Overview
New hire announcements set the tone for a new employee's relationship with their team — but they're easy to forget when HR is juggling onboarding tasks. This automation uses Rippling as the system of record and Zapier to post a formatted welcome message to Slack on the employee's first day. The message pulls the employee's name, role, department, and any custom details directly from Rippling, ensuring every announcement is accurate and consistent without anyone manually writing and posting it.
Before you start
- Rippling HR account with employee start dates and job titles
- Zapier Starter plan (for Delay step)
- Slack workspace with #general or #announcements channel
Step-by-step guide (4 steps)
Connect Rippling to Zapier
In Zapier, create a new Zap with Rippling as the trigger app. Select 'New Employee' as the trigger. Connect your Rippling account via API key (found in Rippling → Settings → API). Test the trigger with an existing employee to confirm fields are available.
Add a Delay step until the start date
Add a Zapier 'Delay Until' step. Pass the employee's start_date field from Rippling and set it to fire at 8:30 AM on that date. This ensures the announcement goes out on the actual first day, not when the record was created (potentially weeks earlier).
8:30 AM is ideal — teammates are arriving and checking Slack, so the announcement gets maximum visibility and warm responses throughout the morning.
Send the Slack announcement
Add Slack as the action: 'Send Channel Message'. Set the channel to #general or #announcements. Write the message: 'Welcome to the team, [First Name] [Last Name]! We are thrilled to have you. [First Name] is joining us as [Job Title] in [Department], based in [Location/Remote]. Say hi and give them a warm welcome!'
Tag the employee's manager in the Slack message: 'Reporting to @[Manager Name]'. This helps teammates understand the reporting structure and gives the manager visibility.
Follow up with a personal DM from the manager
Add a second Zapier action: send a Slack DM to the employee's manager: 'Friendly reminder: [Employee Name] starts today. The welcome announcement has been posted to #general. Consider sending a personal DM to make them feel welcome on their first day.'
What you'll get
Every new hire is welcomed publicly on their first day without HR manually posting
Announcement data is accurate — pulled directly from Rippling
Manager is reminded to send a personal welcome DM
Consistent announcement format makes every new hire feel equally valued
Common mistakes to avoid
Posting on the day the record was created instead of the start date — announcements fire weeks early
Not tagging the manager in the announcement — reduces context for the team
Posting to a low-engagement channel instead of #general or #team
Not including the job title and department — teammates don't know what the person does
Frequently asked questions
Do I need coding experience to set up this Rippling automation?
No coding is required. This guide walks you through everything using Rippling's built-in features and Zapier's visual interface. If you can follow a recipe, you can follow this guide.
How long does this automation take to set up?
Most users complete this setup in 30–60 minutes on their first try. Once set up, it runs completely automatically with zero ongoing effort.
What happens if the automation fails?
Zapier and Make both have error notifications and task history, so you'll know immediately if something goes wrong. We cover troubleshooting steps in the guide above.
Can I customize this automation for my specific business?
Absolutely. The guide includes notes on common customizations. Most automations have multiple variation points — timing, conditions, notification recipients, and more.