As the meeting settles, get people focused by asking what their favorite year is and why. Not only is this interesting, but it’s a team bonding activity that provides an avenue for people to know each other more intimately. Here’s a really simple activity to capture the moment for your teams to look back on in the future. It can be as simple or extravagant as you like, like a simple group selfie or a full-on photo booth session with silly props and after-effects. Create a memorable group photo opportunity with your teams for a snapshot of team spirit and a shared laugh. While icebreaking works wonders for new staff, sometimes they do need a little encouragement to step out of their shell.
This can include specific objects or workers who fit certain criteria. Live polling tools (Slido, Mentimeter), QR code scavenger hunts, and mass rock-paper-scissors tournaments all scale well. The common thread is that they don’t require individual speaking time. Everyone participates simultaneously through technology or physical movement. Everyone shares one thing on their bucket list.
“Would you rather” is a pretty fun virtual icebreaker game, but it needs some preparation if you want to come up with creative questions. Start your virtual meeting by providing some light-hearted polls and hearing your team’s answers. Instead of hours-long remote meetings that may render your employees bored, start your meetings with virtual icebreakers. https://x.com/Fanlyfun_ It’ll be a nice break from routine tasks, and it’ll help bring your employees closer together, even if they don’t work on the same team.
- The AI wrote the setup; humans write the punchline.
- Easy, low-pressure, and surprisingly effective.
- If you’re presenting in Google Slides or PowerPoint, you can also take advantage of our Slido AI features and let the AI engine generate quiz questions right from your presentation.
- Your busy workplace might be a little strapped for time, so these activities require next to no preparation, carried out in a matter of minutes.
- Breakout rooms are highly effective for large teams, allowing smaller groups to connect more intimately before reconvening.
How To Choose The Right Ice Breaker For Virtual Meetings
If your employees are already familiar with each other, you can use a knowledge-based virtual icebreaker like this one. Prepare a series of ‘who’s most likely’ questions and have employees turn in their answers via chat or vocally. That’s why as an employer, it can be helpful to find virtual icebreakers to get your employees warmed up to each other and create stronger channels of communication.
Follow with a round-table icebreaker using one of the questions above, then introduce a group game to sustain the energy. Even small changes to the format can dramatically alter the feel of the meeting. Virtual backgrounds are an underused tool for setting the tone of a Zoom meeting before a single word is spoken. Tom has listed some of his favourite Zoom backgrounds here. A well-chosen background can generate an immediate conversation starter, signal the mood of the session, and give quieter team members something easy to comment on as they join.
Train Remote Employees: Success In The Remote Work Era
If you’re planning a work event in Dallas–Fort Worth, Group Dynamix can lead these icebreakers (and more) as part of a customized team building program. For longer sessions or team-building days, these creative games encourage interaction and build deeper connections within the group. Did you know that just 34% of workers in the US are engaged at work? 1 So, introducing icebreaker games is not just about fun- it’s about boosting workplace engagement and productivity.
Prevent Quiet Quitting: How To Keep Your Employees Engaged
This method helps groups to avoid awkward silence at the beginning of the session and instantly start a conversation. Next, have people walk around & mingle while discussing what’s on their badges. It’s a great way to enhance engagement & help people set goals and hold themselves accountable during the session. Paper Telephone is a mix of two methods, “Telephone” and “Pictionary”. It is a creative game aiming to fasten the get-to-know each other phase of the team while having a good time.
Start off with the rules that the topics must be suitable for work, and every person holds up five fingers. Set some ground rules (for instance, nothing offensive or not safe for work) and challenge your group to tell the worst or funniest joke they can think of. In five minutes they are going to be stranded on a desert island and must think of three things to take with them. Ask them to decide on three things and the reasons why. If you want to keep it light, start things off by thinking of something silly, such as the fact that you learned how to tie your shoelaces at the ripe old age of 15. This one is good for a small group of under 20 people.