Hi Rosy... do people still use company diaries?

Some of the items you mention seem more suited to the kind of swag exhibitors distribute willy-nilly at events. It wouldn't make me feel 'special' as a new employees. (I assume by 'HR induction pack' you mean simply information you give to new employees?)

What is the nature of the business you work in?

In reply to Steve Bridger:

Thanks for your feedback Steve.

I work for 24x7 online shopping channel. New Starters do take pride when they receive the diary. It does have the company logo and core values printed on it.

Hi Rosy,
I created a welcome pack for newbies including all of the necessary forms in one divided section but the rest included a welcome statement from their new line manager, meet the manager page with pictures and a fun fact section about each manager to help them put faces to name and see common interests. Other sections included an about us section with pictures and abit of our history more internal than what we put on our company website and more informal, a copy of our last company newsletter and I also had put a copy of the induction form and new starter checklist in it too.

We had great feedback from these welcome packs, new employees liked that everything was in one place and they just had to pull out forms and return to HR and the rest they could read in their own leisure but usually between induction and introductions :)

PS - I am a huge lover of diaries,and carry a filofax everywhere despite my fellow generation using ipads, iphones for all of their appointments so if I was given a new diary with my welcome gift I would be one happy lady :)