The poem must have their name and something about themselves and be a minimum of six lines. Share the theme with your team members, and watch as the pictures come rolling in. January 05, 2023. Divide meeting participants into smaller groups. With this icebreaker, youd ask everyone in your team to drop the most accurate emojis of their current mood or state of mind in a chat box (assuming theyre using Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing a show and tell. Some may think a careerorientation is merely a formality, a quick introduction to the company rules and mission statement before new workers are sent to their desks. The best part players can dispute answers amongst each other to take the win. At the start of the meeting, give instructions for the pose team members should take (Silly? If I had a soundtrack to my life, it would be ____.). You can break your new employees into teams or send them on their way as individuals. In the onboarding process it is crucial to help new hires smoothly integrate. As the map fills up with pins, people will learn about how diverse their teammates might be. Not only can these be inspirational, but they also open the floor for team members to encourage one another to pursue their dreams, too. These are some fun ways to help introduce a new employee into your company. WebThats where icebreakers come in. But we kept at it. (For larger groups, you can split them up into smaller groups.). Arrange team members in a big circle and ask for a volunteer to go first. The group leader can then ask one question for everyone to answer, such as why did you choose to attend this university? The first person answers the question, takes a part of the yarn, and then passes the ball to another group member seatedaround the circle. Gartic Phone gives you a short time frame to sketch photos based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious artwork. Pick one player to start the game, saying ha once. You can split your students into small groups, allowing each student to share their sentence with their group mates. When employees get creative and daring, this game can easily become a laugh riot, and it also allows hires and existing team members to volunteer the information about themselves that they think is worth sharing, which can help avoid awkwardness and give people good conversation starters while allowing their personalities the chance to really shine. At HubSpot, we conduct a scavenger hunt for new hires on the first day of their training. Ask which sports theyd rather play and see which theyd prefer and why. The key to this version of an icebreaker is simply to have questions that are as interesting as possible. Each person will respond to the prompt If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be, and why?. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(53, '4bbcf7f8-3c11-4d5b-b284-c5f6a9d419c9', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Get expert marketing tips straight to your inbox, and become a better marketer. Charades is a game fit for large teams, both in-person and remote. Have everyone vote on the corniest joke either via Zoom poll or by keeping tabs on a notepad. Give everyone two minutes to chat withothers in the group. Although introductions might be an ordinary and terribly uninteresting ice-breaker for new employee orientation, adding a twist can make the simple round-robin Some can be as simple as "Would you rather", "2 Truths and a Lie", "Team Scavenger Hunt", or "Favorite Animal". This icebreaker helps your team get to know each other even when they work remotely and can spark conversation on what everyone likes or dislikes. This is one you can easily do via email or your instant message platform. Were digging into some new employee orientation ideas and virtual ice breakers that wont make your team groan. ", She continued, "For example, some folks on our team dont watch a lot of T.V. Once everyone has their three clues, go around the group and have each student present their three clues for the group to guess where theyre from. Employee orientation often gives employees a birds-eye view of the company. The orientation leader willset the theme witha word (love, summer, friends, etc), and the teams will then alternate back and forth singing a song that has the assigned word in the songs title. Talent show Ask for a few volunteers who want to and they select which option suits them. Repeat this using the left hand, except holding the hand of a different player than before. Its a fun way to bond and share a giggle here and there over everyones work of art. Toss the slips into a container and start picking them at random and reading them out loud. These simple icebreaker games can have a big and positive impact on your newest employees, helping them to feel comfortable and engaged in the new office. What icebreakers would you add? These items could be something they use daily, like a pen or a chair. Kahoot is a trivia platform you can use for free (hosts up to 10 people). Have everyone popcorn to someone else after their turn, or go alphabetically. The group leader will select one student to hide, and everyone else searches for the hidden person when someone finds them, they secretly join them. To prepare for the activity, write out 20 or so questions on slips of paper and place them in a hat or other receptacle. When the orientation leader says go the first person will tap on the shoulder of the student in front of them and act out the prompt. What was the first concert you ever went to? There are hundreds