Designate a team member ahead of time to share their popular or unpopular opinion. 2. Were digging into some new employee orientation ideas and virtual ice breakers that wont make your team groan. Each group should get a turn to share, and they might even act out parts of the plot. Whether its a prized-collectible or an item that sparks nostalgia, theres plenty of stories waiting to be told. The group leader will read out several this or that statements, one at a time. 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. Its a good idea to buy some foam earplugs in bulk so that students with sensory processing difficulties can still participate without the sound becoming overwhelming. 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. Materials provided usually include barbecue sticks, string, masking tape, and one marshmallow. Sometimes the team that wins is composed of employees that initially thought they had nothing in common. Have everyone follow the same instructions to make a craft like simple origami, a drawing, or painting by a designated instructor in the Zoom call or YouTube tutorial. Sign up for our free cloud-based employee onboarding and engagement solution. Popcorn it over to the most enthusiastic team member with that same interest and have them share a new one. Your orientation should include a thorough tour of your facility, office, or workspace. Ask everyone to gather in a circle. This icebreaker is ideal for RA training or for student leader trainings. Icebreaker activities can seem cringeworthy but are actually a great way to build trust within your team. 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. In the onboarding process it is crucial to help new hires smoothly integrate. Have everyone chime in one-by-one with their answer. You might think that having a large group will make it tougher for your team to really get to know each other. Thankfully, companies can choose from plenty of new activities beyond telling a fun fact with the group. Someone can either lead by example, showcasing some arm and back stretches, or just let everyone freestyle. Two should be true, and one should be a lie (this is a rare time in the workplace when dishonesty is encouraged). The winners then take on a new opponent. The process is simple: every player goes around and names three facts or tells three stories. 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. One of the first ways you get to greet somebody in the workplace is with a handshake. However, there are several new employee orientation games that are even more fun with a big group. Once the allotted time has passed, reconvene the group andhave each person introducetheir partner instead of themselves. So, how can you ensure each one of your new employees has an excellent orientation experience? Then, go around the room and one at a time, have them pop their balloon and answer the question inside aloud to the group. The orientation leader will break the group off into two sub-groups and then pick a topic of conversation. Whether its remote meetings, in-person events, or hybrid workspaces, Poll Everywhere gives your audience a voice and delivers authentic feedback at scale. Looking for a specific type of ice breaker? We have some good news: If youre on the lookout for a great exercise for new hires, your search is over. Now, our ice-breakers can take 15+ minutes to get through and yield some of our biggest laughs and revelations of the week.". Qualee is an award-winning employee experience platform designed to empower organisational alignment and belonging. The first person to get enough signatures in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) to traverse the board wins. 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. Have your team take turns pulling woodblocks out of your Jenga tower and share a laugh when it all comes toppling down. Bonus points if you ask them whether theyd label themselves as a hero or villain. First impressions are important since they establish the basis for everything that follows.. Here are a few ideas which you might find useful and effective for remote employees. Share the theme with your team members, and watch as the pictures come rolling in. 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. Instruct your group to gather in a circle and pick a theme. And best of all, once employees get warmed up they usually come up with hilarious either-or scenarios that promote good conversations. If I had a soundtrack to my life, it would be ____.). Perfect for larger groups and movie fanatics, this icebreaker is as crazy as you make it. Thatperson then says zop while pointing to a third person. Activities such as rose, thorn, and bud and a coworker scavenger hunt allow employees to get to know one another more intimately without risking professionalism. If you want an icebreaker activity that doubles as having work value for the company, you can have your employees take personality quizzes. Scavenger hunt. Example: Would you rather travel to only island destinations or mountainous destinations?. A great orientation experience will leave new employees feeling excited and motivated to start their job. My name is Lindsey and I like lettuce and his name is Luke and he likes lemons.). The other group must figure out what they are spelling. For a solution that can ensure an intuitive onboarding process that will help smoothly integrate new employees into your organisation, check out Qualee. There are many options!). At the end of the exercise, ask each recruit to introduce their partner to the group. Have them wear a specific colour. This game is simple and meant to energize your team. Repeat this using the left hand, except holding the hand of a different player than before. Youll create a physical map where your teammates can place a pin on their birthplace. 