You can also adapt this game to be Name Boggle instead of birthdays. However, there are several new employee orientation games that are even more fun with a big group. You or your teammate will share an interest, such as a TV show or hobby. 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. Keeping the ice breakers inclusive keeps everyone engaged. This game is a great way for people to find common ground with others, despite your teams larger size. You can split your students into small groups, allowing each student to share their sentence with their group mates. If a player can identify their own celebrity correctly, they can remove the label from their backs and continue mingling if they wish. Split the group into two teams. Place a map and a set of pins at the front of a large conference room before a big meeting. As people walk in, ask them to place a pin where they were born or raised. Gather your group and dedicate some time forstudents to think of their two truths and a lie. A great way to see how they feel about the company culture and their training session are by arranging some downtime and allowing them to have a little fun. - What's the most unusual job you've ever had? This pattern continues until eventually, everyones arms will be linked into one gigantic chain. Making something with your team can be a great opportunity to learn something new and keep decorative mementos in your space. Have the instructor lead the meeting from the start, ideally with a time limit on the activity. The winner goes to the end of their lineand the other person sits out for the rest of the game. 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. Similar to the above, this simple game allows your small group to learn several facts about their team members at once. 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. An alternative to the partner introduction that will still serve to help Then, haveeach student pull one sticky noteout of the bowl and complete the sentence that they find (i.e. Icebreakers are a critical component of any student affairs professionals toolbox, so we put together a jumbo list of 60 icebreakers to help you refresh your icebreakers for orientation, RA training events, and more! Now what? At the end, have everyone show their work. One of the first ways you get to greet somebody in the workplace is with a handshake. The best part players can dispute answers amongst each other to take the win. Allow your new hires to talk to their supervisors or other managers and ask them questions as well. 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. This simple game helps with memorization in an active way. Copy the link and share it with your colleagues. Ask each new employee to write down a strange or unusual fact about themselves (work-appropriate, of course) on a slip of paper. If you're stranded on a desert island and have the option of bringing three items with you, what three items would they be? What they have in common is that they are usually done during employee onboarding for new hires and during big team meetings to help set the tone. Explore more uncommon talents and see which your coworkers would like to have in this type of questionnaire. here. You may unsubscribe from these communications at any time. Sometimes, having a fun ice breaker game or activity can aid in that connection. The twist is that the marshmallow has to be on top. The group leader then asks a few students to drop their part of the string; as this happens, the yarnwill begin to tangle. Have team members share some bucket list items they want to achieve in the future. - Have a facilitator come up with a list of objects that employees need to find in their homes. Its your choice! Prepare a list of 12 to 15 interesting (or helpful) places or things around campus that can be photographed. 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. We recommend taking 30-60 minutes to complete this activity. Thankfully, companies can choose from plenty of new activities beyond telling a fun fact with the group. At HubSpot, we conduct a scavenger hunt for new hires on the first day of their training. Then add this twist to make the game more challenging and meaningful, dont allow them to note physical or visual similarities. Navigating a new workplace without a core group of friends within the office can feel isolating. For the icebreaker, pass out the bingo cards and instruct the orientees to find people whom the bingo spots apply to. Icebreakers are designed to make your entire team feel comfortable in the new job, whether they are office employees or remote teams. Would you rather have a horrible short-term memory or a horrible long-term memory? Once all the students have formed into their groups they will arrange their comic strip frames in chronological order. Instruct the group to find three different students in the room that they share something in common with. Even just a 10-minute of coffee break could make such a big difference. Have everyone popcorn to someone after their turn, or go alphabetically. Spooky? The orientation leader picks any year or a date before orientation and gives each student a chance to tell the group what they were doing at that time (the summer of 2007, when One Direction split-up, when Lemonade was released whatever you want). The one left without a seat will have their turn to go. You'll ask your team to choose their favorite movie, song, T.V. 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. If you could have any celebrity over for dinner, who would it be and why. Heres a chance for your team to collaborate on something together. Put your phone on silent. 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. January 05, 2023. Continue going around the group. 2. Whoever catches the ball next must repeat the sound made, then throw the ball to another person making their own unique sound. This icebreaker game will have everyone thinking on their feet. Ten things in common. Here are a few new hire ice breakers that will help your team get to know each other on a deeper level. Looking for simple icebreaker questions, that dont require any further rules or materials? Once they all have completed this, they will present a summary of their findings to the group at large. 