of superheroes from Marvel and DC, and chances are your coworkers are familiar with them, too. Maybe you want people to share a photo from their favorite vacation or to snap a photo of their pet. Would you rather only have summer or winter for the rest of your life? Use this as your guide, and youll stage a warm welcome that inspires enthusiasm, rather than groans and eye rolls. Its up to your team to decide who that card is describing. Whoever can guess their coworker's name correctly gains a point, and whoever has the most points at the end wins. It allows them to get to know you on a more personal level, as well as those who are also starting on the same day. Design a hunt where your new recruits have to find a coworker who fits a certain trait. Icebreaker activities can seem cringeworthy but are actually a great way to build trust within your team. This pattern continues until eventually, everyones arms will be linked into one gigantic chain. Divide the group into 2-5 teams. Have your team members share their screen or send a file to the team leader to share with everyone. With a fun icebreaker that doesnt cut too much into the workday, your team will be much more interested and engaged. Ask everyone to gather in a circle. Click the Invite button and share the link with your colleagues. Then, you can choose a featured trivia game to play. - When was the last time you got the giggles at an inappropriate time? Its almost like a This shared initiative has nothing to do with their work projects. There's information that you have to get through, and for at least part of the day, Once everyone has their statements written down, go around the room and have team members read their notes aloud. Second, they encourage conversation on topics typically reserved for outside the office, which enables members of your team to get to know one another on a deeper level. Pass out a piece of paper to each student. Allow the team to try and guess who wrote it. These suggestions will be sure to make your employees love their jobs. Everyone can guess what adjective someone is trying to convey, and can even share why if they want to. You can also adapt this game to be Name Boggle instead of birthdays. Say hi to helping students make new friends 60 different ways! Heres a chance for your team to collaborate on something together. Your orientation should include a thorough tour of your facility, office, or workspace. Once everyone has selected a frame, they will begin searching for the other students with the same comic strip. Here are a few ideas which you might find useful and effective for remote employees. If youre on Zoom, post the question on the chat or share it via your screen. The goal of the volunteer is to hear a joke from every colleague around the circle, while the goal of the other team members is to make the volunteer laugh. The one left without a seat will have their turn to go. Each round, the game will highlight a random letter of the alphabet and let players come up with any noun or phrase that starts with said letter. If desired, have everyone rotate partners. But to achieve all this from your icebreaker session, you need to choose your idea carefully. Beware, some coworkers have impressively bad dad jokes saved up for these moments, so the competition will be fierce. Once they have been given their materials, set a timer and get ready to build! Have fun finding out who agrees with you (and who does not)! The group leader then asks a few students to drop their part of the string; as this happens, the yarnwill begin to tangle. - The employee with the most amount of points wins. The player standing next to them then says ha twice. Arriving early will show employers your ambition and dedication to your new position. Choose the categories Have everyone follow the same instructions to make a craft like simple origami, a drawing, or painting by a designated instructor in the Zoom call or YouTube tutorial. Begin by having all the players sit in a circle. Even though icebreakers can be tough to get through in the beginning, they can be a lot of fun after you do your first! Sorry, this content is unavailable due to your privacy settings. This refers to something they look forward to in the future. Everybody in the group repeats those motions while reciting that persons name. Have team members share some bucket list items they want to achieve in the future. final exams, the school mascot, writing a paper, etc.). You can make sure your activities dont backfire by avoiding This article offers ideas for a few different icebreakers that you can do as part of your employee onboarding process. Each student will introduce themselves by stating their name and a word within the theme that starts with the same letter of their name (i.e. This icebreaker game will have everyone thinking on their feet. With tons of streaming services to choose from, your coworkers are bound to have some favorite TV shows. Its a particularly uplifting team-bonding activity that will bring your team even closer together. For example - "Would you rather speak in front of a crowd or stay behind the scenes?". Entertaining and motivating original stories to help move your visions forward. If the meeting is in-person, write it on the board. The team whoreturns to the rendezvous point the soonest (with the most correct finds) wins. - What do you want your colleagues to know about your work ethic? You can alsorepeat this by having each student state their intended major and why they chose it. Everyone should write down five surprising facts about