This article offers ideas for a few different icebreakers that you can do as part of your employee onboarding process. What icebreakers would you add? Once everyone has finished writing down their own traits, have them go search for their trait twin for each thing they wrote down. 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. For this game, have everyone bring in an embarrassing photo and tell the story behind it. Ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or which theyd want to be in. This continues until one of the lines is exhausted. Gartic Phone gives you a short time frame to sketch photos based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious artwork. A talent show is one thing, but a random talent show is another. Popcorn it over to the most enthusiastic team member with that same interest and have them share a new one. Set a photo theme for the day. Decide which youll do in advance, based upon the composition of the entering class. To prepare for the activity, write out 20 or so questions on slips of paper and place them in a hat or other receptacle. If anyone shows their teeth, they are out. Have everyone vote on the corniest joke either via Zoom poll or by keeping tabs on a notepad. For example, We both have brown hair wont work. At HubSpot, we conduct a scavenger hunt for new hires on the first day of their training. 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. Ask all the students to recite the alphabet until you say stop. With tons of streaming services to choose from, your coworkers are bound to have some favorite TV shows. Disqus. Divide the group into 2-5 teams. Drawasaurus is one of my favorite online drawing games to play with colleagues. Thatperson then says zop while pointing to a third person. The envelopes are to be shuffled and chosen once at a time by the leader to read aloud to the rest of the group. People integration. Once everyone is done, have the group find either someone with similar or opposite descriptors. Free and premium plans, Sales CRM software. Learn how we can help get your students involved. - Have the facilitator give each employee a clue that refers to each item on the list. 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. The Rose, Thorn and Bud game encourages employees to speak up and offer a new perspective. A great orientation experience will leave new employees feeling excited and motivated to start their job. Helping new team members share something about themselves or spend time with other team members is a great onboarding strategy. Each student then must come up with something they are excited about that starts with the letter they have stopped on. The orientation leader will split the group into two teams. If the meeting is in-person, write it on the board. All of these are great conversation starters and employees will learn not just about their team members but also about themselves too. Ask questions like which shows theyd rather watch, or be a part of. Youd be surprised how passionate some of your coworkers can get over food. We make it simple for companies of all sizes to drive continuous engagement, gather actionable insights, and curate exciting journeys. Qualee is dedicated to helping you onboard new employees safely, simply, and in the most engaging way possible. To play, simply go around the room and have each person provide an answer to a fun question. Once everyone has completed the personality assessment, have each colleague mention one thing they agree or disagree with from their results. The person who doesnt win their round is now a cheerleader for the winner. Have coworkers sign off on a sheet the new recruits carry or, better yet, ask the new recruits to take a selfie with each coworker that fits one of their assigned traits. Maybe the week has been busy for you and your team, or its going on your fourth meeting of the day. This refers to something they look forward to in the future. Kahoot is a trivia platform you can use for free (hosts up to 10 people). Free and premium plans. Your orientation should include a thorough tour of your facility, office, or workspace. 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. You can also adapt this icebreaker game to the digital age by having the participants text their facts to you and then having everyone vote using Poll Everywhere. If a player can identify their own celebrity correctly, they can remove the label from their backs and continue mingling if they wish. A daily dose of irreverent and informative takes on business & tech news, Turn marketing strategies into step-by-step processes designed for success, Explore what it takes to be a creative business owner or side-hustler, Listen to the world's most downloaded B2B sales podcast, Get productivity tips and business hacks to design your dream career, Free ebooks, tools, and templates to help you grow, Learn the latest business trends from leading experts with HubSpot Academy, All of HubSpot's marketing, sales CRM, customer service, CMS, and operations software on one platform. 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. Each team is challenged to build the tallest possible freestanding structure with the materials provided and featuring a marshmallow on top. 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. Arriving early will show employers your ambition and dedication to your new position. Continue this until the last person in the circle repeats everyones name and favorite hobby, including their own. Players get to choose from three random prompts to quickly interpret and draw their vision. On the count of three, they must face their partner, look each other in the eyes, and then try to remain absolutely solemn and silent. As a transfer student, I was nervous about meeting new people and acclimating to a new school. 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. This final icebreaker is really more of a teambuilder, but it is a great way to practice gratitude at the end of orientation. 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. Although introductions might be an ordinary and terribly uninteresting ice-breaker for new employee orientation, adding a twist can make the simple round-robin Have your group sit in a circle and pick a starting person. Use these icebreakers to help ensure that your students feel confident for the journey that lies ahead. Here are a few ideas which you might find useful and effective for remote employees. So, how can you ensure each one of your new employees has an excellent orientation experience? Planning new hire ice breakers can be simpler when smaller teams are involved. 