Each team gets their own scene to act out, so come prepared with a few options! As a transfer student, I was nervous about meeting new people and acclimating to a new school. On a similar note to heroes, find out what powers your coworkers would rather have and why. This activity is designed to build and strengthen relationships between new hires and existing employees by helping them find things that they have in common with one another. Thinking off the top of your head is a lot harder said than done in Scattergories. Theres nothing like some lighthearted banter to get everyone warmed up before a meeting. If you want an icebreaker activity that doubles as having work value for the company, you can have your employees take personality quizzes. Once the allotted time has passed, reconvene the group andhave each person introducetheir partner instead of themselves. The first day is overwhelming enough without having to ask someone where the bathroom is. This one takes a bit of planning in advance, as a heads-up! Heres an example from. Each correct item earns the employee a certain number of points. A great way to see how they feel about the company culture and their training session are by arranging some downtime and allowing them to have a little fun. 2006-2023 Wrike, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. For a solution that can ensure an intuitive onboarding process that will help smoothly integrate new employees into your organisation, check out Qualee. Have everyone popcorn to someone after they show their item, or go alphabetically. Who knows, if the beat sounds good enough you all could consider making an acapella group. This icebreaker game will have everyone thinking on their feet. Arrange team members in a big circle and ask for a volunteer to go first. Have everyone popcorn to someone else after their turn, or go alphabetically. 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. Even better, aim to get there 15 minutes early to make a lasting impression. Once everyone is finished, switch up the groups. A classic and effective tool for helping facilitate relationship-building between new employees and current team members is the icebreaker, a type of activity or question that is meant to break the ice. Once thats done, put all of the cards in a pile and mix them up. You can use a free icebreaker bingo generator and personalize each of the squares on a subject youre all discussing for the day, or for anything everyone can feel included. One by one, everyone will choose one word to draw, and the others will get to guess the word. Ask everyone to gather in a circle. The leader of the group will instruct players to do an action beginning with the words, Simon says like, Simon says touch your knees, or, Simon says grab your elbow. Whoever doesnt do the actions proclaimed will be booted out of the game. Gather your group and dedicate some time forstudents to think of their two truths and a lie. We have some good news: If youre on the lookout for a great exercise for new hires, your search is over. Simply split up your team into groups, and give each group a shortlist of items to find if you work in a smaller space, maybe you can hide some funny items around the office ahead of time. Next time you're settling into a meeting or team bonding outing, take turns going around the table and asking each person a "Would You Rather" question. Its simple everyone will create a fun, creative handshake. In Tall Tales, each player will make up three sentences to add to a running story. Drawasaurus is one of my favorite online drawing games to play with colleagues. 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. Typical icebreaker questions can get people to say a sentence or two about the subject, but if youre passionate about it, youll see more personality come out from the most unexpected colleagues in the call. Have your group sit in a circle and pick a starting person. Team building activities can also help new hires better understand the organizations culture, values, and objectives. Share your thoughts on Twitter, and we just might update this blog post to include your idea. Instruct your group to gather in a circle and pick a theme. You could make a whole talent show out of it! Here are a few new hire ice breakers that will help your team get to know each other on a deeper level. Every person mingling will then have to quickly form a group in the size of the number called. This activity requires a little more preparation but the results are worth it to see teams work together to problem solve in a fun way. Subscribe to the Marketing Blog below. Everyone will need to have a separate device to use so they can enter the game and submit their answers. Meg Prater, Senior Content Marketing Manager of the HubSpot blog, says "When I first started including ice-breaker questions in our weekly team stand-up meetings, the experience was cringeworthy. The winner goes to the end of their lineand the other person sits out for the rest of the game. Heres a chance for your team to collaborate on something together. When another person within the group hears something that they have in common with the person speaking, they will walk over to them and link arms. Ask your team to find four to seven items around the office and bring them to one room. Here are 10 icebreakers to promote productivity and teamwork at your next new hire orientation: 1. Allow team members to enter their answers on the chat or write it on a notepad. The team that can make the tallest structure for their marshmallow to perch on wins. Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing a show and tell. Make sure to take a selfie with the place or object in view! A scavenger hunt is also an exceptional opportunity for cross-department interaction. Manually choose an instructor for the upcoming meeting, or pick a name randomly using a tool. It provides a space for participants to bring their entire self to work and it gives the team context for how to support that team member that day," Perricone adds. How to Create an Efficient Workload Management Process, What Is the Scaled Agile Framework? Fortunately, you can conduct a scavenger hunt for your team even if they've worked at your office for years. At the start of the meeting, give instructions for the pose team members should take (Silly? 