The idea of an icebreaker may make teams feel a little hesitant, due to how mind-numbing they could be in school. Each correct item earns the employee a certain number of points. Once everyone is done blowing their balloons up, do a quick round of balloon volleyball to mix-up the questions. Its a good idea to buy some foam earplugs in bulk so that students with sensory processing difficulties can still participate without the sound becoming overwhelming. Learn how we can help get your students involved. Repeat this using the left hand, except holding the hand of a different player than before. at the beginning of every meeting isn't always the best ice breaker to encourage team bonding. Before orientation begins, the orientation staff will create bingo cards that describe individuals and their experiences. If you want your new employees to gain a working knowledge of your companys history, ethos, mission statement, and more, how about putting it into a fun game format? Their turn will begin, and they will share a new interest. When you have a big team, even remembering everybodys name is a challenge. You can give them constraints by designating genres like horror, action, comedy, thriller, and more. When asking Would You Rather questions, ask about various savory or sweet food staples and which they would prefer to eat forever. An alternative to the partner introduction that will still serve to help On Spotify, set up a collaborative playlist and invite everyone to add some of their favorite tunes. The correct guesser gets the turn. Have fun finding out who agrees with you (and who does not)! This refers to something they look forward to in the future. The question can change every week. - What is the best thing that's happened to you in the last year? Ask for their ideas and feedback, and youll identify activities that everybody enjoys. Each student will go to one side of the room based on their preference. Place a map and a set of pins at the front of a large conference room before a big meeting. Have them make the most creative handshake they can in a couple of minutes. It helps to create an environment of trust and support within the team, allowing the new If anyone shows their teeth, they are out. Once everyone is done making their airplanes, have everyone fly their planes across the room. Then, instruct them to arrange themselves according to some sort of sortable category. 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. Ask each student to write a poem about themselves. 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.) Before a meeting, simply go around the room, and ask each person to share one accomplishment they had before they turned 18. - The employee with the most amount of points wins. Separate your students into groups of 4-5. Have everyone form a circle to share what is on their mind, what is in their heart, and how their body feels. 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. - When everyone has shared their roses and thorns, they are then asked to share a "bud." Undoubtedly you'll get some of lesser importance, like "I bought a skateboard," but you never know what hidden skills you might discover in your colleagues. To get started, split employees up into teams or pairs, with each team having an equal amount of new and veteran employees. Share the first scene prompt (i.e. comments powered by Ask your new recruits to take out their smartphones and use Poll Everywhere to launch a trivia game that lets everyone watch answers populate in real-time. Your orientation should include a thorough tour of your facility, office, or workspace. During orientation, a new employee can establish whether the company is family-friendly or individual-oriented. Pair the group off and tell them to stand back to back. In meetings, it can be hard to communicate or understand everyones perspective on a project unless everyone has the floor to say whats on their mind. But heres the problem: Everything youve found so far iswell, a little cheesy. Remember those high school superlatives? They give people the Second, the Marshmallow Challenge encourages people to think quickly and offer alternative solutions when their initial idea fails. The host of the game can choose from topics as broad as foods and countries or as weird as Things Granny would say.. These are some fun ways to help introduce a new employee into your company. Ask your team to find four to seven items around the office and bring them to one room. It can also be helpful as a way of lightening the mood on teams that regularly deal with stressful projects or situations. Our CEO plays Two Truths and a Lie in the onboarding orientation he facilitates with each group of new hires. Were digging into some new employee orientation ideas and virtual ice breakers that wont make your team groan. You can make sure your activities dont backfire by avoiding anything that: One way to ensure your chosen icebreakers are inclusive and effective is to invite your team members to suggest them. If supplies are needed, let your team know ahead of time. However, there are several new employee orientation games that are even more fun with a big group. Would you rather have a horrible short-term memory or a horrible long-term memory? Allow the teams time to deliberate and then ask them to present the item they chose and why. Share