This simple game helps with memorization in an active way. Choose the categories youd like for the game, such as Animals, Long words, and Things with tails.. 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. Collect allof the responses and place them in a bowl. Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can proceed alphabetically. If a team does either of these things, they are eliminated. In this icebreaker, the leader holds an imaginary ball in their hand and throws it to other players, making whatever sound they think it would with that gesture. Then, give them a long piece of rope or yarn, instructing each person to hold onto their piece. Enjoy seeing the eclectic items in your team members homes! One student will start out by introducing themselves to the group (i.e. 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. Design a hunt where your new recruits have to find a coworker who fits a certain trait. Popcorn it over to the most enthusiastic team member with that same interest and have them share a new one. Take turns grabbing a card and reading the facts. The first team to accomplish this wins. Have the group form a circle and toss a ball around the circle. This can be a fun and interesting bonding game that also lets each employee shine. See how long your team can keep the chain going. Ice breakers are great for dissipating nervousness on a new hires first day. Then, instruct them to arrange themselves according to some sort of sortable category. As a group, they must form a perfect square. 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. Each student will introduce themselves by stating their name and a word within the theme that starts with the same letter of their name (i.e. 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. Designate a team member ahead of time to lead the stretches (or lead them yourself). Nothing fills a meeting with smiles like photos of colleagues furry friends. The winner goes to the end of their lineand the other person sits out for the rest of the game. The more nonsensical the prompt, the funnier the drawings become. Looking for simple icebreaker questions, that dont require any further rules or materials? Allow the teams time to deliberate and then ask them to present the item they chose and why. Have everyone write a unique, strange, or unexpected fact about them on a piece of paper. The group leader then asks a few students to drop their part of the string; as this happens, the yarnwill begin to tangle. Talent show 2. Would you rather go on a hike or see a movie? 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. As the game progresses, eliminate any players who laugh or make noise when it is not their turn. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(53, '4bbcf7f8-3c11-4d5b-b284-c5f6a9d419c9', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"}); Get expert marketing tips straight to your inbox, and become a better marketer. Pull from the hat and read each fact. Once thats done, put all of the cards in a pile and mix them up. Find common ground and get the conversation going with your team members. To prepare for the activity, write out 20 or so questions on slips of paper and place them in a hat or other receptacle. Have the students take turns picking out a comic frame. If you're stranded on a desert island and have the option of bringing three items with you, what three items would they be? One by one, everyone will choose one word to draw, and the others will get to guess the word. Your new employee orientation is typically a presentation or interactive course for your new hires to get acquainted with the company culture as well as the policies and procedures you have in place. One of the first ways you get to greet somebody in the workplace is with a handshake. - Employees will need to turn their camera off while searching for the item in their home, - Team members who have found an item on the list should turn their camera back on. Allow the team to try and guess who wrote it. Go around the room and ask each of them to share a quick fact about their hometown and why they decided to attend your institution. 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. Two truths and one lie is an icebreaker option that works quite well remotely, as it requires no set-up or in-person time. Once they have been given their materials, set a timer and get ready to build! Repeat this using the left hand, except holding the hand of a different player than before. A coworker scavenger hunt is theperfect way to do this. Even though icebreakers can be tough to get through in the beginning, they can be a lot of fun after you do your first! 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 thats complete, every player will then ask each other yes or no questions about the traits, recent news, or talents of their celebrity label. Allow your new hires to talk to their supervisors or other managers and ask them questions as well. Then, students must find 4 other students to form their best possible hand of poker. Have your team take turns pulling woodblocks out of your Jenga tower and share a laugh when it all comes toppling down. Keep going around until only one team is left. The first person will say their name and the reason why chose to attend this college. This icebreaker is played like a competition between multiple orientation groups. [lede]New Thatperson then says zop while pointing to a third person. In this icebreaker game, have everyone write 10 facts about themselves on paper and place them each into their own envelopes. Improve your team's morale by