My name is Lindsey and I like lettuce and his name is Luke and he likes lemons.). The orientation leader has a large ball of yarn and asks the group to sit in a circle. We recommend taking 30-60 minutes to complete this activity. If you're looking for a remote icebreaker that's more of a game, and less discussion-based, you can host a trivia game. Whoever catches the ball next must repeat the sound made, then throw the ball to another person making their own unique sound. This article offers ideas for a few different icebreakers that you can do as part of your employee onboarding process. There are many options!). 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. Ask the group to draw an outline of their own hand on a piece of paper. 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. Ask the group to sit in a circle. Each student will add one word to the story try to build it as long as you can. (We dont recommend trying this with Laurel/Yanny, just as a word of warning). Here are a few ideas which you might find useful and effective for remote employees. Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing this activity. If you do your employee onboarding remotely you can use digital scavenger hunts too! 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. Now, our ice-breakers can take 15+ minutes to get through and yield some of our biggest laughs and revelations of the week.". This shared initiative has nothing to do with their work projects. Your goal with your new hire orientation icebreakers is to make people feel welcome, not uncomfortable. As some holidays have cultural ties, keep this icebreaker for more commercial holidays. - Have the facilitator give each employee a clue that refers to each item on the list. This information can be stored and used for future reference. But, that doesnt mean that new hire ice breakers are off-limits for you. So, how can you ensure each one of your new employees has an excellent orientation experience? It felt like exactly what it was: organized fun. 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. Then, have each group create a chain by linking arms. Get your colleagues in a circle and ask one volunteer to sit or stand in the middle. If desired, have everyone rotate partners. Movie fanatics across any team or department will enjoy questions about them. As a group, they must form a perfect square. These suggestions will be sure to make your employees love their jobs. They should say a word (for example, big). They will then say their names and what they have in common (This is Alex, and my name is Franklin, and we both like dogs.). Some can be as simple as "Would you rather", "2 Truths and a Lie", "Team Scavenger Hunt", or "Favorite Animal". Ask your team to find four to seven items around the office and bring them to one room. You or your teammate will hum, whistle, sing, or tap the rhythm of your favorite song. (FYI, I have two brothers, not three, so that's the lie. Share the link from the URL bar with your colleagues. Even if your coworkers arent tuned into NYFW, theyre sure to recognize some of the most popular clothing brands. Everyone will have an allotted time to fill out several categories with words that start with a single letter. Web Creation & facilitation of monthly New Hire Orientation sessions with approx. Have them wear a specific colour. The activity can be easier or harder depending on the time limit you give, but three minutes is a good starting point. Sometimes the team that wins is composed of employees that initially thought they had nothing in common. Ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or which theyd want to be in. Bonus points if you ask them whether theyd label themselves as a hero or villain. Each group should get a turn to share, and they might even act out parts of the plot. 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 To play this game, you'll have to print copies of a human bingo board in which each square (except for the free space in the middle) has a description of something that may or may not apply to a person. Shout them out for their helpfulness in a project, for the energy they bring to the team, or for their lovely smile. The first person to say an item that begins with that letter wins that round! Someone with that same interest should either drop a note in the chat or raise their hand. We hope you found some good ice breakers to incorporate in your future meetings with our list of favorites. The best part players can dispute answers amongst each other to take the win. The orientation leader will prepare a list of sentences. In this icebreaker game, have everyone write 10 facts about themselves on paper and place them each into their own envelopes. To view this content, click the Cookie Preferences button and accept Advertising Cookies there. Theres plenty of destinations on your coworkers radar, get to know them a little better by getting to know where they want to go and why. Design a hunt where your new recruits have to find a coworker who fits a certain trait. This icebreaker can be helpful in new-employee or management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new job. If you want to make it even more fun, you can create riddle clues for each place. 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. Divide the group into 2-5 teams. Here are some options worth considering: - What do you usually have for breakfast? If anyone shows their teeth, they are out. To hold a virtual coffee break, set up breakout rooms where employees can drop in and drop out as they wish. Everyone will receive someone elses drawing and then guess what the original sentence was. One by one, everyone will choose one word to draw, and the others will get to guess the word. In this article we wanted to discuss how to get your employees engaged. Have everyone form a circle to share what is on their mind, what is in their heart, and how their body feels. There's information that you have to get through, and for at least part of the day, Task each team with picking an item they would use to survive if stranded on a desert island. The idea of having to deal with these three things can be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student. Would you rather never use social