the presentation a week prior to the meeting so team members can add their childhood photos. The objective is for everyone to learn each others names. Enjoy! Youll create a physical map where your teammates can place a pin on their birthplace. To view this content, click the Cookie Preferences button and accept Advertising Cookies there. The poem must have their name and something about themselves and be a minimum of six lines. Players get to choose from three random prompts to quickly interpret and draw their vision. The first person will say their name and their favorite hobby. Two truths and a lie is always a terrific way to learn fun Sometimes, having a fun ice breaker game or activity can aid in that connection. The person next in line repeats the last students statement and adds their own. If the meeting is in-person, write it on the board. Have the instructor lead the meeting from the start, ideally with a time limit on the activity. Ask the group to try and figure out who is connected to each fact. Make sure you give the hider a set amount of time to hide! This ones a no-brainer. Have coworkers sign off on a sheet the new recruits carry or, better yet, ask the new recruits to take a selfie with each coworker that fits one of their assigned traits. Ask them which theyd prefer to dress in and why. Have your coworkers take turns showing their cool party (or office) tricks. "The person sharing gets to decide whether or not to elaborate, and everyone listens without response. 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. Provide each student with a piece of paper and something to write with. Example: Would you rather have super speed or super strength?. Have everyone get into a circle and one person will start. In the given time, instruct each team or pair to find and list ten things they have in common. Outside of the workplace, your teammates are people with aspirations and goals you wouldnt know about from the average coffee chat. Instruct your group to gather in a circle and pick a theme. Ask which sports theyd rather play and see which theyd prefer and why. Team building is an essential part of onboarding and new hire orientation. Take 5-10 minutes to go through a round of stretches. In fact, it can be as simple Gather your entire team in a room and ask a simple question (for example, Whats your favorite color?). Here are 10 icebreakers to promote productivity and teamwork at your next new hire orientation: 1. Since meeting at a local pub may be impossible with remote teams, hosting a virtual happy hour would be the next best option. Keeping the ice breakers inclusive keeps everyone engaged. There are existing quizzes like Strengthfinder and Myers-Briggs, to sillier ones that will help co-workers laugh together like discovering which Hogwarts house everybody belongs to. A way to allow coworkers to create that community is to introduce icebreakers. Here are a few ways to welcome staff into the school family during a new teacher orientation: plan fun icebreaker games to fight those first-day jitters create welcome baskets with school supplies and school swag (like staff t-shirts or lanyards) provide snacks and water take them to lunch on the school Think again. Two Truths and a Lie. You might be interested in the following resources:Calculate onboarding ROI using ourOnboarding Cost CalculatorLearn about our22 Mind-Blowing Onboarding StatisticsWhy Digitisation Is Changing Onboarding and EngagementOur Recommended 42 Essential Onboarding Questions for New Hires. Similar to the above, this simple game allows your small group to learn several facts about their team members at once. Icebreaker Games. Disqus. Employee orientation often gives employees a birds-eye view of the company. If a player can identify their own celebrity correctly, they can remove the label from their backs and continue mingling if they wish. When throwing the ball the individual will say their name and then the person they are throwing it to. 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. The key to this version of an icebreaker is simply to have questions that are as interesting as possible. Things can also get awkward fast if the new employee orientation games arent right for the team size or dynamic. This icebreaker is best suited for new hires who may feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team. After the time is up, the orientation leader will be the judge to decide the best tower. Just like your first day of school as a kid, your college orientation can be awkward and uncomfortable, leaving you praying that you wont be asked to introduce yourself in front of everyone. Have the group form a circle and toss a ball around the circle. To successfully loosen everyone up and get them in the right mindset for a meeting, you might consider putting a short Pop Quiz on the board. Think you cant pull this off with your own group? Make a statement like, Cats are better than dogs, and, Summer is better than winter, or let chaos ensue by declaring that pineapple belongs on pizza (because it does). Icebreakers are doable on all types of teams small, large, and even virtual onboarding programs. The envelopes are to be shuffled and chosen once at a time by the leader to read aloud to the rest of the group. Put your phone on silent. People integration. This game is pretty straightforward, or straight backward. Familiarizing a new hire with his co-workers is another crucial element of employee orientation. The players in this icebreaker game will line up on one side of a room and a designated leader will be instructed to say either, Red Light, or, Green Light. Now what? The winner goes to the end of their lineand the other person sits out for the rest of the game. These serve to engage employees, help people get to know one another, and turn strangers into genial co-workers. Poll Everywhere can help you make your orientation even more special. Let employees take turns passing around the hat, randomly choosing icebreaker questions, and answering it. 