New Employee Phishing Training: How to Start Strong

New employees are one of the biggest phishing risks in any company. They’re new to the tools, the team, and the processes. That’s why new employee phishing training is one of the most important parts of onboarding.

In this post, we’ll show how to set up fast, effective phishing training for your new hires—from day one.

New Employee Phishing Training

Why New Employees Fall for Phishing

Hackers often target new starters because:

  • They don’t yet know what normal emails look like

  • They want to act quickly and impress

  • They may be overwhelmed by new systems and messages

That makes them more likely to click on fake links or open suspicious files. A simple phishing simulation disguised as a “welcome message” or “HR update” can trick even smart new hires.

With the right training, you can help them spot these threats early.

What to Include in New Employee Phishing Training

The best new employee phishing training is:

  • Short and clear – Use quick videos or slides
  • Realistic – Show real phishing examples or simulate them
  • Interactive – Include questions or small tests
  • Ongoing – Don’t stop after one session

At Lucy Security, we let companies clone real phishing emails received by their teams, then use them in safe training. You can also automate training journeys to begin as soon as someone joins the company.

KnowBe4 Alternative customization

Day One: Quick Checklist for New Employee Phishing Training

Here’s what to include on a new hire’s first day, as part of their onboarding training:

  1. What phishing is and why it matters
  2. 3–5 signs of a phishing email (fake sender, urgency, unknown link)
  3. Real-world example from your company
  4. How to report phishing (e.g. using the report button)
  5. Reassurance: It’s okay to make mistakes—just report them

This creates the mindset that security is part of the job from the start. We have modules that cover these topics and are perfect for new starters already in our Awareness training library, in multiple languages, so you can use them immediately or personalize to match your specific needs.

How to Keep Training Going After Onboarding

Phishing threats change all the time. So should your training. After the first week, support new hires with:

  • Monthly phishing simulations

  • SMS or WhatsApp phishing tests

  • Microlearning modules (2–5 minutes)

  • Role-based training for high-risk staff

  • Rewards for correct reporting

With Lucy Security, you can schedule all of this automatically—and track results easily.

Final Thoughts: Make New Employees Part of the Defense

New hires don’t need to be cyber experts. But with new employee phishing training, they can learn to pause, question, and report suspicious messages before clicking.

Start on day one. Make it clear. Keep it going. That’s how you build real security habits.

Contact us if to find out how we can help.

Our YouTube channel also provides many helpful videos including on customizing content.