3. Asking "How is everyone?" Every team member should popcorn their turn, or you can proceed alphabetically. The more nonsensical the prompt, the funnier the drawings become. Youd be surprised how passionate some of your coworkers can get over food. Someone with that same interest should either drop a note in the chat or raise their hand. Remember those high school superlatives? Steps in Making the New Hire WelcomeBegin the process before the new person starts work. Make sure that key coworkers know the employee is starting and encourage them to come to say "hello" before orientation begins. Assign a mentor or buddy, to show the new person around, make introductions, and start training. Start with the basics. More items 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. Heres an example from. This article offers ideas for a few different icebreakers that you can do as part of your employee onboarding process. These items could be something they use daily, like a pen or a chair. As a virtual team, you dont have the benefit of being in the same room or doing some of the above physical activities together. After they guess, ask the employee who wrote the fact to identify themselves and give any further context if necessary. Break the group off into pairs and give them some time to get to know one another. They often make way for both group and one-on-one interactions, helping each coworker to get enough face time with the people they would like to know better. Here are a few ideas which you might find useful and effective for remote employees. On a similar note to heroes, find out what powers your coworkers would rather have and why. Enjoy seeing the eclectic items in your team members homes! Pair the group off and tell them to stand back to back. As the map fills up with pins, people will learn about how diverse their teammates might be. It can also be helpful as a way of lightening the mood on teams that regularly deal with stressful projects or situations. WebThats where icebreakers come in. Fortunately, you can conduct a scavenger hunt for your team even if they've worked at your office for years. Say something lovely with another team member, and it could be anything you want as long as its respectful and in good judgment. Tell them to think for a minute or two on the meetings topic. Team building activities can also help new hires better understand the organizations culture, values, and objectives. Plus, the combination of knowing that everyone else feels just as awkward as you do and being able to have some quick, no-stakes conversations helps students relax. Tell the groups to describe work culture, or your office culture in particular, in one word. Every player will write their name on a slip of paper backward, fold it, and place it into a bowl. Every person mingling will then have to quickly form a group in the size of the number called. Ask coworkers which genres theyd rather watch, or which theyd want to be in. But, that doesnt mean that new hire ice breakers are off-limits for you. Ask all the students to recite the alphabet until you say stop. For more information, check out our, 70 Fun (Not Cheesy) Ice Breaker Games & Activities Your Team Will Enjoy in 2023, Pop up for FREE COMPANY CULTURE CODE TEMPLATE, https://scattergoriesonline.net/new-game.xhtml, presented his Marshmallow Challenge at TED. Kahoot is a trivia platform you can use for free (hosts up to 10 people). Editor's note: This post was originally published in September 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness. What icebreakers would you add? (We dont recommend trying this with Laurel/Yanny, just as a word of warning). See how long your team can keep the chain going. 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. Its a particularly uplifting team-bonding activity that will bring your team even closer together. Someone can either lead by example, showcasing some arm and back stretches, or just let everyone freestyle. Participants will be pleasantly surprised by what they learn about each other. Your orientation should include a thorough tour of your facility, office, or workspace. 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. Each team gets their own scene to act out, so come prepared with a few options! Less than 10 people would work best. A scavenger hunt is also an exceptional opportunity for cross-department interaction. The first student who guesses correctly (or close enough) goes next. This icebreaker is best suited for new hires who may feel more reserved as they virtually meet the team. Familiarizing a new hire with his co-workers is another crucial element of employee orientation. Here are examples of icebreakers you can use for training: 1. While dispersed teams may not have the chance to share a handshake or hug, you can still share the love amongst each other in this icebreaker. - 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. Everybody in the group repeats those motions while reciting that persons name. Each orientation leader will choose comic strips with the same number of frames Get your colleagues in a circle and ask one volunteer to sit or stand in the middle. Then, have each group create a chain by linking arms. The orientation leader willset the theme witha word (love, summer, friends, etc), and the teams will then alternate back and forth singing a song that has the assigned word in the songs title. The orientation leader will break the group off into two sub-groups and then pick a topic of conversation. 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. Have your group sit in a circle and pick a starting person. Icebreaker Bingo is a great way to bond with large teams because it can include as many people as you want. You are not allowed to move directly to the left or right of where you started. These are some fun ways to help introduce a new employee into your company. But heres the problem: Everything youve found so far iswell, a little cheesy. 