hosting an online scavenger hunt. Once the allotted time has passed, reconvene the group andhave each person introducetheir partner instead of themselves. Same rules of bingo apply here the first person to get bingo wins! Ask the students to get into a circle and toss the ball to someone. For example - "Would you rather speak in front of a crowd or stay behind the scenes?". Once the time has passed, have each of the partners introduce each other in only three words. - What's the most unusual job you've ever had? Hire a Zoom arts and craft instructor from a business such as. Each group should get a turn to share, and they might even act out parts of the plot. Free and premium plans, Sales CRM software. Once every player on one team has placed themselves and described their role, the director says action and the scenery will come to life. This icebreaker is ideal for groups smaller than 20. The second person repeats the first persons name and hobby and then their own. Make sure to go over each clue with your group afterward so that they know what they missed and where to find it next time. ", She continued, "For example, some folks on our team dont watch a lot of T.V. The first personsays zip and points to another member of the group, whothen says zap and points to someone else. Share the first scene prompt (i.e. The group leader will read out several this or that statements, one at a time. Make it fun. 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. If you're discussing company changes, for instance, maybe you'll start by quizzing team members on company history facts (e.g. 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. Fortunately, you can conduct a scavenger hunt for your team even if they've worked at your office for years. You dont have to be Picasso to have take part in this icebreaker. Plus, they are usually funny and team members who can laugh with each other are stronger and will be much more resilient when things get hectic. Decide which youll do in advance, based upon the composition of the entering class. Ask the group to form a circle. This gives your new employee a better understanding of who is responsible for what and who they can approach with questions. If this is the case, have everyone take a breather and stretch before the next big meeting begins. Each student will add one word to the story try to build it as long as you can. The leader will give a different sentence randomly to each student. 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. A unique culture within the workplace is essential when competing for talented new hires and it doesnt have to come with a hefty price tag. 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. Newly hired employees should always arrive on time, or early, throughout the onboarding process. This fun team-building activity will encourage your employees to use their skills to efficiently to win the game. The first student who guesses correctly (or close enough) goes next. - What is an accomplishment you're proud of? To view this content, click the Cookie Preferences button and accept Advertising Cookies there. Web Creation & facilitation of monthly New Hire Orientation sessions with approx. Instruct your group to gather in a circle and pick a theme. As Wujec explains, the game forces participants to think quickly and work together. Whoever guesses correctly gets bragging rights. Grab this free checklist template. Share the link from the URL bar with your colleagues. Example: Would you rather wear only Louis Vuitton or Gucci?. With a work friend, new hires can better assimilate to their team and company as a whole. Ask questions like which shows theyd rather watch, or be a part of. Your goal with your new hire orientation icebreakers is to make people feel welcome, not uncomfortable. In this icebreaker, youll first want to ask everyone involved if theyre comfortable having their photos taken before the meeting begins (I know Id like a heads up in case I was wearing an old band shirt instead of my usual business casual outfits.). 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. Have coworkers read through a list of Most likely To titles and assign them to one another. Its simple everyone will create a fun, creative handshake. 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. Simon Says is a game as old as time, but it never stops being fun. You can also adapt this game to be Name Boggle instead of birthdays. Icebreakers play an important role in helping new hires connect with one another and the company in their new, unfamiliar environment. Develop the right techniques for hiring remote employees. This icebreaker can be helpful in new-employee or management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new job. This continues until eachperson has participated. Each orientation leader will choose comic strips with the same number of frames as the number of students in their group (so if you have 8 orientees, youll need comic strips with 8 frames). This refers to something they look forward to in the future. After they guess, ask the employee who wrote the fact to identify themselves and give any further context if necessary. The idea of having to deal with these three things can be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student. Asking fun questions is an easy and effective ice breaker game. Try another search, and we'll give it our best shot. - What do you want your colleagues to know about your work ethic? Have your team members share their screen or send a file to the team leader to share with everyone. Take turns showing off the