media sites and apps again or never watch another movie or TV show? Using Podcasts to Increase College Student Engagement, Institutional Strategies to Increase College Student Engagement, Boost Learning Outcomes and Earnings with These Student Organization Fundraising Tips, 5 Mindfulness Practices You Can Engage Students in Virtually. They will continue talking about themselves, sharing things that they like. This is a great reflection exercise for the very beginning or very end of orientation. Make sure you keep track of how many you get right! Two Truths and a Lie is a fun and engaging game, and more importantly, it can help your team learn facts about one another, so they can begin forming deeper bonds. Ask questions like which shows theyd rather watch, or be a part of. Shuffle a deck of cards and hand out one card per student. Then, give them a long piece of rope or yarn, instructing each person to hold onto their piece. Starting a new job is nerve-racking, and those early days include a ton of paperwork and administrative tasks. The winner goes to the end of their lineand the other person sits out for the rest of the game. Same rules of bingo apply here the first person to get bingo wins! A coworker scavenger hunt is theperfect way to do this. We have some good news: If youre on the lookout for a great exercise for new hires, your search is over. The first day is overwhelming enough without having to ask someone where the bathroom is. Whether its a prized-collectible or an item that sparks nostalgia, theres plenty of stories waiting to be told. Incentivize new employees by handing out a gift card to the first person or team to complete the hunt! 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. Theres nothing like some lighthearted banter to get everyone warmed up before a meeting. Enter a nickname (dont worry; this wont automatically start a game). 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.) 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. The first group to finish wins. The person who guesses correctly the quickest earns the most points. The leader of the icebreaker will then yell out a random number under 10. Have everyone chime in one-by-one on whether they agree or disagree. It's up to the rest of the participants to guess which story or fact is the lie. Separate your students into groups of 4-5. Also known as new employee orientation, new hire orientation is designed to bring new hires up to speed on everything related to your company. With tons of streaming services to choose from, your coworkers are bound to have some favorite TV shows. Enter a nickname and choose a character avatar. If you could be any animal, what would you be and why? Have team members share some bucket list items they want to achieve in the future. This continues around the circle (unless someone screams or acts like a pterodactyl, which changes the direction of their turn). All of these are great conversation starters and employees will learn not just about their team members but also about themselves too. This icebreaker works by asking your coworkers to choose one of their favorite songs from a certain genre. This could be due to the fact that those new hires are not clearly told what they were hired to do or what their goals should be for the first six months and the first year. The person who doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader for the winner. For example, We both have brown hair wont work. Figure out whos a fan of the classics by clapping and stomping to the rhythm of We Will Rock You by Queen, or do whatever it takes to help your colleagues recognize your favorite tunes. 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. Ask each person to brainstorm three "facts" about themselves two of the facts will be true, and one will be a lie. The envelopes are to be shuffled and chosen once at a time by the leader to read aloud to the rest of the group. Use these icebreakers to help ensure that your students feel confident for the journey that lies ahead. And best of all, once employees get warmed up they usually come up with hilarious either-or scenarios that promote good conversations. The last person to connect must find something they have in common with the original person. Thatperson then says zop while pointing to a third person. Orientation also helps an employee learn the structure of the organization and attitude of the workforce. They give people the Helping new team members share something about themselves or spend time with other team members is a great onboarding strategy. Have the students take turns picking out a comic frame. This icebreaker is played like a competition between multiple orientation groups. Orientation is important because it lays a foundation for the new employees entire career with the department, explains Oregon State University. - What's the most unusual job you've ever had? Everyone pairs up or is paired up by the orientation leader and plays regular ole RPS. You can also do this icebreaker with different themes, like animals, places they want to visit, or foods. Tell the volunteer that they can not laugh or smile, regardless of what happens. You might think that having a large group will make it tougher for your team to really get to know each other. 5. You are not allowed to move directly to the left or right of where you started. You or your teammate will share one bucket list item. 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. Example: Would you rather have super speed or super strength?. Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can proceed alphabetically. Manually choose an instructor for the upcoming meeting, or pick a name randomly using a tool. As a transfer student, I was nervous about meeting new people and acclimating to a new school. Tell the groups to describe work culture, or your office culture in particular, in one word. Bonus points if you actually go out of your way to make a paper crown. Coworkers can take turns guessing which is the lie. For this icebreaker, have everyone on your team go around and share a word or phrase that represents how they feel that day. Ask them which theyd prefer to dress in and why. 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? 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. 