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. The person who guesses correctly the quickest earns the most points. Incentivize new employees by handing out a gift card to the first person or team to complete the hunt! 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. Familiarizing a new hire with his co-workers is another crucial element of employee orientation. This could be a great way to get to know surprising new things about your teammates. (We dont recommend trying this with Laurel/Yanny, just as a word of warning). Ask a question, and challenge team members to reply using the emoji they think fits best. This ice breaker can promote team bonding, and it's one of the easier options on the list. Ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or which theyd want to be in. 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 How to Create an Efficient Workload Management Process, What Is the Scaled Agile Framework? Icebreakers play an important role in helping new hires connect with one another and the company in their new, unfamiliar environment. If you have more time on your hands, have the pairs split up after showing off their super cool shake and make even more creative ones with new partners. If you want to make it even more fun, you can create riddle clues for each place. In Tall Tales, each player will make up three sentences to add to a running story. Provide each student with a piece of paper and something to write with. You are not allowed to move directly to the left or right of where you started. - The employee with the most amount of points wins. The twist is that the marshmallow has to be on top. In need of a wholesome icebreaker? This icebreaker game will have everyone thinking on their feet. Here are some fun games and activities you can try: This icebreaker activity is classic and effective. However, there are several new employee orientation games that are even more fun with a big group. For instance, let's say you're leading a meeting on culture. 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? Two should be true, and one should be a lie (this is a rare time in the workplace when dishonesty is encouraged). Repeat that with each member of the circle. - Have the facilitator give each employee a clue that refers to each item on the list. Every player will have a chance to put their own spin on the budding story, and can even try to throw the next participant for a loop with a crazy situation. Allow team members to enter their answers on the chat or write it on a notepad. To make this more interesting, you can have people guess whose photo it is before your team member shares their story. This game is simple and meant to energize your team. The first team to accomplish this wins. - What is the best thing that's happened to you in the last year? Its a fun way to bond and share a giggle here and there over everyones work of art. Here are 10 icebreakers you can use at your next new hire orientation to foster teamwork and productivity: 1. My name is Lindsey and I like lettuce and his name is Luke and he likes lemons.). You can give them constraints by designating genres like horror, action, comedy, thriller, and more. ", She continued, "For example, some folks on our team dont watch a lot of T.V. During orientation, a new employee can establish whether the company is family-friendly or individual-oriented. Improve your team's morale by hosting an online scavenger hunt. Building social ties and facilitating team bonding is just one piece of the very important onboarding puzzle that sets new employees up for success in your company. So, how can you ensure each one of your new employees has an excellent orientation experience? Use these icebreakers to help ensure that your students feel confident for the journey that lies ahead. Which of the following is our correct logo? 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. 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. Example: Would you rather your special talent be opera singing or in playing the banjo?. This icebreaker is ideal for RA training or for student leader trainings. Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can proceed alphabetically. Give the two students at the end of the line something to act out (i.e. To get started, all you'll need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account. Tom Wujec, a business visualization expert, initially presented his Marshmallow Challenge at TED. Take a look at the graphic below to learn more about the best icebreakers for the workplace. For this icebreaker game, the leader will tape a label to each players back with a celebrity or household name. Once they have been given their materials, set a timer and get ready to build! If you and your team dont have a lot of opportunities to see each other face-to-face, photo sharing is a great way to increase personal connections. 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. I bet anyone who watched Squid Games in 2021 is familiar with this game, and if you havent, the rules are simple (and the stakes are much, much lower.). When throwing the ball the individual will say their name and then the person they are throwing it to. If supplies are needed, let your team know ahead of time. Heres an example from. The objective is for everyone to learn each others names. For this icebreaker, all you have to do is answer the question about your favorite things. The first day is overwhelming enough without having to ask someone where the bathroom is. Shuffle a deck of cards and hand out one card per student. You can also adapt this game to be Name Boggle instead of birthdays. If you could have any celebrity over for dinner, who would it be and why. When you have a big team, even remembering everybodys name is a challenge. You can make sure your activities dont backfire by avoiding Alternatively, create a running spreadsheet with team members names and their hobbies. Then, give them a long piece of rope or yarn, instructing each person to hold onto their piece. Tell the volunteer that they can not laugh or smile, regardless of what happens. Each student will thenshow off a special skill or hidden talent that they have. 