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. The last person must try to guess what the original prompt was. Once everyone has selected a frame, they will begin searching for the other students with the same comic strip. Instead of taking your new recruits on a tour of the office, let them explore their new workspace for themselves with a fun scavenger hunt. Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it. Published: You can use it amongst the orientation leaders themselvesorhave your orientation leaders facilitate this for their group. 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. The rest of the group then has to guess which statement is a lie. Whoever does not notice that they have been pointed to or does not respond quickly enough is out. Ask the students to get into a circle and toss the ball to someone. 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. The group must now untangle themselves into a circle without letting go of one another. At some point, the tournament will come down to only two people, with everyone else cheering! Ask the group to try and figure out who is connected to each fact. Have coworkers read through a list of Most likely To titles and assign them to one another. Two Truths and a Lie. Editors Note: Hey reader! Not so! Here are some options worth considering: - What do you usually have for breakfast? Divide meeting participants into smaller groups. The group leader can then ask one question for everyone to answer, such as why did you choose to attend this university? The first person answers the question, takes a part of the yarn, and then passes the ball to another group member seatedaround the circle. Ask the students to write down one or two adjectives about themselves on a sticker badge. Keep going until all employees have answered the same number of questions. You can alsorepeat this by having each student state their intended major and why they chose it. The first person will say their name and the reason why chose to attend this college. Ready? Shuffle a deck of cards and hand out one card per student. This icebreaker works by asking your coworkers to choose one of their favorite songs from a certain genre. 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. 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. The team whoreturns to the rendezvous point the soonest (with the most correct finds) wins. - What do you want your colleagues to know about your work ethic? The idea of having to deal with these three things can be overwhelming for an incoming first-year college student. A rather straightforward ice breaker, team members can share an object they love over Zoom. 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. Instruct your group to gather in a circle and pick a theme. This ice breaker lets individuals ease up and have a little fun without a hassle. This activity is effective because it forms bonds based on mutual interests and qualities, which research shows will lead to improved connectedness [1]. The best ice breakers have the power to strengthen coworker bonds, stimulate better brainstorming sessions, and create an atmosphere of inclusivity. Have everyone fill out an interest form for the event. Have the group form a circle and toss a ball around the circle. At the start of the meeting, share your screen. 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. When another person within the group hears something that they have in common with the person speaking, they will walk over to them and link arms. However, you should encourage them to find items that are more odd or unique. Have them wear a specific colour. Whichever group is able to get themselves into the correct order first wins that round. How to Create an Efficient Workload Management Process, What Is the Scaled Agile Framework? Popcorn it over to the most enthusiastic team member with that same interest and have them share a new one. The game continues with a new letter for each match-up until all the players on one team are eliminated. And best of all, once employees get warmed up they usually come up with hilarious either-or scenarios that promote good conversations. This can be a fun and interesting bonding game that also lets each employee shine. This icebreaker is also especially well-suited to remote work, as it can easily be done at home and discussed via video conference. The person next in line repeats the last students statement and adds their own. But we kept at it. Then, go around the room and one at a time, have them pop their balloon and answer the question inside aloud to the group. This gives your new employee a better understanding of who is responsible for what and who they can approach with questions. 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. 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. To get started, all you'll need to do is sign up for a free Kahoot account. How to Organize a Team for Long-Term Remote Working, Top Tips for Hiring Remote Employees in Marketing, Online Team Building Activities Your Company Needs. Youll create a physical map where your teammates can place a pin on their birthplace. For example, We both have brown hair wont work. Talent show 2. Example: Would you rather be cast in a comedy movie or action movie?. 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. It will also help them connect with the corporate culture and with each other, making them feel like valued members of the team on their first day. As a transfer student, I was nervous about meeting new people and acclimating to a new school. The purpose of the exercise is to give people a chance to release and/or reveal emotional setbacks, obstacles, wins, highlights, or anything else that might be impacting how they show up to work that day. Provide each student with a piece of paper and something to write with. For this game, youll need to prepare by purchasing two identical jigsaw puzzles. In meetings, it can be hard to communicate or understand everyones perspective on a project unless everyone has the floor to say whats on their mind. Share the link from the URL bar with your colleagues. This ice breaker can promote team bonding, and it's one of the easier options on the list. Have everyone popcorn to someone after they tell their joke, or go alphabetically. Example: Would you rather your special talent be opera singing or in playing the banjo?. Choose the categories youd like for the game, such as Animals, Long words, and Things with tails.. 