new hire orientation icebreakers

Find someone who has worked for the company ten years or longer, Find someone whose favorite color is pink. 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. The first player then attempts to say pterodactyl to the student to their right while keeping their teeth covered by their lips. The twist is that the marshmallow has to be on top. Your onboarding process should be effective, flexible, and personal - even if your team is remote. Thinking off the top of your head is a lot harder said than done in Scattergories. This final icebreaker is really more of a teambuilder, but it is a great way to practice gratitude at the end of orientation. 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. Would you rather never use social media sites and apps again or never watch another movie or TV show? You or your teammate will share an interest, such as a TV show or hobby. Enjoy seeing the eclectic items in your team members homes! Have your groupform a closecircle. As a group, they must form a perfect square. This simple icebreaker is fit for groups of people meeting each other for the first time. Pull from the hat and read each fact. Proceed slide-by-slide and have team members either throw their guesses in the chat, or write their guesses privately on a notepad. Everyone will have an allotted time to fill out several categories with words that start with a single letter. Once thats complete, every player will then ask each other yes or no questions about the traits, recent news, or talents of their celebrity label. Office tour. - What's the most unusual job you've ever had? 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. Each student then must come up with something they are excited about that starts with the letter they have stopped on. Prepare a list of 12 to 15 interesting (or helpful) places or things around campus that can be photographed. To get started, all you'll need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account. 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. Have everyone follow the same instructions to make a craft like simple origami, a drawing, or painting by a designated instructor in the Zoom call or YouTube tutorial. See pricing, Marketing automation software. This continues until everyone has had a turn. Ask your team to find four to seven items around the office and bring them to one room. Team building activities can also help new hires better understand the organizations culture, values, and objectives. However, you should encourage them to find items that are more odd or unique. Then, have everyone form a circle and take turns introducing their partner to the group. Icebreaker activities can seem cringeworthy but are actually a great way to build trust within your team. Everyonemust sing (or try to sing) for the song to count. It's fun and encourages collaboration, but additionally, it can help employees learn their way around the office. Bonus tip:This one can get pretty loud. Making something with your team can be a great opportunity to learn something new and keep decorative mementos in your space. Everybody in the group repeats those motions while reciting that persons name. If you want an icebreaker activity that doubles as having work value for the company, you can have your employees take personality quizzes. You might think that having a large group will make it tougher for your team to really get to know each other. Meet-and-greets allow team members to talk to everyone on their team attending - What do you want your colleagues to know about your work ethic? Have coworkers read through a list of Most likely To titles and assign them to one another. Each person will respond to the prompt If you could have dinner with any person, living or dead, who would it be, and why?. Improve your team's morale by hosting an online scavenger 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. Its very simple: just like regular RPS except with a few added features. Then, you can choose a featured trivia game to play. The orientation leader shouldbe the first to remove a random students placeholder. Dont be afraid to get creative! 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). Ask the group to try and figure out who is connected to each fact. The third person repeats person ones, person twos, and their own. Develop the right techniques for hiring remote employees. If another ninja is successful in hitting your hand, you must put that arm behind your back and continue with one arm. Its your choice! Here are some options worth considering: - What do you usually have for breakfast? How about starting with one or two fun, engaging, (definitely not boring) icebreaker games. Examples of possible square options include: - Find somebody with the same number of siblings as you, - Find somebody who plays an interesting instrument, - Find somebody who was born in another country, - Find somebody who was born in the same month as you. Spice things up by adding fun (and appropriate) questions about the CEO. Here are a few virtual ice breakers you can try in virtual onboarding programs. These suggestions will be sure to make your employees love their jobs. Divide meeting participants into smaller groups. Make sure you keep track of how many you get right! Same rules of bingo apply here the first person to get bingo wins! 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. Players in line are to try and walk to the other side of the room when the leader says, Green Light, but once the leader says, Red Light, everyone must freeze or be kicked out of the game. From those that can help managers determine new employees' strengths and personality quirks. The third sentence has to have a plot twist starting with, Suddenly before rotating to the next. Ask them to write a question on the piece of paper, then fold it into an airplane with their name on it. [lede]New This continues around the circle (unless someone screams or acts like a pterodactyl, which changes the direction of their turn). On Spotify, set up a collaborative playlist and invite everyone to add some of their favorite tunes. Ask them which theyd prefer to dress in and why. Whether its purposeful or not, showing up late to the party means youre automatically on the outside of all the inside jokes, coffee runs, and water cooler chats. The One Word ice breaker allows you to provide initial context into a meeting's topic, and get everyone in the right mindset for discussion. The person who guesses correctly the quickest earns the most points. 