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. Your team will learn a lot about each others musical tastes, and youll also create an awesome playlist you can all enjoy while you work. Even if your coworkers arent tuned into NYFW, theyre sure to recognize some of the most popular clothing brands. However, you might also use the Pop Quiz as an opportunity to introduce participants to the meeting's theme. Divide players into quads and give them 10 minutes to devise the plot of the next award-winning film. At the start of the meeting, give instructions for the pose team members should take (Silly? Then, haveeach student pull one sticky noteout of the bowl and complete the sentence that they find (i.e. Even if you think you already know your team well, youre bound to be surprised. After every few statements, replace the tappers so that every person in the group has the chance to both give and receive recognition. Then, have each group create a chain by linking arms. Ask the group to draw an outline of their own hand on a piece of paper. The person next to them repeats that word, while also adding another word that somehow links to the first (like big hippo). This could work like, Simon says touch your hips, Simon says hop on one foot, Simon says touch your nose touch your ears! Whoever does the action (like touching your ears) will be booted out of the game because it wasnt a Simon says action. The instructions are simple, every group member will be randomly assigned a different person to draw in a couple minutes. The Rose, Thorn and Bud game encourages employees to speak up and offer a new perspective. Office tour. The hybrid work solution that enables audience engagement through live, inclusive conversations across organizations. The rest of the players will then guess the identity of the envelope in hand but they must be confident in their answer as each player only has one chance to guess per envelope. Once theyve introduced their partner, open the floor up for 30 seconds-to-one-minute of questions. After a few minutes, have the group reconvene and have each student introduce the person whose plane they found with their name, the question they wrote, and what their response was. People integration. 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. A good onboarding game and icebreaker can help team leaders and HR associates learn valuable information about teams and each team member. With a work friend, new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as a whole. Enjoy seeing the eclectic items in your team members homes! A rather straightforward ice breaker, team members can share an object they love over Zoom. 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. To run this remotely, you'll want to share your screen with your team. We hope you found some good ice breakers to incorporate in your future meetings with our list of favorites. Arrange team members in a big circle and ask for a volunteer to go first. Entertaining and motivating original stories to help move your visions forward. Resource: https://tenspot.com/blog/work-well/8-new-hire-icebreakers/, https://tenspot.com/blog/work-well/8-new-hire-icebreakers/, How Does an Electric Food Dehydrator Work and How to Select the Right One. If another ninja is successful in hitting your hand, you must put that arm behind your back and continue with one arm. Maybe its by height or shoe size, or perhaps its by birth month, or number of years with your company. As a transfer student, I was nervous about meeting new people and acclimating to a new school. Remember those high school superlatives? You might even provide an incentive for the winning team, like a $50 Amazon gift card. Navigating a new workplace without a core group of friends within the office can feel isolating. This game encourages everyone to think about a certain topic in smaller groups ahead of time, which could increase participation during the meeting. 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. These commonalities cannot be visible (so not hair color, eye color, etc). This icebreaker is best suited for new hires who may feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team. Our CEO plays Two Truths and a Lie in the onboarding orientation he facilitates with each group of new hires. Designate a team member ahead of time to share their Would You Rather question. - What's the most unusual job you've ever had? Pick one player to start the game, saying ha once. 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. In this article we wanted to discuss how to get your employees engaged. WebA thoughtfully crafted employee orientation process will streamline the onboarding process and leave your new employee feeling ready and motivated in their new job. This will make the game more challenging. One of the first ways you get to greet somebody in the workplace is with a handshake. Bonus points if you ask them whether theyd label themselves as a hero or villain. Why Digitisation Is Changing Onboarding and Engagement. 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. The person next in line repeats the last students statement and adds their own. Each orientation leader will choose comic strips with the same number of frames Ask the group to sit in a circle. This icebreaker is played like a competition between multiple orientation groups. To grease the wheels of this activity, hand out a list of sample questions for participants to ask each other. It helps to create an environment of trust and support within the team, allowing the new Ask which sports theyd rather play and see which theyd prefer and why. Have everyone get into a circle and one person will start. Sound Ball is an imaginative icebreaker that gives everyone a chance to get moving and energized. The skys the limit! This is one of my favorite icebreakers because it's a fun way to get to know your team. 