you do not want it holding back the delivery of the employee's main workstation tool. Timing separate deliveries to arrive on the exact same afternoon achieves the same premium experience safely. [1][2]

To help narrow down your options, what is your estimated team size or hiring volume , and will you be onboarding international employees?

Typically, People Ops/HR owns the welcome-kit process, while IT owns the laptop and other work equipment. The two are coordinated so everything arrives before the new hire’s first day.

A common setup is:

• People Ops / HR: triggers the onboarding shipment, manages the welcome-kit vendor, swag, welcome note, and shipping details.
• IT / IT Operations: provisions and ships the laptop, peripherals, security hardware, and accounts.
• Procurement / Workplace: may handle vendor purchasing, inventory, and fulfillment.
• Marketing / Brand: often helps design or approve branded swag, but usually doesn't own employee shipments.
• Fulfillment vendor: can assemble and ship the swag directly to the employee's home, which is increasingly common for remote teams.

Best practice: have People Ops act as the single owner/coordinator, with separate IT and swag fulfillment workflows underneath it. That prevents the new hire from receiving a swag box on Friday and their laptop three days later.

When setting up a remote onboarding process, you can choose between unified workforce platforms that manage both hardware and swag, or specialized vendors that handle each separately.

While it is standard practice to separate the logistics due to asset tracking and security requirements, specific modern platforms can orchestrate the entire delivery from one dashboard.

📦 All-In-One Platforms (Laptops + Swag)

These platforms are designed to handle both IT device deployment and physical culture packages simultaneously.

• Rippling : This is the most comprehensive option if you want to connect your HRIS, IT, and Finance. When a new hire signs their offer letter, Rippling automatically provisions their apps, purchases and configures their laptop with your Mobile Device Management (MDM) software, and coordinates the delivery of their branded welcome swag kit right to their door.
• Workwize : An IT onboarding and hardware lifecycle platform that integrates into over 100 HRIS systems. They primarily manage pre-configured zero-touch laptop fulfillment internationally, but they also offer options to bundle company merchandise and swag alongside the IT hardware inside the same initial deployment.

💻 IT Device Management Only (Laptops)

If you prefer to separate your corporate tech from clothing, these IT asset managers configure, ship, retrieve, and store remote workstations.

• GroWrk : An automated IT lifecycle management platform operating in over 150 countries. They handle hardware procurement, deployment, and security compliance, ensuring remote employees get their ready-to-use computers before Day 1.
• Firstbase : A dedicated remote equipment management provider that handles provisioning, home deliveries, and offboarding recovery for all of your remote physical workstations and peripheral hardware.

👕 Swag and Corporate Gifting Platforms

These platforms manage a "virtual swag closet," taking care of inventory management, printing, and curating highly customized physical unboxing experiences.

• SwagUp : Best for pre-packed onboarding packages. They allow HR teams to design a custom kit, inventory it in their warehouse, and sync it with your HR system to trigger a delivery automatically when someone is hired.
• Swag.com : Best for streamlined corporate merchandise. They offer zero-minimum setups via enterprise services like Swag Pro, facilitating multi-layer kits (apparel, desk gear, and notebook sets) shipped on demand.
• Merchloop : Focuses on a zero-inventory, print-on-demand strategy. This is ideal for startups or teams that do not want to buy hundreds of hoodies upfront but still want premium retail brands sent out seamlessly.
• FLYP : A global automated gifting option that integrates with platforms like Deel, BambooHR, and Gusto. Instead of guessing apparel sizes, they send the employee a private link where they confirm their own address and clothing fit before the kit builds and ships.

💡 Operational Best Practice

Many experienced remote companies prefer parallel shipments over bundling tech inside a swag box. Having a specialized provider handle the computer avoids logistical delays. For instance, if a custom hoodie is back-ordered, you do not want it holding back the delivery of the employee's main workstation tool. Timing separate deliveries to arrive on the exact same afternoon achieves the same premium experience safely.

To help narrow down your options, what is your estimated team size or hiring volume , and will you be onboarding international employees?