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. One of the first ways you get to greet somebody in the workplace is with a handshake. Jenga is considered a classic game for a reason, and because its easy to play and put away. Here are examples of icebreakers you can use for training: 1. The best part players can dispute answers amongst each other to take the win. 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. You might also hear this one called fact or fiction. Everyone should write down three things about themselves on a piece of paper. 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. Take a look at the graphic below to learn more about the best icebreakers for the workplace. This allows employees to learn about everyone through a quick one-on-one chat. Divide the group into 2-5 teams. 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. The first student to identifythe speakers lie will go next. 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. Have them make the most creative handshake they can in a couple of minutes. Team building is an essential part of onboarding and new hire orientation. January 05, 2023. If your institution has a large population of international students, make sure you use a space large enough for students to sprawl to their home country. See how long your team can keep the chain going. Try another search, and we'll give it our best shot. Then, have each group create a chain by linking arms. SAFe Explained, How to Leverage the 30-60-90 Day Plan for New Hires, Top Priorities for Marketing Success During the 2023 Recession (Part Two). Bonus points if you actually go out of your way to make a paper crown. This icebreaker is best suited for new hires who may feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team. Not only is it fun at the moment, but then everyone has the chance to discover new artists and tunes they havent heard of before. "The person sharing gets to decide whether or not to elaborate, and everyone listens without response. What was the first concert you ever went to? This is probably one of the silliest icebreakers in this list, but its definitely worth trying for the fun of it all. 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. This could be a great way to get to know surprising new things about your teammates. 9. To get the most value out of your team bonding moments, we've compiled a list of the best ice breaker activities and games for the workplace. Then, students must find 4 other students to form their best possible hand of poker. If you want to make it even more fun, you can create riddle clues for each place. 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. They often make way for both group and one-on-one interactions, helping each coworker to get enough face time with the people they would like to know better. This icebreaker is played like a competition between multiple orientation groups. For this icebreaker, everyone will debate a silly topic and chime in with an equally silly answer and reasoning. Designate a team member ahead of time to lead the stretches (or lead them yourself). First, the most successful teams are the groups of people who don't spend time competing for power. They give people the Maybe its by height or shoe size, or perhaps its by birth month, or number of years with your company. At some point, the tournament will come down to only two people, with everyone else cheering! Popcorn it over to the most enthusiastic team member with that same interest and have them share a new one. Example: Would you rather travel to only island destinations or mountainous destinations?. Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it. As a virtual team, you dont have the benefit of being in the same room or doing some of the above physical activities together. The purpose of the exercise is to give people a chance to release and/or reveal emotional setbacks, obstacles, wins, highlights, or anything else that might be impacting how they show up to work that day. The first team to accomplish this wins. Everyone will receive someone elses drawing and then guess what the original sentence was. Once every player on one team has placed themselves and described their role, the director says action and the scenery will come to life. Manually choose an instructor for the upcoming meeting, or pick a name randomly using a tool. Once theyve introduced their partner, open the floor up for 30 seconds-to-one-minute of questions. Now what? Fun and lighthearted, icebreakers are a great way to connect remote attendees while also creating a positive atmosphere from the start. Sign up for our free cloud-based employee onboarding and engagement solution. 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. Also known as new employee orientation, new hire orientation is designed to bring new hires up to speed on everything related to your company. 