A new team member starts, and suddenly there is no time for checklists, welcome emails, and the first calendar appointment. Microsoft Copilot in Word and Outlook takes a few details and creates the first draft for all three components. The following workflow shows step by step how a complete welcome package can be created from bullet points in just a few minutes – instead of the usual one to two hours for gathering and formulating.
Copilot transforms bullet points into a finished checklist
In the new Word document, a click on the Copilot icon opens the input field for the draft. According to Microsoft Support, entering the name, start date, department, and the most important tasks for the first week will yield a structured first version of the checklist. An existing old checklist can be included as a reference file via a slash, up to 20 files simultaneously, so that Copilot takes over the structure and tone. The draft can then be kept, regenerated, or specifically refined, for example, with the addition “make it shorter.” The note from Microsoft itself remains important: details must be checked before sharing to ensure they are actually correct.
From checklist and email to a complete welcome package
The process can be summarized in seven steps:
- Compile the key data of the new person: name, start date, department, supervisor
- Have Copilot draft an initial checklist for the first week in Word
- Include an existing checklist as a reference file so that Copilot takes over the structure and wording
- Review the checklist and add company-specific points such as access or safety training
- Draft a welcome email in Outlook with Copilot and adjust tone and length via the dropdown menu
- For the first working day, directly suggest an appointment with an agenda from the email communication – the same Copilot function is already used in the article on Copilot drafting meeting agendas in Outlook
- Proofread the checklist, email, and appointment before sending and have them internally approved
According to Microsoft Support, Copilot in Outlook drafts the welcome email either in the input field above the message or in the Copilot chat next to it. After that, a person chooses between several tones and lengths. Plain text mode is not supported, so the email must be written in HTML format.
Access requires an additional license for the business account
Copilot in Word and Outlook requires a valid Microsoft 365 Business or Enterprise account, supplemented by the paid Copilot license. According to Microsoft’s pricing page, the current cost of the Business add-on license is 15.60 euros per user per month with an annual subscription. This promotion runs until the end of December 2026, after which the regular price of 18.20 euros applies. A personal Microsoft account is not sufficient; the function runs on the web, under Windows, and on Mac. The user interface and support documentation are available in German, and the license can also be added for individual users in a German company plan.
For names and start dates of new colleagues, the data protection framework of the respective business account applies, which Microsoft describes in its own compliance documents. However, for additional sensitive information such as salary or health data, it is still worth taking a look at internal policies beforehand.
Copilot does not replace personal onboarding: it does not know company-specific processes or current contacts and sometimes formulates checklists too generally. Therefore, each package needs a brief review by someone who knows the actual process in their own team before sending.