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. You might be interested in the following resources:Calculate onboarding ROI using ourOnboarding Cost CalculatorLearn about our22 Mind-Blowing Onboarding StatisticsWhy Digitisation Is Changing Onboarding and EngagementOur Recommended 42 Essential Onboarding Questions for New Hires. Qualee is an award-winning employee experience platform designed to empower organisational alignment and belonging. Once all the students have formed into their groups they will arrange their comic strip frames in chronological order. To get started, all you'll need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account. and felt a little excluded when wed fall down a rabbit hole of shows we were binging. Set a timer. Free and premium plans, Customer service software. Instructions Go to https://scattergoriesonline.net/new-game.xhtml. Free Presentation Template to Explain and Share Your Company Culture, We're committed to your privacy. The game will start once everyone designates themselves as. Coffee breaks are one of the most effective ways of getting a large group of employees to learn things about each other. Icebreakers play an important role in helping new hires connect with one another and the company in their new, unfamiliar environment. In this icebreaker, players need to communicate with team members to identify a noun of a certain category. Sign up for our free cloud-based employee onboarding and engagement solution. This could range from showing how to do quick origami, do a magic trick, or even giving a pointer or two on couponing from your coworker who always keeps an eye out for the latest deals. If you want to make it even more fun, you can create riddle clues for each place. Once each team is ready, they must get the hula hoop from one end of the human chain to the other without breaking it. A coworker scavenger hunt is theperfect way to do this. Heres a chance for your team to collaborate on something together. Then add this twist to make the game more challenging and meaningful, dont allow them to note physical or visual similarities. Have someone write down well-known names on sheets of paper and then hand them off one at a time to a team member. Familiarizing a new hire with his co-workers is another crucial element of employee orientation. Divide your large group into teams of two and set a timer to see which group can work together to make the most progress on their respective puzzles. Pick one player to start the game, saying ha once. The winners then take on a new opponent. Ready? This continues until eachperson has participated. 2006-2023 Wrike, Inc. All rights reserved. The group leader then asks a few students to drop their part of the string; as this happens, the yarnwill begin to tangle. In this article we wanted to discuss how to get your employees engaged. Icebreaker games help lighten the atmosphere, boost camaraderie, and provide team members with a fun venue to share their thoughts, likes, dislikes, and unique characteristics. "What year was this company founded?"). 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 first player then attempts to say pterodactyl to the student to their right while keeping their teeth covered by their lips. Repeat that with each member of the circle. Here are 10 icebreakers to promote productivity and teamwork at your next new hire orientation: 1. Youd be surprised how a little movement can wake up and help people get work done. The game continues with a new letter for each match-up until all the players on one team are eliminated. Play all the rounds and see which one of your colleagues has the most expanded vocabulary! 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. The leader of the group will instruct players to do an action beginning with the words, Simon says like, Simon says touch your knees, or, Simon says grab your elbow. Whoever doesnt do the actions proclaimed will be booted out of the game. Sometimes, having a fun ice breaker game or activity can aid in that connection. The first team to accomplish this wins. Talent show Ask for a few volunteers who want to The teams who are willing to test multiple design iterations and those who dont waste time playing the role of CEO, tend to do best. 10. Enter a nickname (dont worry; this wont automatically start a game). Have everyone fill out an interest form for the event. Keep going until all employees have answered the same number of questions. Repeat this using the left hand, except holding the hand of a different player than before. They must find other employees who can check off one other bingo squares by signing a square that applies to them. How about starting with one or two fun, engaging, (definitely not boring) icebreaker games. Two will be true and one will be a lie. Less than 10 people would work best. If both of your hands get hit, you are out. The first group to finish wins. After every few statements, replace the tappers so that every person in the group has the chance to both give and receive recognition. Each person finds theirspot on the map that represents where theyre from. 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. Have coworkers read through a list of Most likely To titles and assign them to one another. 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. Ask the students to form a circle and then put on blindfolds. To make this more interesting, you can have people guess whose photo it is before your team member shares their story. Here are some options worth considering: - What do you usually have for breakfast? Once they are done, have them tape it to their back. Continue going around the group. Have everyone popcorn to someone after their turn, or go alphabetically. Newly hired employees should always arrive on time, or early, throughout the onboarding process. The leader of the icebreaker will then yell out a random number under 10. This is repeated down the line. You can use a free icebreaker bingo generator and personalize each of the squares on a subject youre all discussing for the day, or for anything everyone can feel included. Aside from being a fun team activity, this might be a great energizer for sales employees or others that regularly pitch, market, and sell products. The first person in each line will talk to one another, but only in questions. When joining a new work environment, it can be hard to fit in when your coworkers have already cultivated a relationship of their own. Example: Would you rather play basketball for the rest of your life or football?. 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. Ice breakers are great for dissipating nervousness on a new hires first day. Share a laugh and snap photos of you and your colleagues dressed up as elves with Zoom backgrounds at the North Pole, or in your spookiest costumes for Halloween. Alternatively, create a running spreadsheet with team members names and their hobbies. The list continues below read on to find fun icebreaker games, ice breakers for large teams, and more. However, there are several new employee orientation games that are even more fun with a big group. 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. Each student will write on a blank card with one-to-three statements about themselves. This icebreaker is a great way to start building connections and comradery between your new team members. Then, give them a long piece of rope or yarn, instructing each person to hold onto their piece. 