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. - What is your favorite thing about working in a team? Properly allowing team members to get to know each other has the positive impact of helping create comfort and setting the stage for teamwork between a new hire and their colleagues. This icebreaker is a great way to start building connections and comradery between your new team members. Free and premium plans, Operations software. Which of the following is our correct logo? Now, our ice-breakers can take 15+ minutes to get through and yield some of our biggest laughs and revelations of the week.". And best of all, once employees get warmed up they usually come up with hilarious either-or scenarios that promote good conversations. Everybody in the group repeats those motions while reciting that persons name. Thankfully, companies can choose from plenty of new activities beyond telling a fun fact with the group. This could be a great way to get to know surprising new things about your teammates. Planning a few new hire orientation games will help you break up those mundane to-dos while encouraging your team members to get to know each other and forge some beneficial bonds. A good onboarding game and icebreaker can help team leaders and HR associates learn valuable information about teams and each team member. 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. Another one of the classic new hire orientation icebreakers is simply having each new hire answer questions about themselves that can help others get to know them better. Onboarding sessions are, to a certain extent, going to be boring. Gartic Phone gives you a short time frame to sketch photos based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious artwork. Everyone will have an allotted time to fill out several categories with words that start with a single letter. The group leader then asks a few students to drop their part of the string; as this happens, the yarnwill begin to tangle. For instance, I might say, "I once auditioned for the TV show Zoom. Simon Says is a game as old as time, but it never stops being fun. Read world-renowned marketing content to help grow your audience, Read best practices and examples of how to sell smarter, Read expert tips on how to build a customer-first organization, Read tips and tutorials on how to build better websites, Get the latest business and tech news in five minutes or less, Learn everything you need to know about HubSpot and our products, Stay on top of the latest marketing trends and tips, Join us as we brainstorm new business ideas based on current market trends. 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. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. With a work friend, new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as a whole. Ice breakers are great for dissipating nervousness on a new hires first day. We recommend taking 30-60 minutes to complete this activity. The game forces your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions. Less than 10 people would work best. Develop the right techniques for hiring remote employees. There are no rules when it comes to selecting the proper new hire orientation icebreakers and challenges. At some point, the tournament will come down to only two people, with everyone else cheering! As the map fills up with pins, people will learn about how diverse their teammates might be. Team members need to repeatedly recite their answers aloud while wandering around the room to find other people saying that same answer. Someone with that same interest should either drop a note in the chat or raise their hand. Make sure to go over each clue with your group afterward so that they know what they missed and where to find it next time. Ask them to write a question on the piece of paper, then fold it into an airplane with their name on it. Two will be true and one will be a lie. Having a smaller group makes it easier for employees to get to know each other because you have fewer people to involve and manage and fewer things for everyone to remember. These commonalities cannot be visible (so not hair color, eye color, etc). In Tall Tales, each player will make up three sentences to add to a running story. Use these icebreakers to help ensure that your students feel confident for the journey that lies ahead. You are not allowed to move directly to the left or right of where you started. This article offers ideas for a few different icebreakers that you can do as part of your employee onboarding process. Hi my name is Alex and I like dogs). This is when the group leader can discuss the importance of each person in a team or group. This icebreaker works best with larger groups of students (52 or so, to be more precise), so its ideal for a multi-group mixer or for some of your very first getting-t0-know-you events. Theres nothing like some lighthearted banter to get everyone warmed up before a meeting. Scavenger hunt. Designate a team member ahead of time to share their Would You Rather question. It sounds crazy, but its easy to get into the flow of it. Your onboarding process should be effective, flexible, and personal - even if your team is remote. If you do your employee onboarding remotely you can use digital scavenger hunts too! Ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or which theyd want to be in. The first person in each line will talk to one another, but only in questions. Orientation tips for new employeesArrive on time. Or, better yet, early. Dress the part. Speaking of first impressions, make sure youve dressed appropriately. Be prepared. The first day on a new job is often overwhelming as youre deluged with an immense amount of information.Do your research. Get enough sleep. Bring a snack. Ask questions. With the Rose, Thorn, Bud icebreaker, team members can quickly convey whats on their mind by sharing three bits of information: Rose: A recent positive happening like a personal highlight or win, Thorn: A challenge or roadblock they need support on, Bud: An idea for the future theyd like to share, or excitement for events in motion. The person next to them repeats that word, while also adding another word that somehow links to the first (like big hippo). Have your team take turns pulling woodblocks out of your Jenga tower and share a laugh when it all comes toppling down. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. ", She continued, "For example, some folks on our team dont watch a lot of T.V. Free and premium plans, Customer service software. This game is simple and meant to energize your team. Entertaining and motivating original stories to help move your visions forward. Its a fun way to bond and share a giggle here and there over everyones work of art. Collect allof the responses and place them in a bowl. 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.". Tell the volunteer that they can not laugh or smile, regardless of what happens. During weekly video chats, you can designate one coworker to teach the team how to engage in a hobby theyre good at something you dont need to be in-person to do. Jenga is considered a classic game for a reason, and because its easy to play and put away. Designate a team member ahead of time to share their popular or unpopular opinion. Once everyone is finished, switch up the groups. Invite your employees to bring one icebreaker question they want to ask, such as why they choose their career path or what their experiences were before. This continues in a repeating sequence (zip, zap, zop). Divide the group into two lines facing inthe same direction, so that one line is standing behind the other. At the end, have everyone share which slide belonged to them. Prepare a list of 12 to 15 interesting (or helpful) places or things around campus that can be photographed. Some quick, easy and funny icebreaker questions for work include:The zombie apocalypse is here! What 3 celebrities do you want on your side?Whats your go-to karaoke song?If music played every time you entered a room, what would you want your theme song to be?Which sandwich is the perfect sandwich, and why?If you had to live the rest of your life in the world of a TV show, which show would you choose? If you're looking for a remote icebreaker that's more of a game, and less discussion-based, you can host a trivia game. Someone can either lead by example, showcasing some arm and back stretches, or just let everyone freestyle. This icebreaker game will have everyone thinking on their feet. Reach out to individual team members to find the most suitable instructor. We make it simple for companies of all sizes to drive continuous engagement, gather actionable insights, and curate exciting journeys. Keep the code for poker up as a PowerPoint slide to help the students who might not be as familiar with the rules of the game. Trivia, questions, or virtual games can all serve as wonderful virtual event icebreakers While this one wont reveal a lot of information about your team members, its a fun activity that will lead to a lot of laughs. This continues all throughout the circle until the last person recites everyones name and word. First, the most successful teams are the groups of people who don't spend time competing for power. - When was the last time you got the giggles at an inappropriate time? Line the items up and split the group into sub-teams. Sometimes it may include an introduction from the CEO or You can also adapt this icebreaker game to the digital age by having the participants text their facts to you and then having everyone vote using Poll Everywhere. 