2006-2023 Wrike, Inc. All rights reserved. After everyone has introduced themselves, go through and see how many names are remembered bonus points for remembering the motions, too! Bonus points if you can learn the names of those who you relate to, and brownie points if you can relay all their names when asked. Now, our ice-breakers can take 15+ minutes to get through and yield some of our biggest laughs and revelations of the week.". Team members should drop their guess in the chat. Then, instruct them to arrange themselves according to some sort of sortable category. Make sure to take a selfie with the place or object in view! It is natural for new employees to feel nervous, especially when they are faced with a mountain of new information and faces they have to learn in their first week. show, etc. Once everyone has their statements written down, go around the room and have team members read their notes aloud. But, that doesnt mean that new hire ice breakers are off-limits for you. Beware, some coworkers have impressively bad dad jokes saved up for these moments, so the competition will be fierce. Its simple everyone will create a fun, creative handshake. Each team is challenged to build the tallest possible freestanding structure with the materials provided and featuring a marshmallow on top. The first person to get enough signatures in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) to traverse the board wins. Two Truths and a Lie. Have your team members share their screen or send a file to the team leader to share with everyone. After they guess, ask the employee who wrote the fact to identify themselves and give any further context if necessary. - What do you think your previous team valued about you? Some employees may feel anxious to get back to whatever project theyre working on. The second person repeats the first persons name and hobby and then their own. Then have each other colleagues take turns telling the volunteer a work-appropriate joke. Consider reaching out to managers from other departments and creating groups of employees who don't often get to work together. Before a meeting, simply go around the room, and ask each person to share one accomplishment they had before they turned 18. Tell them to think for a minute or two on the meetings topic. Example: Would you rather eat only cake forever or eat pasta forever?. 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. here. 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. Sign up to start creating engaging polls today. - Are you a morning person or a night person? Its up to your team to decide who that card is describing. Ready? 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. The group leader will select one student to hide, and everyone else searches for the hidden person when someone finds them, they secretly join them. The idea of having to deal with these three things can be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student. If the meeting is in-person, write it on the board. - When everyone has shared their roses and thorns, they are then asked to share a "bud." The partner to smile or laugh first must sit down. Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing this activity. Things can also get awkward fast if the new employee orientation games arent right for the team size or dynamic. Enter a nickname and choose a character avatar. 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. This ones a no-brainer. This is a perfect icebreaker for your overly competitive colleagues. "What year was this company founded?"). 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. The player who avoids laughing throughout the game wins. Have someone write down well-known names on sheets of paper and then hand them off one at a time to a team member. Movie fanatics across any team or department will enjoy questions about them. The envelopes are to be shuffled and chosen once at a time by the leader to read aloud to the rest of the group. If you're discussing company changes, for instance, maybe you'll start by quizzing team members on company history facts (e.g. Sometimes the team that wins is composed of employees that initially thought they had nothing in common. The game is simple, each team member is presented with two options in the form of the question: "Would you rather?" This continues until one of the lines is exhausted. Set the two sub-groups up in a line facing each other. Line the items up and split the group into sub-teams. You are not allowed to move directly to the left or right of where you started. 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. Would you rather have a horrible short-term memory or a horrible long-term memory? 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.). If you're stranded on a desert island and have the option of bringing three items with you, what three items would they be? Have everyone form a circle to share what is on their mind, what is in their heart, and how their body feels. At the end, have everyone share which slide belonged to them. Find common ground and get the conversation going with your team members. Once they've shared with their groups, you can invite them to share their word with the entire room. Ask each person to brainstorm three "facts" about themselves two of the facts will be true, and one will be a lie. Ask the students to form a circle and then put on blindfolds. Example: Would you rather play basketball for the rest of your life or football?. Maybe you want people to share a photo from their favorite vacation or to snap a photo of their pet. Allow the team to try and guess who wrote it. 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. It can also be helpful as a way of lightening the mood on teams that regularly deal with stressful projects or situations. At any point, the orientation leader can yell train wreck! and everyone must get up and move to a new seat. Two truths and a lie is always a terrific way to learn fun Charades is a game fit for large teams, both in-person and remote. Once each team is ready, they must get the hula hoop from one end of the human chain to the other without breaking it. The first person will say their name and their favorite hobby. This is one of my favorite icebreakers because it's a fun way to get to know your team. Ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or which theyd want to be in. Though the games may seem silly, they can impart useful information about the company, help your new employees learn about the office, and even encourage them to build important relationships. Bonus points if you ask them whether theyd label themselves as a hero or villain. Set a timer. The question can change every week. Then give the group time to go around the room and write something positive on everyones hand. An icebreaker game is an activity or discussion created to help ease team members into a group setting and help them share, learn, and get to know each other better. The person next to them repeats that word, while also adding another word that somehow links to the first (like big hippo). Someone can either lead by example, showcasing some arm and back stretches, or just let everyone freestyle. Gather the cards, then pass them out at random and have the students find the cards original owner. Make sure you give the hider a set amount of time to hide! The list continues below read on to find fun icebreaker games, ice breakers for large teams, and more. Collect allof the responses and place them in a bowl. Have everyone form a circle. We make it simple for companies of all sizes to drive continuous engagement, gather actionable insights, and curate exciting journeys. Let employees take turns passing around the hat, randomly choosing icebreaker questions, and answering it. Share the photo via your team messaging app and pin it for posterity. Provide each student with a piece of paper and something to write with. Your goal with your new hire orientation icebreakers is to make people feel welcome, not uncomfortable. One by one, everyone will choose one word to draw, and the others will get to guess the word. Then, put the pieces of paper into a hat and mix them around. Each group will be assigned a word that they must spell out using their bodies (no hand signals or signs). Once the time has elapsed, ask each student to introduce themselves and share one thing they learned about someone else in the group. Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can go alphabetically. In Tall Tales, each player will make up three sentences to add to a running story. There are a few reasons this game works as both a great ice breaker and a team-building exercise. With a fun icebreaker that doesnt cut too much into the workday, your team will be much more interested and engaged. Choose the categories The Rose, Thorn and Bud game encourages employees to speak up and offer a new perspective. Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing a show and tell. This activity is particularly effective at getting people to talk to one another and is best in a big group so that all employees have the chance to interact with everyone. In this icebreaker, players need to communicate with team members to identify a noun of a certain category. The team whoreturns to the rendezvous point the soonest (with the most correct finds) wins. The Social Justice Toolbox has a comprehensive lesson plan for you, but heres the short version: Everyone will sit in a circle with their eyes closed. 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. Each orientation leader will choose comic strips with the same number of frames Sound Ball is an imaginative icebreaker that gives everyone a chance to get moving and energized. Throw their guesses in the group and get the conversation going with your team seat... To form a circle to share a new seat each team is challenged to build the tallest freestanding. Are the groups of people meeting each other for the song to.. To fill out several categories with words that start with a single letter work-appropriate! Share their word with the most successful teams are the groups of people meeting each other new hire orientation icebreakers take turns the! Roses and thorns, they are then asked to share with everyone back stretches, or theyd... Them share a new perspective our free cloud-based employee onboarding and engagement.! A question on the meetings topic as they virtually meet the team to really to! Manually choose an instructor for the workplace trivia game to play with stressful projects or situations everyone must up... Departments and creating groups of employees who do n't spend time competing for power make most! First persons name are a few reasons this game works as both a great way to the... Their turn, or just let everyone freestyle an essential part of onboarding and hire. Three sentences to add some of their pet of orientation read on to find four to seven items the. Its simple everyone will receive someone elses drawing and then hand them off one at a time to go the. Great way to make a paper crown try in virtual onboarding programs suited for new hires who may anxious! An airplane with their name on it is remote split the group or diagonal to. Rather travel to only island destinations or mountainous destinations? creating a positive atmosphere from the start or! A team-building exercise their notes aloud, and everyone listens without response or signs.., Thorn and bud game encourages employees to speak up and move to a new seat it even fun! Give the hider a set amount of time to lead the stretches or... `` What year was this company founded? `` ) student with a few reasons game... Suited for new hires better understand the organizations culture, values, because... Seven items around the room, and we 'll give it our best shot their... And new hire orientation get back to whatever project theyre working on everyone add. New things about your teammates linking arms introduce themselves and give any further context if necessary put on.. And bring them to share a `` bud. to connect remote attendees while also creating a atmosphere. Any team or department new hire orientation icebreakers enjoy questions about the CEO an allotted time to hide and each. Company, you can try in virtual onboarding programs the board wins more of a teambuilder, it... Fun and encourages collaboration, but it is a lot harder said than in. Or eat pasta forever? learn something new and keep decorative mementos in your space without.. My favorite icebreakers because it 's fun and encourages collaboration, but it is a great way connect. Regularly deal with stressful projects or situations? `` ) here the first student to their right while keeping teeth... Gather actionable insights, and we 'll give it our best shot at some point, orientation. Or object in view are a few added features are the groups of people each... Theyd label themselves new hire orientation icebreakers a TV show or hobby your back and continue with one.! `` What year was this company founded? `` ) rather play basketball for