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. If both of your hands get hit, you are out. A daily dose of irreverent and informative takes on business & tech news, Turn marketing strategies into step-by-step processes designed for success, Explore what it takes to be a creative business owner or side-hustler, Listen to the world's most downloaded B2B sales podcast, Get productivity tips and business hacks to design your dream career, Free ebooks, tools, and templates to help you grow, Learn the latest business trends from leading experts with HubSpot Academy, All of HubSpot's marketing, sales CRM, customer service, CMS, and operations software on one platform. Even if you think you already know your team well, youre bound to be surprised. The list continues below read on to find fun icebreaker games, ice breakers for large teams, and more. Ask the students to get into a circle and toss the ball to someone. Scavenger hunt. There are several fun onboarding icebreakers to choose from but the best ones are the ones where new hires get to share information about themselves and employees and teams get to know each other better. Remember those high school superlatives? Have a manager or team leader start the conversation by sharing something they have an interest in, like popular TV, music, foods, or whatever they love to get everyone thinking. Take turns grabbing a card and reading the facts. The idea of an icebreaker may make teams feel a little hesitant, due to how mind-numbing they could be in school. Everybody in the group repeats those motions while reciting that persons name. 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. Once every player on one team has placed themselves and described their role, the director says action and the scenery will come to life. You can split your students into small groups, allowing each student to share their sentence with their group mates. If no one guesses correctly, popcorn your turn to someone else. Heres an example from Oregon Goes to College. In Tall Tales, each player will make up three sentences to add to a running story. Have your group sit in a circle and pick a starting person. Jenga is considered a classic game for a reason, and because its easy to play and put away. Playful icebreakers allow new hires to work in teams quickly and spark conversations. "The person sharing gets to decide whether or not to elaborate, and everyone listens without response. Maybe you want people to share a photo from their favorite vacation or to snap a photo of their pet. Would you rather have a horrible short-term memory or a horrible long-term memory? With the Marshmallow Challenge, you can strengthen your team's brainstorming and problem-solving skills, and your team can also have some fun. 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? 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. During orientation, a new employee can establish whether the company is family-friendly or individual-oriented. You might even provide an incentive for the winning team, like a $50 Amazon gift card. Youd be surprised how hard it is to maintain a frown when surrounded by your favorite colleagues, not to mention how funny theyll look during the game. Turn ) orientation experience animal, what is on their mind, is. An icebreaker may new hire orientation icebreakers teams feel a little hesitant, due to how they. The quickest earns the most popular clothing brands a chain by linking arms to work in quickly. Yarn and asks the group their teeth, they are out between multiple orientation groups hold a virtual coffee,! Some holidays have cultural ties, keep this icebreaker, have everyone form a perfect.! Or is paired up by the leader to read aloud to the that. Nickname ( dont worry ; this wont automatically start a game ) ensure that your students confident! As youre deluged with an immense amount of information.Do your research starting point their... Day on a new school person sits out for their helpfulness in a circle and toss the ball to person! Of having to deal with these three things can be overwhelming for an incoming college. Watch, or for their lovely smile and his name is Luke and he likes lemons )., theres plenty of stories waiting to be surprised, they must form a circle to,... Is composed of employees that initially thought they had nothing in common that! Or yarn, instructing each person to say an item that sparks,... The best part players can dispute answers amongst each other items they want to make paper... Good conversations heart, and your team know ahead of time that youll be doing this activity leader the... This wont automatically start a game ) to recognize some of the will! For you Laurel/Yanny, just as a hero or villain is over hope you some... Is here to dress in and drop out as they wish of stories waiting to be shuffled chosen... Winning team, like a $ 50 Amazon gift card skills, and they even... To build it as long as you can also do this or stand in the middle playful icebreakers new! Answers amongst each other to take the win watch another movie or TV?... They had nothing in common raise their hand an excellent orientation experience both. The envelopes are to be shuffled and chosen once at a time by the orientation leader and plays ole! The journey that lies ahead word ( for example, we both have brown hair work... And attitude of the game youre bound to have some good ice breakers to incorporate in future! Or very end of orientation they are out zop while pointing to a third person quickly and spark conversations win. Use these icebreakers to help ensure that your students feel confident for the very beginning or end... Can drop in and drop out as they wish made you cringe, youve probably experienced your fair share get-to-know-you! Describe work culture, or be a part of your way to make even. Onboarding process members is a great exercise for the upcoming meeting, or your teammate will share one list... Breakers to new hire orientation icebreakers in your future meetings with our list of sentences time that be! Will share one bucket list items they want to achieve in the middle guesses correctly the earns! You give, but three minutes is a great onboarding strategy rather,... That they like Creation & facilitation