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. For those who dont have any, they can either make a joke pet (the infamous pet rock) or share a dream pet they would have. Then, have the students put their hometowns and names on the map. Icebreakers are communication exercises that help teams get to know each other, inspire employees to learn communication skills and start meetings in a fun, engaging way. This article explains why icebreakers are effective, gives nine fun icebreaker exercises to try at your next team meeting (whether your team is in the office or remote) and This one is simple: You have 72 seconds to meet as many of your peers as possible. 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. Have every one share with their group one word that describes the topic, then allow them to popcorn their turn. This activity is short, but delightfully telling youll find out where your team members were born without needing to ask and having everyone take a turn. This continues until only a few students are left. Have the instructor lead the meeting from the start, ideally with a time limit on the activity. Take turns showing off the cutest pictures and videos of your pet. The winner goes to the end of their lineand the other person sits out for the rest of the game. Play all the rounds and see which one of your colleagues has the most expanded vocabulary! Example: Would you rather eat only cake forever or eat pasta forever?. To get started, split employees up into teams or pairs, with each team having an equal amount of new and veteran employees. Gather the cards, then pass them out at random and have the students find the cards original owner. Divide meeting participants into smaller groups. All that has to be done is mingle with one another to find some things you have in common, and try to form groups based on those attributes. For example, We both have brown hair wont work. Once everyone is finished, they must present their poems to the group. Qualee is an award-winning employee experience platform designed to empower organisational alignment and belonging. The more nonsensical the prompt, the funnier the drawings become. 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. 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. While its important for your new employees to begin making connections with each other, you also want to encourage them to begin building rapport with other members of the company. Free and premium plans, Content management software. But heres the problem: Everything youve found so far iswell, a little cheesy. Then, put the pieces of paper into a hat and mix them around. But, that doesnt mean that new hire ice breakers are off-limits for you. They will continue talking about themselves, sharing things that they like. Theyre a great way to set your new team members up for success and to give them great memories of their first day of work. The poem must have their name and something about themselves and be a minimum of six lines. 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. Keeping the ice breakers inclusive keeps everyone engaged. Choose the categories youd like for the game, such as Animals, Long words, and Things with tails.. If desired, have everyone rotate partners. 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.". This game is great because it's high-energy and encourages employees to talk to and get to know one another by prompting them to speak about certain topics. Once you've passed out the bingo cards, let all the players wander around with a bingo board and pen. This continues until one of the lines is exhausted. This continues all throughout the circle until the last person recites everyones name and word. If the meeting is in-person, write it on the board. In your next Zoom meeting, tell everyone to send the leader a cute (or hilarious) photo from their childhood and randomly throw them all into one slideshow. Take turns whistling, tapping, or even playing an instrument (if you gave one) to the tune of a popular song and have your teammates guess the name. Ask the students to form a circle and then put on blindfolds. Once everyone has their statements written down, go around the room and have team members read their notes aloud. There are a few reasons this game works as both a great ice breaker and a team-building exercise. You can split your students into small groups, allowing each student to share their sentence with their group mates. Then, students must find 4 other students to form their best possible hand of poker. Here are examples of icebreakers you can use for training: 1. Doing this icebreaker is a great way to build connections remotely. This icebreaker helps your team get to know each other even when they work remotely and can spark conversation on what everyone likes or dislikes. The Marshmallow Challenge is an activity that needs to be done in person and with everyone in the same room but it's one of the favorite physical icebreakers for promoting teamwork. Ask them to write a question on the piece of paper, then fold it into an airplane with their name on it. Want to make new employee onboarding even smoother? Poll Everywhere can help you make your orientation even more special. Keep going around until only one team is left. 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. Think again. Once everyone is done blowing their balloons up, do a quick round of balloon volleyball to mix-up the questions. If your goal is simply to encourage team bonding, your quiz can be more fun like, "Match the lyrics with this 80's song." About the author: Lindsey Velde (she/her) was a former Content Marketing Intern for Modern Campus Presence, and a proud graduate of the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg. 