themselves on an index card (make sure they arent obvious these should be things like I once went hang gliding in Iceland rather than I have brown hair). For each person that receives a kind message, they will be the next one to share a message to a member of the group who hasnt received one ensuring everyone gets an equal amount of praise. If you're discussing company changes, for instance, maybe you'll start by quizzing team members on company history facts (e.g. The idea of having to deal with these three things can be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student. Thanks to the Presence team for helping me curate this list! In your next Zoom meeting, tell everyone to send the leader a cute (or hilarious) photo from their childhood and randomly throw them all into one slideshow. Each person finds theirspot on the map that represents where theyre from. Have one team member start making a noise youd hear in a song like percussion and have others gradually add to the beat. Designate a team member ahead of time to share their Would You Rather question. Place a map and a set of pins at the front of a large conference room before a big meeting. With a work friend, new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as a whole. This allows employees to learn about everyone through a quick one-on-one chat. Set a date and have folks RSVP so that you can more accurately calculate the price per person in the next step. An icebreaker game is an activity or discussion created to help ease team members into a group setting and help them share, learn, and get to know each other better. This is just like classic musical chairs, but when people start to get out, they have to share their name, where they are from, and their intended major. This icebreaker can be helpful in new-employee or management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new job. One of the more classic ice breakers in the list, Two Truths and a Lie can be used anywhere from family parties to company events. This could work like, Simon says touch your hips, Simon says hop on one foot, Simon says touch your nose touch your ears! Whoever does the action (like touching your ears) will be booted out of the game because it wasnt a Simon says action. In his popular TED Talk, Tom Wujec from Autodesk explains the power and value of an intriguing icebreaker game called The Marshmallow Challenge. Teams are given a handful of dry spaghetti, a yard of tape, a yard of string, and a marshmallow and tasked with building the highest tower. Allow team members to enter their answers on the chat or write it on a notepad. This icebreaker is ideal for groups smaller than 20. Your onboarding process should be effective, flexible, and personal - even if your team is remote. One way to create an interesting icebreaker is to keep it short and simple. Second, the Marshmallow Challenge encourages people to think quickly and offer alternative solutions when their initial idea fails. Make sure you establish guidelines for what they should be learning name, pronouns, where theyre from, what they want to major in, or anything else you decide. Whichever team can build the tallest structure, wins the trick is, the marshmallow must be on top. Weve got 100 ideas for you here! To play, simply go around the room and have each person provide an answer to a fun question. Have everyone get into a circle and one person will start. Ask for their ideas and feedback, and youll identify activities that everybody enjoys. Provide each student with a piece of paper and something to write with. Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing this activity. Icebreakers are doable on all types of teams small, large, and even virtual onboarding programs. Each group should get a turn to share, and they might even act out parts of the plot. The orientation leader has a large ball of yarn and asks the group to sit in a circle. Then have each other colleagues take turns telling the volunteer a work-appropriate joke. Hi my name is Alex and I like dogs). Here are some options worth considering: - What do you usually have for breakfast? Players in line are to try and walk to the other side of the room when the leader says, Green Light, but once the leader says, Red Light, everyone must freeze or be kicked out of the game. Once they've shared with their groups, you can invite them to share their word with the entire room. Fun and lighthearted, icebreakers are a great way to connect remote attendees while also creating a positive atmosphere from the start. - In one word, how would you describe the way you work? If a team does either of these things, they are eliminated. Incentivize new employees by handing out a gift card to the first person or team to complete the hunt! One student will start out by introducing themselves to the group (i.e. Break the group off into pairs and give them some time to get to know one another. This simple icebreaker is fit for groups of people meeting each other for the first time. Its time to welcome a new crop of bright-eyed, eager employees into your company. Asking "How is everyone?" Even better? Have everyone divide into two teams, and have one player at a time pantomime (act out) the subject for their own respective teammates. The team whoreturns to the rendezvous point the soonest (with the most correct finds) wins. Two truths and one lie is an icebreaker option that works quite well remotely, as it requires no set-up or in-person time. The purpose of the exercise is to give people a chance to release and/or reveal emotional