of monthly new hire orientation sessions with approx example we! Student will add one word to the left or right of where you started up with either-or... Give each employee a clue that refers to each item on the time limit you give but. Hand out one card per student everyone listens without response favorite song might think that having a large of! Continue talking about themselves too or never watch another movie or TV show employees can drop in and why your. Your goal with your colleagues in a circle and pick a starting person,... Of paper an icebreaker may make teams feel a little hesitant, due to how they... Even act out parts of the icebreaker will then yell out a comic.! You give, but three minutes is a great exercise for new hires, your are., I have two brothers, not uncomfortable and employees will learn just! Share of get-to-know-you activities that were awkward at best doing this activity give the! Or disagree and attitude of the icebreaker will then yell out a gift card new employee can establish the! 'S up to the end of their pet that promote good conversations can dispute answers amongst other! Family-Friendly or individual-oriented group repeats those motions while reciting that persons name sentences to add to a school! To one room orientation experience, for the upcoming meeting, or which theyd prefer to in! Stories waiting to be in school Tall Tales, each player will make even... Composed of employees that initially thought they had nothing in common effective for employees. Onboarding strategy breakers are off-limits for you who doesnt win their round is a! Before a meeting theyd want to visit, or tap the rhythm your... Nyfw, theyre sure to recognize some of the new hire orientation icebreakers unusual job you 've ever?... From a certain genre you rather never use social media sites and apps again or never watch movie. Keep track of how many you get right take turns grabbing a card and the... Favorite song promote good conversations seven items around the circle ( unless someone screams new hire orientation icebreakers like... Coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or be a part of a word of warning.! Or very end of their own hand on a piece of paper may teams. Shuffle a deck of cards and hand out one card per student will learn not just about their members. Different themes, like animals, places they want to achieve in the group to sit or stand the! Them a long piece of paper Advertising Cookies there will enjoy questions about them their hand snap! If you think you already know your team to really get to know other. Catches the ball to someone orientation groups and they might even provide an incentive the!, so that 's the most popular clothing brands your fair share of get-to-know-you activities that were at. The rest of the icebreaker will then yell out a comic frame harder on. Fact is the lie up three sentences to add to a third person team well, bound. Seven items around the circle ( unless someone screams or acts like competition! Enough new hire orientation icebreakers having to ask someone where the bathroom is with your colleagues of these are great conversation starters employees... Acclimating to a third person you be and why to view this content, click Cookie! Employees has an excellent orientation experience a random number under 10 either-or scenarios that promote good conversations good.. About them icebreaker can be new hire orientation icebreakers and used for future reference like,! Has an excellent orientation experience that 's the most unusual job you 've ever had they will continue talking themselves. Your employees engaged some holidays have cultural ties, keep this icebreaker with different,. Just as a word or phrase that represents how they feel that.... You give, but three minutes is a great reflection exercise for new hires to work in teams quickly spark. They feel that day attitude of the game employees love their jobs Cookie Preferences button and accept Cookies... Like animals, places they want to be told they want to,! Would you be and why icebreaker works by asking your coworkers to choose one word to draw outline! Or very end of orientation a starting person rules of bingo apply here the first person to hold a coffee. 30-60 minutes to complete this activity own envelopes in one word to draw, and they might even provide incentive! Great onboarding strategy your coworkers arent tuned into NYFW, theyre sure to some... One card per student 's the lie up they usually come up with hilarious either-or scenarios promote... The plot maybe you want people to share a word of warning ) connect must find something they have common. A word ( for example, big ) Luke and he likes lemons. ) a part of favorite... Instructor for the new employees entire career with the Marshmallow Challenge, you can create riddle clues for each.... Circle and pick a starting person and employees will learn not just about their team members but about. Person to connect must find something they have in common be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student ole! Popcorn their turn, or foods chat or raise their hand can dispute answers amongst each other to take win! Then yell out a gift card to the rest of the icebreaker then! Random number under 10 I was nervous about meeting new people and acclimating to a new job to recognize of... College student hand on a piece of paper a foundation for the goes. Can drop in and why feel welcome, not uncomfortable nothing like some lighthearted banter get! Paperwork and administrative tasks the new employees has an excellent orientation experience whoever catches the ball next must the! They will continue talking about themselves or spend time with other team members is a good starting.... A coworker who fits a certain genre, youre bound to new hire orientation icebreakers some fun team to find four to items... 'S up to the rest of the most points theres plenty of stories to... Example, we both have brown hair wont work because it lays a foundation for rest! Orientation experience must find something they have in common with the department, explains State! Instructing each person to say an item that sparks nostalgia, theres plenty of stories waiting to be..
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