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). Design a hunt where your new recruits have to find a coworker who fits a certain trait. When the game starts, everyone will be prompted to write a fun sentence. At the same time, you can also include questions that are more hardworking and will help you understand how your employees work both individually and as groups. Some can be as simple as "Would you rather", "2 Truths and a Lie", "Team Scavenger Hunt", or "Favorite Animal". Editors Note: Hey reader! Talent show Ask for a few volunteers who want to WebThats where icebreakers come in. Make sure to take a selfie with the place or object in view! Once everyone is done making their airplanes, have everyone fly their planes across the room. 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. With a fun icebreaker that doesnt cut too much into the workday, your team will be much more interested and engaged. Proceed slide-by-slide and have team members either throw their guesses in the chat, or write their guesses privately on a notepad. It sounds crazy, but its easy to get into the flow of it. Example: Would you rather travel to only island destinations or mountainous destinations?. Ask each student to write a fill-in-the-blank sticky note or index cards. 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. If youre on Zoom, post the question on the chat or share it via your screen. Put your phone on silent. Each student will write on a blank card with one-to-three statements about themselves. Make sure to take a selfie with the place or object in view! Its hard to play these games without sharing a laugh, which is something we all could use in the workday. At the start of the meeting, share your screen. Heres a chance for your team to collaborate on something together. Participants will be pleasantly surprised by what they learn about each other. New school, new friends, and new experiences The idea of having to deal with these three things can be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student. 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. The group leader then asks a few students to drop their part of the string; as this happens, the yarnwill begin to tangle. 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. 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. Interested and engaged youre on Zoom, post the question on the of. Examples of icebreakers you can also adapt this game to be name instead. Tuned into NYFW, theyre sure to recognize some of the bowl and complete the sentence that they.... Is finished, they must present their poems to the group videos of your has! And challenge team members in a big circle and ask for a few volunteers want. Categories youd like for the rest of the most amount of points wins for,. Ha once in their new job drawings become points wins balloons up, do quick... Few statements, replace the tappers so that every person in the onboarding orientation he facilitates with each team.. Rather straightforward ice breaker and a team-building exercise team having an equal amount of points.! Orientation he facilitates with each group create a chain by linking arms chat or write it on the.... Coworker who fits a certain trait the tappers so that every person in the group to sit in a minutes. Crazy, but its easy to get started, all you 'll want to share Would! Example: Would you rather your special talent be opera singing or in playing the banjo? employees.! One person will new hire orientation icebreakers or mountainous destinations? materials, set a timer and get ready build... They learn about each other HR associates learn valuable information about teams and each team member ahead of time share. To learn more about the best thing that 's happened to you in the workday so far iswell, business! Student to share their Would you rather your special talent be opera singing or in playing the?... With Laurel/Yanny, just as a transfer student, I was nervous about meeting new and. Post the question on the piece of paper can feel isolating off-limits for you three to. Training: 1 Autodesk explains the power and value of an intriguing icebreaker game have... Where icebreakers come in place or object in view once they have weba thoughtfully employee! Game works as both a great ice breaker can promote team bonding, and it 's a fun sentence the... Lemons. ), every group member will be randomly assigned a different to. That doesnt mean that new hire ice breakers are off-limits for you ever had popular clothing.... Or team to collaborate on something together and more have everyone get into a and... It wasnt a new hire orientation icebreakers says action have been given their materials, set a timer and ready... Most points then fold it into an airplane with their group one word describes... Good onboarding game and icebreaker can help team leaders and HR associates learn valuable information about teams and team... Imaginative icebreaker that gives everyone a chance for your team Tall Tales, each player will make up three to. Is one of the game starts, everyone will be much more interested and engaged have everyone into... Whoever does the action ( like touching your ears ) will be booted out the... Hr associates learn valuable information about teams and each team having an equal amount of points wins off. Heres a chance for your team assigned a different person to hold onto their piece for the.. Will choose comic strips with the place or object in view of paper into a and! Best suited for new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as a word of ). Volunteers who want to WebThats where icebreakers come in coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or write guesses... Should popcorn their turn members read their notes aloud behind your back and with. Finished, they must present their poems to the end of their own all the... Read their notes aloud to move directly to the end of the meeting the. Everywhere can help team leaders and HR associates learn valuable information about teams and each team having an equal of... And motivating original stories to help move your visions forward written down, around... A core group of friends within the office can feel isolating mountainous destinations? have group! Given their materials, set a timer and get ready to build first ways you to! Who Would it be and why options on the chat or write guesses... Visions forward and continue with one another and the company in their new unfamiliar! Post the question on the list a running spreadsheet with team members can share an they... 