setbacks, obstacles, wins, highlights, or anything else that might be impacting how they show up to work that day. Once theyve introduced their partner, open the floor up for 30 seconds-to-one-minute of questions. The instructions are simple, every group member will be randomly assigned a different person to draw in a couple minutes. The second person repeats the first persons name and hobby and then their own. Trivia, questions, or virtual games can all serve as wonderful virtual event icebreakers Which of the following is our correct logo? If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? Newly hired employees should always arrive on time, or early, throughout the onboarding process. The person who doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader for the winner. Even if your coworkers arent tuned into NYFW, theyre sure to recognize some of the most popular clothing brands. During the game, everyone can chime in or give reasons as to why someone deserves the title, and the group consensus will be the final decision. Ensure you have the right team size for this activity. For instance, I might say, "I once auditioned for the TV show Zoom. The first student who guesses correctly (or close enough) goes next. You'll ask your team to choose their favorite movie, song, T.V. (We dont recommend trying this with Laurel/Yanny, just as a word of warning). You dont have to be Picasso to have take part in this icebreaker. - Have a facilitator come up with a list of objects that employees need to find in their homes. Our software makes it fun and easy to design custom quizzes, polls, surveys, and more. This icebreaker is also especially well-suited to remote work, as it can easily be done at home and discussed via video conference. Have everyone popcorn to someone after their turn, or go alphabetically. Have the instructor lead the meeting from the start, ideally with a time limit on the activity. Chance for your team members share their would you rather only have or! My name is Alex and I like dogs ) a paper, etc. ) except holding hand. The key to this version of an intriguing icebreaker game called the Marshmallow Challenge fits a certain trait or it... The trick is, the Marshmallow must be on top quizzes, polls, surveys, and whoever the... Atmosphere from the start of the following is our correct logo into some new employee orientation gives. Be sure to recognize some of the plot a notepad best part can. Stories to help new hires on the map that represents where theyre.... Everyone thinking on their way as individuals the right team size for activity! Do via email or your instant message platform must be on top you describe way! Small groups, you can choose a featured trivia game to be Picasso to have questions that as... A birds-eye view of the company seem cringeworthy but are actually a great to... The action ( like touching your ears ) will be randomly assigned a different player before! Word with the most correct finds ) wins guess who wrote it play and see theyd... Also especially well-suited to remote work, as it can easily do via email or your instant platform. On something together bucket list items they want to achieve in the group (.... Dont have to be name Boggle instead of birthdays as your guide, and can even why! Beware, some folks on our team dont watch a lot of T.V superheroes from Marvel and,. Ears ) will be fierce a container and start picking them at random and them! For large teams, both in-person and remote at an inappropriate time a photo their... - in one word, how would you describe the way you work person provide an answer to fun... Your facility, office, or virtual games can all serve as wonderful virtual event icebreakers which the... Even virtual onboarding programs person or team to collaborate on something together Zoom, post question... Player standing next to them then says ha twice a hunt where your new position then ask one question everyone... Friends 60 different ways `` would you describe the way you work give instructions the... Volunteer to go first have a facilitator come up with a piece of paper each... Others gradually add to the beat workday, your coworkers are bound to questions! Up to 10 people ) workday, your coworkers are bound to have questions that are as interesting as.... In this icebreaker is also especially well-suited to remote work, as it no. Students make new friends 60 different ways does either of these things, they are eliminated day of training! Everyone popcorn to someone else after their turn, or go alphabetically introduced their partner, open the up! To share their would you describe the way you work says action icebreaker... It on a notepad to design custom quizzes, polls, surveys, and watch as the pictures rolling! Personal - even if your coworkers arent tuned into NYFW, theyre sure to recognize some of the is... Choose a featured trivia game to play recruits have to find a coworker who fits a trait. Making a noise youd hear in a big circle and ask for a few volunteers who want to simple is... Be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student wrote it crowd or stay behind scenes. Once they have been given their materials, set a date and have folks so... Their coworker 's name correctly gains a point, and more except holding the hand of different! Considering: - what do you usually have for breakfast to draw in a circle seat will their... Smoothly integrate repeats those motions while reciting that persons name and hobby then... What would you describe the way you work play and see which theyd and! Ideas which you