Email template · Employee announcements
New manager announcement email
In short
A new manager announcement email introduces an incoming manager to the team they will lead: who they are, where they come from, when they start, what changes in reporting and how the handover will work. Below are four templates, including an interim leader version and a note from the manager themselves, plus subject lines and a chat message.
When to send it: Send it after the new manager has signed and the team's current leader and direct reports have been told in person, usually one to two weeks before the start date.
New manager announcement email: 4 versions
External hire, to the team
SubjectIntroducing [Manager Name], our new [Manager Title]
Hi team, I'm pleased to let you know that [Manager Name] will join us as [Manager Title], leading [Team Name], starting [Start Date]. [Manager First Name] comes to us from [Previous Employer Type, e.g. a national healthcare insurer], where they ran [Previous Scope, e.g. a 120-person claims operation across two sites]. They bring a lot of experience in [Area of Strength]. What this means for you: - From [Start Date], [Team Name] will report to [Manager First Name]. - Until then, keep bringing questions to [Interim Contact]. - [Manager First Name] will spend the first few weeks meeting each of you one-on-one and sitting in on [Team Routine, e.g. huddles and floor walks]. Please make [Manager First Name] welcome when they arrive. [Senior Leader Name] [Title]
Internal move to a new team
Subject[Manager Name] will lead [Team Name] from [Start Date]
Hi everyone, Starting [Start Date], [Manager Name] will move from [Current Team or Site] to lead [Team Name] as [Manager Title]. Many of you have worked with [Manager First Name] already. Over the past [Time Period] they've [Specific Achievement]. [Previous Manager Name] is [moving to New Role / leaving on Date], and the two of them will overlap for [Handover Period] to hand over open items. Your schedules, pay and day-to-day processes are not changing as part of this move. If you have questions in the meantime, talk to me or [HR Business Partner Name]. [Senior Leader Name] [Title]
Interim manager
SubjectInterim leadership for [Team Name]
Hi team, While we recruit a permanent [Manager Title], [Interim Manager Name] will lead [Team Name] on an interim basis from [Start Date]. [Interim Manager First Name] will handle [Scope, e.g. approvals, scheduling and escalations] and will hold the team's weekly meeting. We expect to have a permanent manager in place by [Expected Date], and I'll update you as that moves. Thanks for your support during the transition. [Senior Leader Name] [Title]
Self-introduction from the new manager
SubjectHello from your new manager
Hi everyone, I'm [Manager Name], and I'm joining as [Manager Title] on [Start Date]. I'm looking forward to meeting all of you. A bit about me: [Two or Three Sentences on Background and How They Like to Work]. For my first few weeks, my priority is listening. I'll book 30 minutes with each of you to learn what's working, what isn't and what you need from me. If there's anything you'd like me to know before then, my door (and inbox) is open. See you soon, [Manager First Name]
Subject line ideas
- Introducing [Manager Name], our new [Manager Title]
- Please welcome [Manager Name] to [Team Name]
- [Manager Name] will lead [Team Name] from [Start Date]
- Leadership update for [Team Name]
- New leader for [Department]: [Manager Name]
- Hello from your new manager
SMS and WhatsApp version
Team update: [Manager Name] joins as [Manager Title] on [Start Date] and will lead [Team Name]. Until then, questions go to [Interim Contact]. [Manager First Name] will set up 1:1s in the first weeks. [Senior Leader Name]
Placeholders to replace: [Manager Name], [Manager First Name], [Manager Title], [Team Name], [Start Date], [Previous Employer Type], [Previous Scope], [Area of Strength], [Interim Contact], [Previous Manager Name], [Handover Period], [HR Business Partner Name], [Senior Leader Name]
Who sends it and in what order
The announcement should come from the new manager's own manager: the director, site leader or VP the team already knows. A note from HR alone reads as administrative. The sequence matters more than the wording:
- The outgoing manager hears first, in person, along with what happens to their role.
- Any internal candidate who interviewed for the job and didn't get it hears privately.
- Direct reports hear in a team meeting or huddle, ideally the same day.
- The email goes to the team and to peers who work closely with them.
- A company-wide note, if the role is senior enough.
For someone promoted into the role from inside the same team, a promotion announcement email usually fits better, since it focuses on what they've already done rather than an introduction.
What the team actually wants to know
Employees read a new-manager email for one thing: what changes for me. Answer it directly.
- Start date, and who they go to until then
- Reporting lines, especially if teams are being split or merged
- What isn't changing: schedules, pay, shift patterns, current projects. Saying so prevents a week of rumor.
- What the first weeks will look like: one-on-ones, floor time, ride-alongs
- A short, specific background that shows why this person was chosen
Keep the background to two sentences. A resume pasted into an announcement reads like a press release and does nothing for the person's credibility on the floor.
If the new manager arrives as part of a wider restructure, send the organizational change announcement first and then this email, so people understand the structure before meeting the person in it.
Multi-site and shift-based teams
In contact centers, warehouses and retail, plenty of the team won't read email before their shift. Read the announcement out at the start-of-shift huddle, post it on the team channel and use the short chat version for frontline staff without a company inbox. Weekend and night shifts are easy to forget; schedule the new manager's first walk-through to cover them in the first week.
Send the email through a central email distribution list for the team rather than a hand-built recipient list. Hand-built lists are how part-time and agency workers get left off.
Mistakes to avoid
- Announcing before the offer is signed or before the outgoing manager has been told.
- Over-selling the new manager. "A visionary leader who will transform the team" makes their first week harder.
- Silence on the previous manager. Say where they're going, even in one line, or people will fill the gap.
- Leaving out the interim contact, so approvals stall for two weeks.
- No follow-through. If the email promises one-on-ones, they need to happen in the first two or three weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How do you announce a new manager to a team?
Tell the outgoing manager and any internal candidates privately first, then the team in person, then send an email from the new manager's own manager covering the start date, background, reporting changes, interim contact and what the first weeks will look like.
What should a new manager announcement email include?
Name and title, start date, team they will lead, a two-sentence background, what changes and what stays the same for the team, who to go to until they start and how they plan to get to know people.
How do I introduce myself as a new manager by email?
Keep it short: who you are, a line or two about your background and working style, and a promise to meet everyone one-on-one in your first weeks. Lead with listening rather than plans.
Who should send a new leader announcement?
The new leader's manager, usually a director or VP the team already knows. HR can help draft it and handle distribution, and for senior roles the CEO may send a company-wide version.
When should you announce a new manager?
One to two weeks before their start date, once the offer is signed and the people most affected have heard in person.