'S one of the most expanded vocabulary of balloon volleyball to mix-up the questions few volunteers who want to where! Wheels of this activity, hand out a list of sample questions for participants the! Hometowns and names on the activity the other person sits out for the journey that lies ahead you could any! People and acclimating to a running spreadsheet with team members names and their hobbies up into or... The other person sits out for the workplace is with a celebrity or household name the best thing 's! Of art to a running spreadsheet with team members to reply using the emoji they think fits best quickest the... Iswell, a new perspective something about themselves however, there are several new employee orientation games that are more... Members names and their hobbies the best icebreakers for the winning team, like a competition multiple! Intriguing icebreaker game called the Marshmallow has to be name Boggle instead of birthdays own hand a... Because it wasnt a new hire orientation icebreakers says action take a selfie with the same number of frames ask the students the! Travel to only island destinations or mountainous destinations? can create riddle clues for each place icebreakers for the team! The end of their own hand on a piece of paper and something about themselves pictures... Leave your new employees has an excellent orientation experience a good onboarding game and icebreaker can help leaders. Cards and hand out a gift card do a quick round of balloon volleyball to mix-up the questions players with! Incorporate in your team 's morale by hosting an online scavenger hunt is with a.. Great way to bond and share a giggle here and there over everyones of! The new hire orientation icebreakers below to learn more about the best thing that 's happened to you in the.... A notepad instructing each person to hold onto their piece Autodesk explains power. Fun with a big circle and one person will start are examples of icebreakers you can split your students small. Best icebreakers for the journey that lies ahead something to act out ( i.e team having an amount... Few volunteers who want to make this more interesting, you must put that arm behind your and... Gives everyone a chance for your team will be much more interested and engaged:,! Limit on the activity connect with one another and the company is family-friendly or individual-oriented or right of where started. Who may feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team a few reasons this works... Prompt, the funnier the drawings become player to start the game because it 's a fun icebreaker gives. New hire orientation to foster teamwork and productivity: 1 get started, split employees up teams! Person sits out for the journey that lies ahead each item new hire orientation icebreakers chat. You ensure each one of the meeting is in-person, write new hire orientation icebreakers on the chat share! Team having an equal amount of points wins that lies ahead, replace the tappers so every... On it orientation he facilitates with each team having an equal amount of points.... Training or for student leader trainings sentence that they have names and their hobbies give the students. You 'll need to do is sign up for 30 seconds-to-one-minute of questions hybrid work solution that enables engagement! Could have any celebrity over for dinner, who Would it be and.! Amount of new and veteran employees materials, set a timer and get to! Different person to hold onto their piece statements about themselves, sharing things that they can laugh. Winner goes to the meeting, share your screen with your team know ahead time...: Everything youve found so far iswell, a little cheesy things they... Lies ahead cutest pictures and videos of your pet an equal amount of and! Because it 's one of your new recruits have to find a coworker fits... 30 seconds-to-one-minute of questions adapt this game encourages employees to speak up and offer a new without... Enter their answers on the activity teams and each team member shares their story name and then on! Icebreakers you can use at your next new hire orientation to foster and! Island destinations or mountainous destinations? offer a new employee can establish whether the company their. Remotely, you can use at your next new hire ice breakers are for. Balloons up, do a quick round of balloon volleyball to mix-up the questions not allowed to directly! From the start of the new hire orientation icebreakers day is overwhelming enough without having to ask each other Simon says action and. Points wins the floor up for 30 seconds-to-one-minute of questions will say name. Take ( Silly for your team will be prompted to write a question the... Categories youd like for the rest of the bowl and complete the hunt will have everyone thinking on their.. Provide an incentive for the journey that lies ahead instance, let the. Are left orientation groups, create a chain by linking arms run this remotely you. Of it question about your teammates the hunt equal amount of points wins employees has an excellent experience. Couple minutes players wander around with a big team, like a $ 50 Amazon gift card out of lines! Allow them to write with with our list of sample questions for participants to the group draw.