new hire orientation icebreakers

Gartic Phone gives you a short time frame to sketch photos based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious artwork. And even if you work remotely, team bonding is an important part of running a productive, effective team. Second, the Marshmallow Challenge encourages people to think quickly and offer alternative solutions when their initial idea fails. This continues in a repeating sequence (zip, zap, zop). When its complete, the leader will then share their screen and have the group guess which team member is in each photo. Looking for simple icebreaker questions, that dont require any further rules or materials? In this article we wanted to discuss how to get your employees engaged. Allow some time at the end of the meeting for your colleagues to walk up and look more closely at the map. 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. Then add this twist to make the game more challenging and meaningful, dont allow them to note physical or visual similarities. - Employees will need to turn their camera off while searching for the item in their home, - Team members who have found an item on the list should turn their camera back on. 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. In this icebreaker, players need to communicate with team members to identify a noun of a certain category. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? Have everyone chime in one-by-one with their answer. They can also be an important tool for the company. Web6Icebreakers to acquaint new remote employees with the team Virtual icebreaker games for new remote employees 1The birth map 2Personality Tests 3Fill in the blank 4The Then, students must find 4 other students to form their best possible hand of poker. Have team members walk around and mingle amongst themselves in a large, open space. If their statement applies to anyone else in the room, those students must get up, run into the middle of the circle, and find another persons place to sit in (the first student can now also run to find a seat). The orientation leader will prepare a list of sentences. 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. Think again. This ice breaker can promote team bonding, and it's one of the easier options on the list. This is a great reflection exercise for the very beginning or very end of orientation. 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. Things can also get awkward fast if the new employee orientation games arent right for the team size or dynamic. Want to make new employee onboarding even smoother? Im the grocery cart with the creaking wheel). Similar to Charades, Guess Who is a great icebreaker where you can mimic famous people or even your coworkers. Meet-and-greets allow team members to talk to everyone on their team attending 60 Awesome Icebreakers for Orientation and Beyond, New school, new friends, and new experiences . Here are a few "Would You Rather" questions to get you started: Accomplishments Before 18 is an engaging and unique way to encourage team members to share fun or interesting stories with one another. Split your team into smaller groups of around eight players. This icebreaker is played like a competition between multiple orientation groups. Scavenger hunt. 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. Each player must put their right hand in the middle of the circle andthehand of a player who is not to their immediate left or right. - Have a facilitator come up with a list of objects that employees need to find in their homes. For instance, let's say you're leading a meeting on culture. You can give them constraints by designating genres like horror, action, comedy, thriller, and more. Have everyone popcorn to someone after they tell their joke, or go alphabetically. Have your coworkers take turns showing their cool party (or office) tricks. Click the Invite button and share the link with your colleagues. Then, divide your group into evenly-sized teams. Whichever team can build the tallest structure, wins the trick is, the marshmallow must be on top. For this icebreaker, all you have to do is answer the question about your favorite things. Now, our ice-breakers can take 15+ minutes to get through and yield some of our biggest laughs and revelations of the week.". Toss the slips into a container and start picking them at random and reading them out loud. If this is the case, have everyone take a breather and stretch before the next big meeting begins. Each person will respond to the prompt If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be, and why?. - What's the most unusual job you've ever had? Each student then must come up with something they are excited about that starts with the letter they have stopped on. 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. Editors Note: Hey reader! - What do you want your colleagues to know about your work ethic? Once everyone is done, have the group find either someone with similar or opposite descriptors. Take 5-10 minutes to go through a round of stretches. This simple icebreaker is fit for groups of people meeting each other for the first time. Then, haveeach student pull one sticky noteout of the bowl and complete the sentence that they find (i.e. Then, instruct them to arrange themselves according to some sort of sortable category. Christina Perricone, former Senior Content Marketing Manager on the HubSpot blog, says this is her favorite icebreaker. This time ask the partners to find ten things they have in common. 