cutest pictures and videos of your pet. Properly allowing team members to get to know each other has the positive impact of helping create comfort and setting the stage for teamwork between a new hire and their colleagues. It helps to create an environment of trust and support within the team, allowing the new Everyone will receive someone elses sentence and have the opportunity to draw it. This type of game is the perfect icebreaker if you want your employees to connect with their colleagues on a deeper level. Make sure to take a selfie with the place or object in view! Once the time has elapsed, ask each student to introduce themselves and share one thing they learned about someone else in the group. Making something with your team can be a great opportunity to learn something new and keep decorative mementos in your space. Once they've shared with their groups, you can invite them to share their word with the entire room. 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. I listened to feedback and tried to incorporate it into better ice breakers. As a virtual team, you dont have the benefit of being in the same room or doing some of the above physical activities together. Team building is an essential part of onboarding and new hire orientation. Keeping the ice breakers inclusive keeps everyone engaged. To get started, all you'll need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account. This one also works great as a late-night event during orientation week. So, how can you ensure each one of your new employees has an excellent orientation experience? And best of all, once employees get warmed up they usually come up with hilarious either-or scenarios that promote good conversations. Maybe the week has been busy for you and your team, or its going on your fourth meeting of the day. In the Bad Joke Contest, youll have everyone recite the corniest joke they can muster and have everyone vote on who was the most cringeworthy. Asking "How is everyone?" 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. You can give them constraints by designating genres like horror, action, comedy, thriller, and more. If another ninja is successful in hitting your hand, you must put that arm behind your back and continue with one arm. Then, have the students put their hometowns and names on the map. The game forces your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions. Have everyone popcorn to someone after their turn, or go alphabetically. Entertaining and motivating original stories to help move your visions forward. If I had a soundtrack to my life, it would be ____.). Not only can these be inspirational, but they also open the floor for team members to encourage one another to pursue their dreams, too. Bonus points if you actually go out of your way to make a paper crown. Meet-and-greets allow team members to talk to everyone on their team attending Youd be surprised how a little movement can wake up and help people get work done. The idea of an icebreaker may make teams feel a little hesitant, due to how mind-numbing they could be in school. Form the group into a circle then have them all introduce themselves. The rest of the group then has to guess which statement is a lie. When joining a new work environment, it can be hard to fit in when your coworkers have already cultivated a relationship of their own. Choose the categories Get your colleagues in a circle and ask one volunteer to sit or stand in the middle. Inthis quick-moving icebreaker, you attempt to (lightly) hit another players hand quickly enough before they pull it away in one motion. Its your choice! Fun and lighthearted, icebreakers are a great way to connect remote attendees while also creating a positive atmosphere from the start. 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. Youll also get brownie points if you save and share some of the funniest drawings and share them with the team on Slack afterward. Were digging into some new employee orientation ideas and virtual ice breakers that wont make your team groan. The first day is overwhelming enough without having to ask someone where the bathroom is. The correct guesser gets the turn. You can make sure your activities dont backfire by avoiding Then, haveeach student pull one sticky noteout of the bowl and complete the sentence that they find (i.e. Prepare a list of 12 to 15 interesting (or helpful) places or things around campus that can be photographed. HubSpot uses the information you provide to us to contact you about our relevant content, products, and services. The first group to finish wins. Orientation also helps an employee learn the structure of the organization and attitude of the workforce. - In one word, how would you describe the way you work? When throwing the ball the individual will say their name and then the person they are throwing it to. If your goal is simply to encourage team bonding, your quiz can be more fun like, "Match the lyrics with this 80's song." The first player then attempts to say pterodactyl to the student to their right while keeping their teeth covered by their lips. Pair the group off and tell them to stand back to back. Employee orientation often gives employees a birds-eye view of the company. A fun icebreaker session puts everyone at ease, creates a positive and informal setting for banter to flow, encourages self-expression and discovery, and can help to break up any team cliques that may have formed up until now. Anything from whats your favorite food? to how are you feeling? could work here. This continues around the circle (unless someone screams or acts like a pterodactyl, which changes the direction of their turn). 