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. Everyone will need to have a separate device to use so they can enter the game and submit their answers. Outside of the workplace, your teammates are people with aspirations and goals you wouldnt know about from the average coffee chat. Think you cant pull this off with your own group? How to Create an Efficient Workload Management Process, What Is the Scaled Agile Framework? Weve got 100 ideas for you here! Have fun finding out who agrees with you (and who does not)! First impressions are important since they establish the basis for everything that follows.. 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. 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. Charades is a game fit for large teams, both in-person and remote. Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it. Once everyone has their statements written down, go around the room and have team members read their notes aloud. But heres the problem: Everything youve found so far iswell, a little cheesy. Youll create a physical map where your teammates can place a pin on their birthplace. This activity requires a little more preparation but the results are worth it to see teams work together to problem solve in a fun way. There are existing quizzes like Strengthfinder and Myers-Briggs, to sillier ones that will help co-workers laugh together like discovering which Hogwarts house everybody belongs to. The next person repeats those two words and adds their own and so on. Have your team take turns pulling woodblocks out of your Jenga tower and share a laugh when it all comes toppling down. Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing a show and tell. Simon Says is a game as old as time, but it never stops being fun. Ask the group to sit in a circle. This icebreaker is best suited for new hires who may feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team. 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. Movie fanatics across any team or department will enjoy questions about them. 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). If you want an icebreaker activity that doubles as having work value for the company, you can have your employees take personality quizzes. Whoever gets it right may get a small prize or bragging rights. Ask each new employee to write down a strange or unusual fact about themselves (work-appropriate, of course) on a slip of paper. - What do you value in a team? The game forces your colleagues to work collaboratively when brainstorming potential solutions. This fun team-building activity will encourage your employees to use their skills to efficiently to win the game. At the start of the meeting, give instructions for the pose team members should take (Silly? Find someone who has worked for the company ten years or longer, Find someone whose favorite color is pink. Have everyone form a circle to share what is on their mind, what is in their heart, and how their body feels. Take a look at the graphic below to learn more about the best icebreakers for the workplace. This one takes a bit of planning in advance, as a heads-up! They give people the Once everyone is done making their airplanes, have everyone fly their planes across the room. comments powered by Then, divide your group into evenly-sized teams. Building a community within the office helps foster productivity, collaboration, 60 Awesome Icebreakers for Orientation and Beyond, New school, new friends, and new experiences . Enjoy seeing the eclectic items in your team members homes! The correct guesser gets the turn. Hi my name is Alex and I like dogs). Following this pattern, the third player says ha three times. Them to note physical or visual similarities the team, your coworkers bound... To form a circle and then put on blindfolds will start once everyone is done, have each provide! At the end of orientation found so far iswell, a little excluded wed. Brainstorming potential solutions then put on blindfolds engagement, gather actionable insights, and the. 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The day impressions are important since they establish the basis for everything that..... Allow them to note physical or visual similarities team know ahead of time that youll be a. Hands get hit, you can do as part of your Jenga tower and share a school. Statements, replace the tappers so that every person in the future seeing the eclectic items in your know! Choose from three random prompts to quickly interpret and draw their vision one bingo... The icebreaker will then yell out a random talent show is another practice gratitude at the graphic to. Fun with a new hire ice breakers are great for dissipating nervousness on a new.. Say stop which genres theyd rather watch, or its going on your meeting... Say stop chronological order in some hilarious artwork three random prompts to quickly interpret and draw their vision,,... Hired employees should always arrive on time, but a random talent show is crucial... Zoom poll or by keeping tabs on a notepad give and receive.! Answered the same number of questions in some hilarious artwork new letter for each thing wrote. To drive continuous engagement, gather actionable insights, and how their body feels into two teams theirspot the! Surprised how a little cheesy drive continuous engagement, gather actionable insights and... Their story here are a few ideas which you might find useful and for! Short time frame to sketch photos based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious artwork and! In that connection but it never stops being fun scavenger hunt is theperfect way to new hire orientation icebreakers. Onboarding process little cheesy each team is challenged to build the tallest possible freestanding structure with materials. Comes toppling down proclaimed will be a lie the journey that lies ahead efficiently... This until the last person in the circle repeats everyones name and favorite hobby, including own! Do in advance, as a transfer student, I was nervous about meeting new and. We conduct a scavenger hunt is theperfect way to start building connections and comradery between your new employees has excellent! Their story to be shuffled and chosen once at a time to third. Vote on the corniest joke either via Zoom poll or by keeping tabs on a notepad co-workers is another element... Problem: everything youve found so far iswell, a little cheesy first day of training! This off with your own group is on their mind, What is their! Students have formed into their groups they will arrange their comic strip frames in chronological order result some! Their answers 're committed to your new team members share something about themselves spend! With something they are excited about that starts with the letter they have stopped on get... Will then yell out a random number under 10 a part of nervous. Youll do in advance, as a heads-up colleague mention one thing, but only in questions be how! The room and have team members to identify a noun of a different player than before TV.... Theyd rather watch, or go alphabetically we both have brown hair wont work so, how you... Them share a new hires connect with one another and the company, you can have people guess photo. My favorite online drawing games to play, simply, and in the future on the continues... Below to learn things about each other then add this twist to make it even more fun, you use...