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. The game forces your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions. Here are a few virtual ice breakers you can try in virtual onboarding programs. Ask for their ideas and feedback, and youll identify activities that everybody enjoys. Orientation is important because it lays a foundation for the new employees entire career with the department, explains Oregon State University. Whoever gets it right may get a small prize or bragging rights. The other group must figure out what they are spelling. 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). Keep going until all employees have answered the same number of questions. Before a meeting, simply go around the room, and ask each person to share one accomplishment they had before they turned 18. 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. Once everyone is finished, they must present their poems to the group. What they have in common is that they are usually done during employee onboarding for new hires and during big team meetings to help set the tone. Spice things up by adding fun (and appropriate) questions about the CEO. You or your teammate will hum, whistle, sing, or tap the rhythm of your favorite song. Share the first scene prompt (i.e. On the count of three, they must face their partner, look each other in the eyes, and then try to remain absolutely solemn and silent. You'll ask your team to choose their favorite movie, song, T.V. The real trick is for the leader to confuse players by giving fast Simon Says commands, then giving them a command without saying the keywords. This allows employees to learn about everyone through a quick one-on-one chat. And because it is so well-known, it can save you time having to explain to the team overly complicated rules to a new game. Onboarding, induction, orientation and training may seem like similar processes; however, its important that you know the difference. Line the items up and split the group into sub-teams. Divide the group into 2-5 teams. Ask questions like which shows theyd rather watch, or be a part of. Your onboarding process should be effective, flexible, and personal - even if your team is remote. The person who doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader for the winner. Doing this icebreaker is a great way to build connections remotely. Have every group come up with a plot for the next blockbuster. Why Digitisation Is Changing Onboarding and Engagement. Qualee is dedicated to helping you onboard new employees safely, simply, and in the most engaging way possible. When throwing the ball the individual will say their name and then the person they are throwing it to. Let employees take turns passing around the hat, randomly choosing icebreaker questions, and answering it. Once everyone is done blowing their balloons up, do a quick round of balloon volleyball to mix-up the questions. - What interest haven't you pursued, but have always wanted to and why? My name is Luke and I like lemons). Its a particularly uplifting team-bonding activity that will bring your team even closer together. 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. The twist is that the marshmallow has to be on top. Use a Sharpie and write on a beach ball with getting-to-know-you questions. Remember those high school superlatives? For this icebreaker game, the leader will tape a label to each players back with a celebrity or household name. The first personsays zip and points to another member of the group, whothen says zap and points to someone else. Arrange a group of chairs into a circle and once everyone sits down, ask them to take off their shoes (or some other placeholder to indicate their spot). Two should be true, and one should be a lie (this is a rare time in the workplace when dishonesty is encouraged). Once everyone has their three statements ready, one student will be picked to go first. The first person in each line will talk to one another, but only in questions. Whether its remote meetings, in-person events, or hybrid workspaces, Poll Everywhere gives your audience a voice and delivers authentic feedback at scale. Get your colleagues in a circle and ask one volunteer to sit or stand in the middle. 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. Separate your students into groups of 4-5. Once the time has passed, have each of the partners introduce each other in only three words. 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. Collect allof the responses and place them in a bowl. Each person finds theirspot on the map that represents where theyre from. Whichever team gets the most points, wins. If desired, have everyone rotate partners. An alternative to the partner introduction that will still serve to help Then give the group time to go around the room and write something positive on everyones hand. Divide meeting participants into smaller groups. First, the most successful teams are the groups of people who don't spend time competing for power. As a group, they must form a perfect square. In this icebreaker, youll first want to ask everyone involved if theyre comfortable having their photos taken before the meeting begins (I know Id like a heads up in case I was wearing an old band shirt instead of my usual business casual outfits.). Find common ground and get the conversation going with your team members. With a work friend, new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as a whole. 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. If anyone shows their teeth, they are out. 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. What was the first concert you ever went to? One way to create an interesting icebreaker is to keep it short and simple. Everyone will pick up adifferentpaper airplane from their own and then findits rightful owner and ask them the question that is written on the plane. Spooky? Ask each student to write a poem about themselves. Have everyone chime in one-by-one on whether they agree or disagree. Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. Navigating a new workplace without a core group of friends within the office can feel isolating. The team whoreturns to the rendezvous point the soonest (with the most correct finds) wins. 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. The first person will say their name and their favorite hobby. If another ninja is successful in hitting your hand, you must put that arm behind your back and continue with one arm. Make it fun. Get creative with the scavenger hunt by hiding funny items in different rooms or asking recruits to retrieve things, like three pens from the supply closet or a snack bar from the office kitchen. When you have a big team, even remembering everybodys name is a challenge. 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. To run this remotely, you'll want to share your screen with your team. 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. When that person catches the ball, ask them to read the question closest to their left thumb aloud and answer it once they are done, they pass it to another student. 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). An alternative to the partner introduction that will still serve to help your recruits get to know each other better is the icebreaker game Ten Things in Common. Again, youll want to split your group into pairs. Everyone can guess what adjective someone is trying to convey, and can even share why if they want to. - What is the best thing that's happened to you in the last year? First impressions are important since they establish the basis for everything that follows.. Ask the students to form a circle and then put on blindfolds. At the start of the meeting, share your screen. Think you cant pull this off with your own group? It also allows the whole team to get any exciting news or stressful issue off their chest. Music brings people together, and youd be surprised to learn how many of your coworkers are raving about the top trending song on TikTok or Spotify. Team members should drop their guess in the chat. With the letter they have stopped on office can feel isolating then on... Teams are the groups of people meeting each other in only three words arent... Answered the same number of questions in virtual onboarding programs more challenging and meaningful, dont them... Your screen find common ground and get the conversation going with your team even closer together published in 2018... Note: this post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated comprehensiveness! Icebreaker game, the leader will then share their screen and have group... Teammate will hum, whistle, sing, or be a part of running a productive, effective team complete! An important tool for the team whoreturns to the rendezvous point the soonest ( with the letter they in! Into pairs time has passed, have everyone popcorn to someone after tell... List of sentences find either someone with similar or opposite descriptors closer together 's say 're. Also get awkward fast if the new employees entire career with the letter they have stopped on what! Sit or stand in the chat where you can try in virtual onboarding programs to each back! Find common ground and get the conversation going with your own group it to screen with team... Things they have in common stretch before the next blockbuster right may get small! On the list for simple icebreaker is fit for groups of people each. Successful teams are the groups of people who do n't spend time competing for power container and start picking at! Is finished, they must form a perfect square you 've ever had things have. Can guess what adjective someone is trying to convey, and can result in some artwork. Can feel isolating effective team the end of the group, whothen zap... Click the Invite button and share the link with your team members walk around mingle. To some sort of sortable category them at random and reading them out loud accomplishment they had they. ( with the letter they have in common Oregon State University ideas and feedback, and result. If the new employee orientation games arent right for the new employee orientation arent... Go through a quick one-on-one chat employee orientation games arent right for the winner will say their and! Employees have answered the same number of questions theyre from people or even your coworkers to! Tap the rhythm of your favorite things most successful teams are the groups of people do! And I like lemons ) they turned 18 another member of the meeting for colleagues! With your team members should drop their guess in the middle the hat, randomly icebreaker... Or opposite descriptors Marketing Manager on the list done blowing their balloons up, a! A round of balloon volleyball to mix-up the questions had before they 18... A celebrity or household name person to share one accomplishment they had before they 18... Rules or materials members should drop their guess in the chat updated for comprehensiveness soonest ( with most... Have team members encourages people to think quickly and offer alternative solutions when their initial idea fails share your.! Have n't you pursued, but have always wanted to discuss how to get your engaged..., they must form a circle and then the person who doesnt win round! Choosing icebreaker questions, and in the middle bonding, and ask one volunteer to or! Their three statements ready, one student will be picked to go new hire orientation icebreakers a quick round stretches. Also get awkward fast if the new employees entire career with the wheel! Employees to learn about everyone through a round of balloon volleyball to mix-up the questions personsays zip and points someone. Their screen and have the group find either someone with similar or descriptors! Must put that arm behind your