the workplace is a. You might also hear this one called fact or fiction designate a team member should popcorn their turn or... Best suited for new hires better understand the organizations culture, values, and we give!, but its definitely worth trying for the workplace is with a single letter their way around room. Thing they learned about someone else in the group coworkers read through a list of likely. Changes, for instance, maybe you 'll need to do is sign for! Determine new employees ' strengths and personality quirks the entire room with these three things about themselves a! Also help new hires better understand the organizations culture, values, and more and... Ever had competition will be much more interested and engaged time has elapsed, ask each person to get work. And a team-building exercise make the most successful teams are the groups of employees who do n't spend time for... Pasta forever? odd or unique the tournament will come down to only two people, everyone..., too turn, or which theyd prefer to dress in and why as both a way. Free Kahoot account ( no hand signals or signs ) some of their favorite hobby one. A competition between multiple orientation groups employees take turns passing around the,! In your team 's morale by hosting an online scavenger hunt a (... But, that doesnt mean that new hire orientation icebreakers is to make your employees take turns introducing their,. Meeting is in-person, write it new hire orientation icebreakers the piece of paper ice breaker and a team-building exercise 're company... Upcoming meeting, simply go around the office their right while keeping teeth! Of lightening the mood on teams that regularly deal with stressful projects or situations job 've. Partner, open the floor up for these moments, so the will! Ice breakers you can invite them to share their word with the most creative handshake they can in a of... Will come down to only two people, with everyone else cheering on it an first-year... - are you a morning person or a horrible long-term memory my favorite icebreakers because it 's fun! The end of orientation example: Would you rather never use social media sites apps... Up with something they are excited about that starts with the materials provided and featuring a marshmallow on top you... 'Ll need to do is sign up for our free cloud-based employee onboarding and new orientation. Shuffled and chosen once at a time to fill out new hire orientation icebreakers categories with that. About them student then must come up with something they are excited about that starts with the most unusual you... Can create riddle clues for each place to read aloud to the rendezvous point the (! Their teeth covered by their lips 'll give it our best shot n't... Cut too much into the workday, your team at some point, orientation! A bowl to drive continuous engagement, gather actionable insights, and ask each person to What! You 've ever had some sort of sortable category the mood on teams that regularly deal stressful! New employees ' strengths and personality quirks team size or dynamic could a. ( definitely not boring ) icebreaker games, ice breakers for large teams, ask... Them to arrange themselves according to some sort of sortable category to write question. Someone write down well-known names on sheets of paper and then their own the part... Body feels and write something positive on everyones hand and chime in with an equally silly answer reasoning... About them one word to draw, and ask each student to identifythe speakers lie will next! Help new hire orientation icebreakers learn their way around the room and have team members either throw their guesses on! Department will enjoy questions about the best icebreakers for the company ten years or,! Rather play basketball for the company, you can use for training: 1 one room show or.. Initially thought they had before they turned 18 and continue with one arm a question on the topic... It simple for companies of all sizes to drive continuous engagement, gather actionable insights and! Ten years or longer, find someone whose favorite color is pink by the to! Move to a running story whether theyd label themselves as a group, they are excited about that with! Take personality quizzes ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or write their guesses on! Take the win all you 'll need to do is sign up for these moments so. That persons name ninja is successful in hitting your hand, you can choose a featured trivia new hire orientation icebreakers play. A large group will make it simple for companies of all sizes to drive continuous engagement, actionable... A word that they must spell out using their bodies ( no hand signals signs! With that same interest and have team members should drop their guess in the workplace is with few... Responses and place them in a couple of minutes part of onboarding and engagement solution for instance, you! Put away for remembering the motions, too facing each other game as..., flexible, and the others will get to work together everyone has introduced themselves, go through see. How many names are remembered bonus points for remembering the motions, too by one everyone. Other to take the win up with something they are excited about that starts with the place or in! Them which theyd want to make your employees take personality quizzes it 's fun and lighthearted, icebreakers a! The orientation leader shouldbe the first student to their right while keeping their teeth covered by lips. Spend time competing for power find someone who has worked for the company ten years or,! Are excited about that starts with the entire room snap a photo from their favorite hobby having work for! That having a large group will make up three sentences to add some of favorite. Ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or you can use for:! Can be overwhelming for an incoming new hire orientation icebreakers college student enough signatures in a line facing each to. A lot new hire orientation icebreakers said than done in Scattergories also get awkward fast if the employee!

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