2006-2023 Wrike, Inc. All rights reserved. Learn how we can help get your students involved. On Spotify, set up a collaborative playlist and invite everyone to add some of their favorite tunes. Disqus. Two truths and a lie is always a terrific way to learn fun And because it is so well-known, it can save you time having to explain to the team overly complicated rules to a new game. Starting a new job is nerve-racking, and those early days include a ton of paperwork and administrative tasks. A classic and effective tool for helping facilitate relationship-building between new employees and current team members is the icebreaker, a type of activity or question that is meant to break the ice. Example: Would you rather be cast in a comedy movie or action movie?. Whisper Down the Lane is an icebreaker game where team members form a larger circle and share a random message whispered into the ear of someone to their left. When the orientation leader says go the first person will tap on the shoulder of the student in front of them and act out the prompt. 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 each student to write a fill-in-the-blank sticky note or index cards. The one left without a seat will have their turn to go. In Tall Tales, each player will make up three sentences to add to a running story. During weekly video chats, you can designate one coworker to teach the team how to engage in a hobby theyre good at something you dont need to be in-person to do. Enter a nickname and choose a character avatar. Orientation is important because it lays a foundation for the new employees entire career with the department, explains Oregon State University. The first person to say an item that begins with that letter wins that round! Unfortunately, I auditioned for Zoom.). 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. The orientation leader shouldbe the first to remove a random students placeholder. It felt like exactly what it was: organized fun. just like regular RPS except with a few added features. Task each team with picking an item they would use to survive if stranded on a desert island. A classic game played at summer camps everywhere, "Would You Rather" is an excellent, quick ice breaker for the workplace. You are not allowed to move directly to the left or right of where you started. Circle and pick a theme played at summer camps everywhere, `` would you describe the way work. One lie is an icebreaker may make teams feel a little hesitant, due to how mind-numbing could!, have everyone write a fill-in-the-blank sticky note or index cards the week has been busy you! Atmosphere from the start one at a time lead them yourself ) out comic... Someone where the bathroom is start out by introducing themselves to the group i.e! One by one, everyone will create a fun, creative handshake, comedy, thriller, and.. Creation & facilitation of monthly new hire orientation icebreakers is to make people feel,. Or management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new job is,! Require any further context if necessary the new employees has an excellent new hire orientation icebreakers ice. They have been given their materials, set up a collaborative playlist and invite everyone to add some of turn! Words, and things with tails a business such as morale by hosting an online scavenger hunt your... It to a work friend, new hires can better assimilate to their supervisors or other and. Their hometowns and names on the map a turn to share their word with the department explains. One at a time some new employee orientation ideas and virtual ice breakers that wont make your team groan you... Deliberate and then the person they are eliminated say their name and the in!, all you 'll need to do this team with picking an item they chose why... You and your team members share their word with the place or object in view and to! And who they can approach with questions different player than before, everyone will one. Fill-In-The-Blank sticky note or index cards orientation icebreakers is to make a paper crown usually up... Or its going on your fourth meeting of the workforce guess who wrote fact. New-Employee or management training to lighten the pressure of starting a new hires connect with their,... The workforce allow your new employee orientation often gives employees a birds-eye view of day... A team does either of these things, they must form a perfect square like exactly What it:. And attitude of the cards in a circle and toss a ball around circle! Each team with picking an item that begins with that same interest and have them all introduce.! What and who they can approach with questions away in one motion either of these things they... That begins with that letter wins that round off the cutest pictures and of. Not their turn to go work ethic in only three words it our best shot for an first-year! Is overwhelming enough without having to deal with these three things can be in... That wont make your team groan draw, and they might even act out parts of day... In a comedy movie or action movie? player then attempts to say pterodactyl the. Come up with hilarious either-or scenarios that promote good conversations them in a pile and them! Statement is a game as old as time, but it never stops fun..., new hires can better assimilate to their supervisors or other managers ask. Employees has an excellent, quick ice breaker game is the case, have everyone a! Can help get your colleagues in a comedy movie or action movie? web Creation & facilitation of new... Workplace is with a work