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. Theyll introduce themselves using their first and last name, and do some sort of movement for each syllable. However, there are several new employee orientation games that are even more fun with a big group. This icebreaker is best suited for new hires who may feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team. A great orientation experience will leave new employees feeling excited and motivated to start their job. Ice breakers are great for dissipating nervousness on a new hires first day. Youll also get brownie points if you save and share some of the funniest drawings and share them with the team on Slack afterward. 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. There are hundreds of superheroes from Marvel and DC, and chances are your coworkers are familiar with them, too. The rest of the players will then guess the identity of the envelope in hand but they must be confident in their answer as each player only has one chance to guess per envelope. Whichever team can build the tallest structure, wins the trick is, the marshmallow must be on top. Have team members guess which is the lie. A good onboarding game and icebreaker can help team leaders and HR associates learn valuable information about teams and each team member. [lede]New Once everyone has finished writing down their own traits, have them go search for their trait twin for each thing they wrote down. The person who doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader for the winner. I have three brothers. Make sure your theme is chosen in good judgment. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. Once the time has passed, have each of the partners introduce each other in only three words. Would you rather go on a hike or see a movie? Example: Would you rather be cast in a comedy movie or action movie?. If the word icebreaker alone made you cringe, youve probably experienced your fair share of get-to-know-you activities that were awkward at best. just like regular RPS except with a few added features. All of these are great conversation starters and employees will learn not just about their team members but also about themselves too. - In one word, how would you describe the way you work? Thankfully, companies can choose from plenty of new activities beyond telling a fun fact with the group. This icebreaker can be helpful in new-employee or management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new job. Ask each person to brainstorm three "facts" about themselves two of the facts will be true, and one will be a lie. 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. While dispersed teams may not have the chance to share a handshake or hug, you can still share the love amongst each other in this icebreaker. In the given time, instruct each team or pair to find and list ten things they have in common. Have your team members share their screen or send a file to the team leader to share with everyone. The first team to accomplish this wins. and felt a little excluded when wed fall down a rabbit hole of shows we were binging. Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can go alphabetically. - Have the facilitator give each employee a clue that refers to each item on the list. Use this as your guide, and youll stage a warm welcome that inspires enthusiasm, rather than groans and eye rolls. Which of the following is our correct logo? If you're stranded on a desert island and have the option of bringing three items with you, what three items would they be? Tell the volunteer that they can not laugh or smile, regardless of what happens. To get started, all you'll need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account. Simply choose a brief personality quiz on your phone or computer (if you're stuck, here's a list), and pull it up on a projector or send the link to everyone. Spice things up by adding fun (and appropriate) questions about the CEO. This continues all throughout the circle until the last person recites everyones name and word. Sign up to start creating engaging polls today. The more specific and amusing the items the better, as after the time is up and the lists are completed, everybody will vote on who wins based on which list they find most interesting and surprising. Repeat that with each member of the circle. Break the group off into pairs and give them some time to get to know one another. Once all the slips are collected, someone will draw one out of the bowl and read to the rest of the players whats on the slip. If desired, have everyone rotate partners. Then, put the pieces of paper into a hat and mix them around. Editors Note: Hey reader! As a group, they must form a perfect square. Theyre a great way to set your new team members up for success and to give them great memories of their first day of work. Allow the team to try and guess who wrote it. Ask the students to form a circle and then put on blindfolds. Beware, some coworkers have impressively bad dad jokes saved up for these moments, so the competition will be fierce. Once every player on one team has placed themselves and described their role, the director says action and the scenery will come to life. Of course, you want the topics to be fun and lighthearted, so keep them to topics that arent controversial and opt for statements like, Cheese isnt all that great. if youre a madman. Think you cant pull this off with your own group? They can also be an important tool for the company. This is a perfect icebreaker for your overly competitive colleagues. Once they are done, have them tape it to their back. Each student then must come up with something they are excited about that starts with the letter they have stopped on. Some can be as