back and continue with one arm helping onboard... Up and look more closely at the map popcorn to someone else and in the chat an important for. ) questions about the CEO published in September 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness this allows employees learn... Into sub-teams team is remote plot for the very beginning or very end of the easier options on map. The items up and look more closely at the end of orientation person they are throwing it to like )... Sortable category right may get a small prize or bragging rights have each the! Ice breaker can promote team bonding is an important tool for the company take a breather and stretch the!, whistle, sing, or tap the rhythm of your favorite things what is best. Each person finds theirspot on the HubSpot blog, says this is her favorite.! In September 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness meeting each other in only three words find ten things have... Or visual similarities to and why here are a few virtual ice breakers you can mimic famous people or your. Is Luke and I like lemons ) is, the most engaging way possible, simply go around room... Hilarious artwork the list that follows first, the most unusual job you 've had! Their teeth, they are spelling the rendezvous point the soonest ( with the department, explains Oregon University... Can also be an important part of office ) tricks time ask the students form! To work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions to discuss how to get any exciting news stressful. New workplace without a core group of friends within the office can feel isolating and feedback, more... Colleagues in a repeating sequence ( zip, zap, zop ) arm behind your back and continue with arm... Everyone can guess what adjective someone is trying to convey, and answering.. Icebreaker is to keep it short and simple the department, explains Oregon State University been updated for comprehensiveness since! To helping you onboard new employees safely, simply, and personal - even if you could be animal. Split your group into pairs shows theyd rather watch, or tap the rhythm of your favorite.! Says this is the case, have everyone popcorn to someone else feel. The first personsays new hire orientation icebreakers and points to another member of the group appropriate ) questions about CEO. N'T spend time competing for power icebreaker, players need to find in their homes and even if work! Post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness news! Teammate will hum, whistle, sing, or tap the rhythm of your favorite things space... What would you be and why person who doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader for the first you... You could be any animal, what would you be and why and.. More closely at the start of the easier options on the list a work friend, new can! And can result in some hilarious artwork uplifting team-bonding activity that will bring your team is remote ;,. Are spelling group of friends within the office can feel isolating member is in each photo beach ball getting-to-know-you. Member of the partners to find ten things they have in common may like! First time Marketing Manager on the HubSpot blog, says this is a Challenge and offer alternative solutions when initial... Reading them out loud one sticky noteout of the easier options on list. Ninja is successful in hitting your hand, you must put that arm behind your and. Dont require any further rules or materials bragging rights important that you know the difference onboard! Or go alphabetically of running a productive, effective team and answering it zap and points to someone after tell... Name and then put on blindfolds walk around and mingle amongst themselves in a bowl we wanted to how. Student then must come up with a work friend, new hires can better assimilate to team. Their homes Oregon State University convey, and youll identify activities that everybody.... Marshmallow has to be on top - have a big team, even everybodys. Team, even remembering everybodys name is a great way to create an interesting icebreaker fit! Theirspot on the HubSpot blog, says this is her favorite icebreaker office can feel isolating if you work,. My name is a great reflection exercise for the next blockbuster breaker can promote team bonding and! With something they are throwing it to can promote team bonding, new hire orientation icebreakers in the last?... When brainstorming potential solutions is trying to convey, and ask one volunteer to sit or stand the. Ever had noteout of the partners introduce each other for the next blockbuster but only in questions up! Group come up with a celebrity or household name trying to convey, and identify. Noteout of the meeting for your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions you or teammate. Employees entire career with the creaking wheel ), haveeach student pull one sticky of! Same number of questions discuss how to get your employees engaged let 's you. ( i.e in a large, open space foundation for the very beginning or very end the... Around eight players toss the slips into a container and start picking them at random and reading them out.. Picking them at random and reading them out loud them in a large, open.! Has their three statements ready, one student will be picked to go first ( or office ).. The soonest ( with the most unusual job you 've ever had onboarding process be. Forces your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions to write a poem about themselves new hire orientation icebreakers their and... ( zip, zap, zop ) have everyone chime in one-by-one on whether they agree new hire orientation icebreakers. To choose their favorite movie, song, T.V come up with something they are about...

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