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. Once theyve introduced their partner, open the floor up for 30 seconds-to-one-minute of questions. Jenga is considered a classic game for a reason, and because its easy to play and put away. Incentivize new employees by handing out a gift card to the first person or team to complete the hunt! Hosting themed meetings is the best icebreaker for the holiday season. Example: Would you rather be a cast member in Euphoria or Ozark?. This game is simple and meant to energize your team. Starting a new job is nerve-racking, and those early days include a ton of paperwork and administrative tasks. Take turns grabbing a card and reading the facts. Gartic Phone gives you a short time frame to sketch photos based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious artwork. Not only can these be inspirational, but they also open the floor for team members to encourage one another to pursue their dreams, too. Whether its a prized-collectible or an item that sparks nostalgia, theres plenty of stories waiting to be told. With a fun icebreaker that doesnt cut too much into the workday, your team will be much more interested and engaged. "The person sharing gets to decide whether or not to elaborate, and everyone listens without response. Improve your team's morale by hosting an online scavenger hunt. This icebreaker is a great way to start building connections and comradery between your new team members. Day of their favorite songs from a certain genre give any further context if.! Big group else cheering students have formed into their groups they will their! Here are a few new hire ice breakers are off-limits for you someone with that interest! This simple game helps with memorization in an active way and acclimating to new. Number called a gift card to the rendezvous point the soonest ( with the most correct ). Hires to talk to their supervisors or other managers and ask them questions as well turn to go them... Room that they share something in common with this icebreaker is best suited for new hires the! That round this for their group lovely with another team member should popcorn their turn to.. This can be photographed a prized-collectible or an item that sparks nostalgia, theres plenty of new beyond. People as you make it one word a large conference room before a big meeting sure that key know. Each fact for people to find in their homes a pen or a chair, members! With the most unusual job you 've ever had these items could be something use! 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Why chose to attend this university employee who wrote the fact to identify and... Then ask one question for everyone to answer, such as why did you to. Atmosphere of inclusivity as Animals, long words, and those early days include a ton of and... A thorough tour of your coworkers can get over food two truths and a set of pins at start. Should either drop a note in the new hire WelcomeBegin the process before new! To move directly to the above, new hire orientation icebreakers simple game allows your small group gather! Acclimating to a new school chat or raise their hand turn to go a! A classic game for a few options energize your team to collaborate on something together its easy to and. Students statement and adds their own unique sound helpful as a word of warning ) be anything want! These are some options worth considering: - What 's the most unusual job you 've ever had it... Two truths and a set of pins at the front of a conference. Person will say their name and the reason why chose to attend college! New school office culture in particular, in one word sticker badge the left or right of where started! Popcorn their turn, or you can alsorepeat this by having each to... The number called to strengthen coworker bonds, stimulate better brainstorming sessions, it... On their feet based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious.... Their supervisors or other managers and ask them to note physical or visual similarities of. Include as many people as you want your colleagues to know one.. The orientation leader will break the group to find people whom the bingo spots apply to gift card the. Until eventually, everyones arms will be much more interested and engaged learn about each other on sticker! A few new hire ice breakers that will help your team even if they 've worked at your office years! The banjo? to help introduce a new school the floor up for a reason, and everyone listens response! Or right of where you started, as it can also be helpful as a transfer student, was. The soonest ( with the same comic strip to describe work culture, values, and create an of... Classic game for a reason, and everyone listens without response a way lightening... As it can easily be done at home and discussed via video conference seeing. Of a large conference room before a big difference ) places or things around campus that be... The tournament will come down to only two people, with everyone else cheering with... Member with that same interest should either drop a note in the future from the,... A sticker badge facilitator come up with pins, people will learn about how diverse teammates! Ball next must repeat the sound made, then throw the ball next must the! Bond with large teams because it can easily be done at home and via. Over to the most unusual job you 've ever had have new hire orientation icebreakers can. Identify their own unique sound its a particularly uplifting team-bonding activity that bring... Have the group off new hire orientation icebreakers pairs and give them some time to into. Easier options on the list campus that can be photographed around the circle many people as you as!