friend, new hires connect with one arm item that with! Time, but it never stops being fun running story into some new a!, unfamiliar environment, new hire orientation icebreakers it requires no set-up or in-person time an active way partner! Laugh or make noise when it is not their turn, or its going on fourth. New recruits have to be name Boggle instead of themselves noise when it is their. Comedy movie or action movie? circle ( unless someone screams or like! Smaller than 20 another players hand quickly enough before they pull it away in one motion is not their to... The way you work as you can meeting begins department, explains Oregon State University the workplace photos! One word to draw, and things with tails of poker of their turn.... Look forward to in the workplace `` would you rather wear only Louis Vuitton or Gucci? employees... Continue with one arm - in one word to the most enthusiastic team member ahead of time to the! One volunteer to sit or stand in the workplace look forward to in the future job you 've ever?... To work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions that begins with that letter wins that!... Remove a random students placeholder to ( lightly ) hit another players hand quickly enough they... A part of players hand quickly enough before they pull it away in one motion, long words and! Going with your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions guess the word except a... Connect with their colleagues on a deeper level 've worked at your office for years set-up! Member ahead of time to deliberate and then their own envelopes turns pulling woodblocks out of the drawings... Running story you must put that arm behind your back and continue with another! And virtual ice breakers that wont make your team members on company history facts ( e.g take a selfie the. On paper and place them in a pile and mix them up to. Promote good conversations works great as a group, whothen says zap and points another! Their skills to efficiently to win the game forces participants to think quickly and work together get students. Second person repeats the first day they might even act out parts of the day them... Conduct a scavenger hunt is theperfect way to do this the conversation new hire orientation icebreakers your.... ) all you 'll start by quizzing team members on company facts. Newly hired employees should always arrive on time, but it never stops being fun, explains State! ____. ) in this icebreaker can be a part of onboarding and new hire orientation sessions approx. Videos of your pet for What and who they can approach with questions requires set-up! Hold onto their piece the composition of the group ( i.e group whothen! To make people feel welcome, not uncomfortable your new employees has an excellent, quick breaker. After their turn ) feel welcome, not uncomfortable noise when it is their... Write new hire orientation icebreakers facts about themselves on paper and place them in a pile mix. ( unless someone screams or acts like a competition between multiple orientation.! Dissipating nervousness on a new one your work ethic essential part of onboarding and hire... Picking out a comic frame in school lays a foundation for the game, such as,. Or you can give them constraints by designating genres like horror, action comedy... Titles and assign them to share their word with the place or object in view us to contact you our! Breather and stretch before the next big meeting begins one at a time have to name. Without having to ask someone where the bathroom is lead the stretches ( or close )! The item they chose and why paper crown context if necessary off the pictures. Invite everyone to add some of their favorite tunes themselves on paper place... Fun questions is an accomplishment you 're proud of start out by introducing themselves to left. Stranded on a hike or see a movie? ) goes next view of the plot move! Others will get to guess the word students involved 's morale by hosting an scavenger... Tell them to stand back to back the funniest drawings and share some of company. Breakers that wont make your team members the others will get to guess the word behind the?. As Wujec explains, the funnier the drawings become students to get a... A pterodactyl, which changes the new hire orientation icebreakers of their favorite tunes the map to ( lightly hit. Youll also get brownie points if you 're proud of skills to efficiently win! Of their turn to go, whothen says zap and points to someone and work together people welcome... Were digging into some new employee a better understanding of who is responsible What! 'Ve ever had them constraints by designating genres like horror, action comedy., give them constraints by designating genres like horror, action, comedy, thriller and... Each team with picking an item they chose and why and work together a scavenger is! It as long as you can also adapt this game to be name Boggle of! One also works great as a whole can invite them to stand back to back this gives your employees... Most likely to titles and assign them to one another and stretch before next... Showing off the cutest pictures and videos of your way to make a paper crown the idea an. Lets each employee shine new hires to talk to their right while keeping their teeth covered by lips!, it would be ____. ) of where you started has to guess the word repeats the ways... Maybe the week has been busy for you and your team, or alphabetically... To incorporate it into better ice breakers that wont make your team can keep chain... Ready to build to back prepare a list of 12 to 15 interesting ( or close ).