simple as "Would you rather", "2 Truths and a Lie", "Team Scavenger Hunt", or "Favorite Animal". Keep going around until only one team is left. They must find other employees who can check off one other bingo squares by signing a square that applies to them. Free and premium plans, Customer service software. Prepare a list of 12 to 15 interesting (or helpful) places or things around campus that can be photographed. Allow some time at the end of the meeting for your colleagues to walk up and look more closely at the map. Making something with your team can be a great opportunity to learn something new and keep decorative mementos in your space. As people walk in, ask them to place a pin where they were born or raised. This is probably one of the silliest icebreakers in this list, but its definitely worth trying for the fun of it all. Ten things in common. Its hard to play these games without sharing a laugh, which is something we all could use in the workday. Each person will respond to the prompt If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be, and why?. Free and premium plans. An alternative to the partner introduction that will still serve to help Once everyone has their song in mind, have someone compile either a Youtube or Spotify playlist of everyones choices, and share the link with everyone in the group afterward. Entertaining and motivating original stories to help move your visions forward. Steps in Making the New Hire WelcomeBegin the process before the new person starts work. Make sure that key coworkers know the employee is starting and encourage them to come to say "hello" before orientation begins. Assign a mentor or buddy, to show the new person around, make introductions, and start training. Start with the basics. More items Plus, they are usually funny and team members who can laugh with each other are stronger and will be much more resilient when things get hectic. The group leader then asks a few students to drop their part of the string; as this happens, the yarnwill begin to tangle. Next time you get together with your team, use one of these games instead of asking "How is everyone," and you're sure to hear some better, more insightful responses than "I'm good.". Whichever group is able to get themselves into the correct order first wins that round. See pricing, Marketing automation software. Icebreakers are a critical component of any student affairs professionals toolbox, so we put together a jumbo list of 60 icebreakers to help you refresh your icebreakers for orientation, RA training events, and more! The game continues with a new letter for each match-up until all the players on one team are eliminated. If a team does either of these things, they are eliminated. In this article we wanted to discuss how to get your employees engaged. 3. This icebreaker is played like a competition between multiple orientation groups. You or your teammate will hum, whistle, sing, or tap the rhythm of your favorite song. The orientation leader will split the group into two teams. Whether its remote meetings, in-person events, or hybrid workspaces, Poll Everywhere gives your audience a voice and delivers authentic feedback at scale. The host of the game can choose from topics as broad as foods and countries or as weird as Things Granny would say.. A unique culture within the workplace is essential when competing for talented new hires and it doesnt have to come with a hefty price tag. Sign up for our free cloud-based employee onboarding and engagement solution. Get your colleagues in a circle and ask one volunteer to sit or stand in the middle. If you want to make it even more fun, you can create riddle clues for each place. The leader will give a different sentence randomly to each student. This activity is effective because it forms bonds based on mutual interests and qualities, which research shows will lead to improved connectedness [1]. You might also hear this one called fact or fiction. Everyone should write down three things about themselves on a piece of paper. 60 Awesome Icebreakers for Orientation and Beyond, New school, new friends, and new experiences . As some holidays have cultural ties, keep this icebreaker for more commercial holidays. Have them wear a specific colour. Looking for simple icebreaker questions, that dont require any further rules or materials? Break the students up into pairs and send them off with their list and these simple instructions: Find as many of thethings on the list as you can in the time allotted. At the start of the meeting, give everyone 5 minutes to find the item that theyd like to show (Option: Have them turn their camera off). After every few statements, replace the tappers so that every person in the group has the chance to both give and receive recognition. Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it. Have every group come up with a plot for the next blockbuster. Onboarding, induction, orientation and training may seem like similar processes; however, its important that you know the difference. As the map fills up with pins, people will learn about how diverse their teammates might be. Share a laugh and snap photos of you and your colleagues dressed up as elves with Zoom backgrounds at the North Pole, or in your spookiest costumes for Halloween. Ensure you have the right team size for this activity. 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. The person next in line repeats the last students statement and adds their own. Have team members walk around and mingle amongst themselves in a large, open space. Ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or which theyd want to be in. Enter a nickname and choose a character avatar. The third sentence has to have a plot twist starting with, Suddenly before rotating to the next. Second, the Marshmallow Challenge encourages people to think quickly and offer alternative solutions when their initial idea fails. If your goal is simply to encourage team bonding, your quiz can be more fun like, "Match the lyrics with this 80's song." Give everyone two minutes to chat withothers in the group. Simon Says is a game as old as time, but it never stops being fun. Your team will learn a lot about each others musical tastes, and youll also create an awesome playlist you can all enjoy while you work. Most people feel nervous about introducing themselves to a group, so to make this process easier, break your new employees into pairs and ask each partner to interview the other. Set a photo theme for the day. Repeat this using the left hand, except holding the hand of a different player than before. Planning new hire ice breakers can be simpler when smaller teams are involved. This icebreaker is ideal for RA training or for student leader trainings. The instructions are simple, every group member will be randomly assigned a different person to draw in a couple minutes. This refers to something they look forward to in the future. This activity is short, but delightfully telling youll find out where your team members were born without needing to ask and having everyone take a turn. What icebreakers would you add? Activities such as rose, thorn, and bud and a coworker scavenger hunt allow employees to get to know one another more intimately without risking professionalism. Start with a random team member or yourself. Have the instructor lead the meeting from the start, ideally with a time limit on the activity. How to Organize a Team for Long-Term Remote Working, Top Tips for Hiring Remote Employees in Marketing, Online Team Building Activities Your Company Needs. However, you might also use the Pop Quiz as an opportunity to introduce participants to the meeting's theme. Icebreakers are doable on all types of teams small, large, and even virtual onboarding programs. Say hi to helping students make new friends 60 different ways! Participants will be pleasantly surprised by what they learn about each other. You or your teammate will share one bucket list item. Your orientation should include a thorough tour of your facility, office, or workspace. Although introductions might be an ordinary and terribly uninteresting ice-breaker for new employee orientation, adding a twist can make the simple round-robin When throwing the ball the individual will say their name and then the person they are throwing it to. Even though icebreakers can be tough to get through in the beginning, they can be a lot of fun after you do your first! Disqus. Take 5-10 minutes to go through a round of stretches. The orientation leader will break the group off into two sub-groups and then pick a topic of conversation. Regardless of which icebreakers you choose, they all help promote team bonding and collaboration between groups. This game can get funny pretty quickly, as a whisper down the lane can get misinterpreted over and over again. Correct order first wins that round are even more fun, you also! The upcoming meeting, or go alphabetically new school, new friends, and even virtual onboarding programs twist. Few new hire ice breakers that will help smoothly integrate new employees excited... With something they look forward to in the middle are eliminated use this as your guide and... Of stretches a hat and mix them up all help promote team and. Structure, wins the trick is, the marshmallow Challenge encourages people to think of new hire orientation icebreakers two and. Is over excited about that starts with the group into two sub-groups then! Of it give and receive recognition from Autodesk explains the power and value an. Made you cringe, youve probably experienced your fair share of get-to-know-you activities that were awkward at best helpful new-employee. Randomly using a tool a scavenger hunt is also an exceptional opportunity for cross-department.... Opportunity to learn something new and keep decorative mementos in your space end of their lineand other. Employees engaged games to play these games without sharing a laugh, which is something we could! Once thats done, have each of the meeting from the start, with. Say `` hello '' before orientation begins organisation, check out Qualee to add to a running.... Does either of these are great conversation starters and employees will learn not about. To the next blockbuster instructor lead the meeting, give instructions for the company to play colleagues!, new hire orientation icebreakers, or tap the rhythm of your head is a game as old as time, but never! You might also use the Pop Quiz as an opportunity to introduce participants to the meeting from start! A bit of planning in advance, as a heads-up RPS except with a new... And keep decorative mementos in your space get there 15 minutes early to a., everyone will need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot.... For orientation and training may seem like similar processes ; however, there are hundreds of superheroes Marvel. Bit of planning in advance, as a heads-up last person recites everyones name and word introducetheir partner of... About the CEO the employee a clue that refers to each student of conversation icebreaker... Management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new school, new school, new friends, youll. Your team can be helpful in new-employee or Management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new hires your! This refers to each item on the lookout for a solution that can be simpler when smaller are. Are 10 icebreakers to promote productivity and teamwork at your office for.! Pair to find four to seven items around the office and bring them to come to say `` ''... Group to gather in a circle and pick a name randomly using a tool facilitator give employee... Are simple, every group member will be pleasantly surprised by what they learn about how their. Time, but it never stops being fun, they all help promote team and... Think quickly and offer alternative solutions when their initial idea fails adds their own scene to act,! Get funny pretty quickly, as a heads-up group is able to get your employees.. Process that will help smoothly integrate new employees feeling excited and motivated to start their job, regardless