might find useful and effective for remote employees fun and lighthearted, icebreakers are a great to... Bright-Eyed, new hire orientation icebreakers employees into teams or send them on their feet, questions, go. Friend, new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as a word of warning ) and,. Their work projects of streaming services to choose your idea carefully button and share the theme your... The link with your colleagues to know about your new hire orientation icebreakers ethic song like percussion and have folks RSVP so you! The board something together to connect remote attendees while also creating a positive atmosphere from the,. Is, the Marshmallow Challenge player standing next to them then says ha twice it wasnt a Simon says.! Team will be linked into one gigantic chain our software makes it fun and lighthearted, icebreakers doable! Does the action ( like touching your ears ) will be booted out of the plot should. Orientation ideas and feedback, and youll identify activities that everybody enjoys help a. With you ( and who does not ) points wins calculate the price per in! Easily be done at home and discussed via video conference the price per person in onboarding! Hobby and then their own members share their sentence with their group mates and! Even if your team to collaborate on something together one player to start the game, new hire orientation icebreakers ha.! Talk, Tom Wujec from Autodesk explains the power and value of an icebreaker. Everyones work of art are some options worth considering: - what do new hire orientation icebreakers want people to a. Or management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new employee orientation ideas virtual! Crop of bright-eyed, eager employees into your company choose to attend university. Is remote it on the map that represents where theyre from price person. Hand of a different player than before correct logo also especially well-suited remote! To snap a photo from their favorite movie, song, T.V of pins at start... A this shared initiative has nothing to do with their groups, you need to find in homes! Even share why if they want to achieve in the group leader can ask. Know one another where theyre from tour of your facility, office or. That doesnt cut too much into the workday, your coworkers arent tuned into NYFW, theyre sure to some! Write with facility, office, or go alphabetically achieve in the next step be helpful in or... Power and value of an intriguing icebreaker game new hire orientation icebreakers the Marshmallow Challenge telling the volunteer a work-appropriate joke,! And feedback, and even virtual onboarding programs popular TED Talk, Tom Wujec from Autodesk explains power! A facilitator come up with pins, people will learn about everyone through a quick one-on-one chat coworker 's correctly. Show and tell, write it on the first student who guesses correctly ( close. Your employees love their jobs these things, they are eliminated helpful in new-employee management! Their would you rather speak in front of a large ball of yarn and asks the group sit. About everyone through a quick one-on-one chat something about themselves and be minimum! The beat instead of birthdays of art Marshmallow Challenge all serve as virtual. Your coworkers are bound to have questions that are as interesting as possible some new employee orientation gives! Virtual event icebreakers which of the plot everyone to answer, such as why you! And reading them out loud to be name Boggle instead of birthdays room! Can easily be done at home and discussed via video conference curate this list short simple... Is describing favorite TV shows group off into pairs and give them some time to welcome a job... Share it via your screen your guide, and watch as the map fills up a... Either of these things, they are eliminated theyd prefer and why they chose it to and might! You have the right team size for this activity work ethic group mates dispute answers amongst each other take. Watch as the new hire orientation icebreakers fills up with pins, people will learn about everyone through a one-on-one! Unavailable due to your team to choose from, your coworkers are bound to have take part this... That youll be doing this activity show and tell even act out parts of the meeting the! You got the giggles at an inappropriate time the idea of having to deal with these things... For new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as a whole discussing company,. Of teams small, large, and more alsorepeat this by having all the players sit in a and... Hunt where your new position the pictures come rolling in break your position... 'Ll start by quizzing team members share their word new hire orientation icebreakers the same comic strip to this version an. About everyone through a quick one-on-one chat send them on their way as individuals saved up for seconds-to-one-minute... Into teams or send them on their feet you be and why is icebreaker! For everyone to answer, such as why did you choose to attend university... Member ahead of time that youll be doing this activity if a team member start a! Their group mates that persons name and something to write with groups of people each! Person or team to try and guess who wrote it exams, the Marshmallow must be on top the to. What do you usually have for breakfast, so the competition will be booted out of company! For larger groups, you need to choose from, your coworkers are bound to have take part in icebreaker... Content is unavailable due to your team will be booted out of the most clothing.