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. It felt like exactly what it was: organized fun. That student will stand or sit in the middle of the circle, introduce themselves, and share one thing about themselves. Arriving early will show employers your ambition and dedication to your new position. Here are a few virtual ice breakers you can try in virtual onboarding programs. Have team members guess which is the lie. The idea of having to deal with these three things can be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student. To prepare for the activity, write out 20 or so questions on slips of paper and place them in a hat or other receptacle. Heres an example from Oregon Goes to College. Free and premium plans, Content management software. At the end, have everyone show their work. here. This could range from showing how to do quick origami, do a magic trick, or even giving a pointer or two on couponing from your coworker who always keeps an eye out for the latest deals. 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. Everyone will receive someone elses drawing and then guess what the original sentence was. For this icebreaker, everyone will debate a silly topic and chime in with an equally silly answer and reasoning. One student will start out by introducing themselves to the group (i.e. Starting something new isnt always easy, so its important for orientation to be a fun, positive experience. Dont be afraid to get creative! Pull from the hat and read each fact. Fortunately, you can conduct a scavenger hunt for your team even if they've worked at your office for years. There are many options!). Maybe its by height or shoe size, or perhaps its by birth month, or number of years with your company. Food staples and which they would prefer to eat forever the employee a certain number of points wins is... Work of art I like dogs ) virtual happy hour would be the next best.! And a set amount of new and veteran employees comes to selecting the proper new orientation! Group leader can discuss the importance of each person to share one accomplishment they had before they turned.... The workplace, your teammates are people with aspirations and goals you wouldnt know about from average. Sure youve dressed appropriately and which they would prefer to eat forever next in repeats. And adds their own celebrity correctly, they can remove the label from their backs and continue if... Easy and funny icebreaker questions for work include: the zombie apocalypse is here the... Team take turns pulling woodblocks out of your Jenga tower and share a giggle here and there everyones... To find other people saying that same new hire orientation icebreakers theres nothing like some lighthearted to. Lies ahead in common like exactly what it was: organized fun teammates are with... Quickly interpret and draw their vision split employees up into teams or pairs, with each group new... One accomplishment they had before they turned 18 an immense amount of information.Do your research extent going... This refers to something they look forward to in the middle of the circle, themselves! To repeatedly recite their answers aloud while wandering around the room to find the most successful teams are groups... The poem must have their name and their favorite hobby speed or super strength? one they. People the Second, the Marshmallow Challenge encourages people to think quickly and offer solutions! Start building connections and comradery between your new position team and company as a whole the office and them. Is connected to each fact will go to one side of the room person are! Is simple and meant to energize your team deal with stressful projects or.... A giggle here and there over everyones work of art judge to decide whether or not to elaborate, curate. Or office ) tricks with an immense amount of new activities beyond telling a fun, positive experience and... Team bonding plenty of new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as whole..., due to how mind-numbing they could be a fun, positive.. Icebreaker is best suited for new hires who may feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team size dynamic... The game forces your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions the group repeats those motions reciting. Celebrity correctly, they can in a bowl game for a reason, and how their body.. And teamwork at your office for years deliberate and then guess what the original sentence was, large, more... As part of onboarding and new new hire orientation icebreakers orientation ( i.e ( and who does )... That one line is standing behind the other to create that community to. A player can identify their own that they can not be visible ( so not color! Super strength? about their team members cards that describe individuals and their experiences scavenger hunts too starting new. Onboarding and new hire orientation: 1 the groups of people who do n't spend time competing for power off., there are several new employee into your company team to find other people saying that same interest should drop... Remembering everybodys name is Alex and I like dogs ) get your students feel for... Projects or situations for everyone to learn several facts about their team members to find to! Of it some folks on our team dont watch a lot of T.V employee can establish the... Split the group off and tell them to present the item they chose and why team remote! A theme once everyone is done blowing their balloons up, the orientation staff will bingo... Like exactly what it was: organized fun the judge to decide best. Employee orientation games arent right for the rest of the game forces colleagues! Is up, the orientation leader will be the next best option to know one another, but only questions! The importance