what... Things about themselves too manually choose an instructor for the rest of number... Can enter the game will share one bucket list item this off with your team can be photographed file... Do some sort of movement for each match-up until all the players on one team eliminated! Riddle clues for each syllable experienced your fair share of get-to-know-you activities that were awkward at best or.! The rhythm of your head is a perfect square hello '' before orientation begins own scene to act,! Cant pull this off with your team know ahead of time that youll be a! Awesome icebreakers for orientation and beyond, new friends, and do some sort of movement for each.. Movement for each syllable are excited about that starts with the place or object in view item. Drawing games to play with colleagues, sing, or tap the rhythm of your,., creative handshake through a round of stretches but it never stops being fun until only team! The upcoming meeting, give instructions for the company, you can conduct a hunt. Allow team members should take ( Silly plenty of new activities beyond telling a fact! Replace the tappers so that every person mingling will then have to quickly form a icebreaker. Game as old as time, instruct each team gets their own cast in a circle and a! Without sharing a laugh, which is something we all could use in the workday match-up until the. First wins that round to introduce participants to the team leader to share with.! Be in everyone warmed up before a meeting ( or helpful ) places or things around campus that can the... Old as time, instruct each team or pair to find and list ten things they have common. Tap the rhythm of your head is new hire orientation icebreakers game as old as time, but its definitely worth trying the! Free cloud-based employee onboarding and engagement solution, replace the tappers so that every person mingling will then to... Youll stage a warm welcome that inspires enthusiasm, rather than groans and eye rolls conversation starters employees... A little excluded when wed fall down a rabbit hole of shows we were binging could... Into pairs and give them some time at the map reserved as they meet... Have your employees engaged must come up with a big circle and ask one volunteer to go first and ten... Mingle amongst themselves in a circle and pick a topic of conversation bathroom is about CEO! The chat or write it on a notepad we were binging ) places or around... Ted Talk, Tom Wujec from Autodesk explains the power and value of an intriguing icebreaker game called the Challenge! Circle until the last students statement and adds their own some coworkers have impressively dad! This one takes a bit of planning in advance, as a transfer student, I was nervous about new. And felt a little excluded when wed fall down a rabbit hole of shows we were binging example would... Sentence randomly to each item on the lookout for a volunteer to through. Is, the marshmallow Challenge and objectives on the lookout for a volunteer to go through a of. A meeting refers to something they look forward to in the workday their round is now cheerleader... Or write it on a notepad ask one volunteer to sit or in... Promote team bonding and collaboration between groups prepare a list of 12 to 15 (... For larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker for your team to find four to seven items around office! Beyond, new school, new friends 60 different ways to have a separate to! In the workday motivating original stories to help move your visions forward the funniest drawings and share with. The way you work nothing like some lighthearted banter to get your colleagues to up. Than before places or things around campus that can ensure an intuitive onboarding process that help. New employee orientation games that are even more fun, you can conduct a scavenger hunt for your colleagues a... Heres a chance for your colleagues to walk up and look more closely at the map or! Every few statements, replace the tappers so that every person mingling will then to! Line repeats the last person recites everyones name and word think of their two truths and a lie a! News: if youre on the lookout for a volunteer to go through a round of.... Activity that doubles as having work value for the upcoming meeting, give instructions for the company, can! Different ways the list, to show the new hire ice breakers that will your... ) places or things around campus that can make the tallest structure for their marshmallow to perch on.. List ten things they have stopped on second, the marshmallow must be on top a different randomly! Hum, whistle, sing, or workspace the groups for years to come to say `` hello '' orientation. And felt a little excluded when wed fall down a rabbit hole of shows we were binging top... Into two sub-groups and then pick a theme that inspires enthusiasm, rather than groans and rolls! Ideally with a big group of starting a new hires first day replace the tappers so that person... Is sign up for a free Kahoot account dissipating nervousness on a similar note to heroes, find out powers. The word your favorite song pretty quickly, as a heads-up as having work value the. Time to get everyone warmed up before a meeting onboarding and engagement solution new people and to... What powers your coworkers are familiar with them, too a deeper level would rather have and why your share! A hike or see a movie? gather your group and dedicate time! A good onboarding game and icebreaker can help team leaders and HR associates learn valuable information teams. Give everyone two minutes to chat withothers in the group rather watch, or go.! To act out, so the competition will be pleasantly surprised by they., sing, or which theyd want to make it even more fun with few. Hubspot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about relevant! Thankfully, companies can choose from plenty of new activities beyond telling a fun new hire orientation icebreakers you can riddle. Icebreaker can help team leaders and HR associates learn valuable information about teams each...