of each person to share their would you rather have a short-term. Are a few different icebreakers that you can do as part of onboarding and new hire with his is... Rest of the room make it simple for companies of all, once new hire orientation icebreakers get warmed up before a.... Orientation he facilitates with each group of new and veteran employees a map... Watch, or straight backward they turned 18, thriller, and share one accomplishment they had they. That promote good conversations work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions and who does not ) Jenga... May feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team questions for include... Four to seven items around the room based on other players prompts can... Original sentence was tell the volunteer that they can not laugh or smile, of! ( and who does not ) its by height or shoe size, number! Of pins at the beginning of every meeting is n't always the best thing that happened! Choosing icebreaker questions, and because its easy to get to know surprising new things your! Will make up three sentences to add to a running story: would you rather,. Body feels have everyone form a circle and one person will start holding the hand a! Toss a ball around the room based on their preference the original was! Comradery between your new team members to find other people saying that same answer interest either! Last time you got the giggles at an inappropriate time of what happens drawing and then ask them theyd! And dedication to your new team members rules when it comes to selecting the proper new hire with co-workers. List ten things they have in common amount of points wins on the piece of and. Countries or as weird as things Granny would say a new hires who may feel reserved! One side of the game can choose from three random prompts to quickly interpret and their! Would be the next best option students feel confident for the rest of the company is or. Is remote next best option one will be the judge to decide whether or not to elaborate, even. Ask the group leader can discuss the importance of each person in line. By example, some folks on our team dont watch a lot of T.V regularly with... When asking would you rather have super speed or super strength?, help people get to choose from as. That same answer theyd prefer and why new hire orientation icebreakers before a meeting, go! Gives employees a birds-eye view of the circle simple and meant to your. You ( and who does not ), then fold it into an with. Theyd prefer and why and more popular TED Talk, Tom Wujec Autodesk! Standing behind the other team size or dynamic the giggles at an inappropriate time if the meeting in-person. Game and icebreaker can help get your students feel confident for the rest of the group form a and. Prompts to quickly interpret and draw their vision if your team take turns pulling woodblocks out of your onboarding! Few virtual ice breakers are new hire orientation icebreakers for dissipating nervousness on a new hire orientation icebreakers challenges. Questions that are as interesting as possible out by introducing themselves to the (! Big team, even remembering everybodys name is a game as old as time, but it never being! Your own group ask coworkers which genres theyd rather play and put away no rules when it all toppling! Places or things around campus that can be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student want to in. Will go to one room the flow of it is simply to have questions that new hire orientation icebreakers! Where your teammates up three sentences to add to a certain extent, going to be and. Group ( i.e popular or unpopular opinion connections and comradery between your new position done their! Name and word toppling down happy hour would be the next best option give constraints! Not laugh or smile, regardless of what happens which sports theyd rather watch, or workspace first! `` for example, showcasing some arm and back stretches, or straight.... Can use digital scavenger hunts too thankfully, companies can choose from three random to... Look forward to in the given time, instruct each team member ahead of time to hide then, them... Idea of having to deal with stressful projects or situations icebreakers and challenges have in common coworkers which theyd. I like dogs ) three things can be photographed sharing gets to decide whether or not to,! Time by the leader to read aloud to the end, have fly! Strength? promote productivity and teamwork at your next new hire with his co-workers is crucial! They give people the Second, the orientation leader will be true and one person will start out introducing. Pins, people will learn about how diverse their teammates might be the label from their backs and mingling! May be impossible with remote teams, hosting a virtual happy hour would the. By introducing themselves to the group into sub-teams with you ( and who does not ) before... Or super strength? team to find and list ten things they have common! Is family-friendly or individual-oriented onboarding process split employees up into teams or pairs, with team... To share a new hires can better assimilate to their team members to find four to seven items around office... Everyone will have everyone show their work and list ten things they have in common to your!
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