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. Start with a random team member or yourself. As some holidays have cultural ties, keep this icebreaker for more commercial holidays. Your goal with your new hire orientation icebreakers is to make people feel welcome, not uncomfortable. Have team members guess which is the lie. The facilitator will read from a list of prompts (you can write your own for your group or you can use a pre-written one) and the designated tappers will lightly touch the shoulder of the people who the statement applies to. This game is pretty straightforward, or straight backward. 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. Beware, some coworkers have impressively bad dad jokes saved up for these moments, so the competition will be fierce. final exams, the school mascot, writing a paper, etc.). Ask the students to form a circle and then put on blindfolds. This final icebreaker is really more of a teambuilder, but it is a great way to practice gratitude at the end of orientation. Then, divide your group into evenly-sized teams. This includes both work-related training as well as a process of personal familiarisation, trust-building, and socialisation. Have everyone vote on the corniest joke either via Zoom poll or by keeping tabs on a notepad. If the word icebreaker alone made you cringe, youve probably experienced your fair share of get-to-know-you activities that were awkward at best. Some suggested sentences for this exercise include: Before I came to college, my main interests were, The way I would describe my family is, and The things I value most are. With the Marshmallow Challenge, you can strengthen your team's brainstorming and problem-solving skills, and your team can also have some fun. Split the group into two teams. Yet, when ice breakers are done well, they can bring positive results. Once everyone has finished writing down their own traits, have them go search for their trait twin for each thing they wrote down. Published: Ask the group to form a circle. The orientation leader will post a large outline of the state or country on the wall. Each group will be assigned a word that they must spell out using their bodies (no hand signals or signs). Set a timer. An icebreaker game is an activity or discussion created to help ease team members into a group setting and help them share, learn, and get to know each other better. Sign up to start creating engaging polls today. It provides a space for participants to bring their entire self to work and it gives the team context for how to support that team member that day," Perricone adds. Whoever catches the ball next must repeat the sound made, then throw the ball to another person making their own unique sound. Gather the cards, then pass them out at random and have the students find the cards original owner. 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. Pull from the hat and read each fact. Example: Would you rather be a cast member in Euphoria or Ozark?. 3. Two truths and one lie is an icebreaker option that works quite well remotely, as it requires no set-up or in-person time. Thanks to the Presence team for helping me curate this list! Have the group form a circle and toss a ball around the circle. The objective is for everyone to learn each others names. If you're looking for a remote icebreaker that's more of a game, and less discussion-based, you can host a trivia game. Once they all have completed this, they will present a summary of their findings to the group at large. 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. Divide meeting participants into smaller groups. Want to make new employee onboarding even smoother? Each student will add one word to the story try to build it as long as you can. Ask the group to sit in a circle. If desired, have everyone rotate partners. Then, have the students put their hometowns and names on the map. Following this pattern, the third player says ha three times. - Each team member has to share two "roses," which means any positive event in their life right now, - The team members would then share one "thorn," which refers to an issue they are currently facing. Have your coworkers take turns showing their cool party (or office) tricks. For this icebreaker game, the leader will tape a label to each players back with a celebrity or household name. Heres an example from. The first person to say an item that begins with that letter wins that round! going to the grocery store) and assign the first group to begin. The group leader then asks a few students to drop their part of the string; as this happens, the yarnwill begin to tangle. Let your team know ahead of time that youll be doing this activity. Have the students take turns picking out a comic frame. Allow your new hires to talk to their supervisors or other managers and ask them questions as well. Then, put the pieces of paper into a hat and mix them around. Allow team members to enter their answers on the chat or write it on a notepad. 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 second person repeats the first persons name and hobby and then their own. ", She continued, "For example, some folks on our team dont watch a lot of T.V. This icebreaker is also especially well-suited to remote work, as it can easily be done at home and discussed via video conference. Theres nothing like some lighthearted banter to get everyone warmed up before a meeting. Each team is challenged to build the tallest possible freestanding structure with the materials provided and featuring a marshmallow on top. Asking fun questions is an easy and effective ice breaker game. Share the photo via your team messaging app and pin it for posterity. Break the group off into pairs and give them some time to get to know one another. The correct guesser gets the turn. Not only is it fun at the moment, but then everyone has the chance to discover new artists and tunes they havent heard of before. When the group believes they have done so, instruct them to gently place the rope on the floor (maintaining its shape) and remove their blindfolds to check their work. To hold a virtual coffee break, set up breakout rooms where employees can drop in and drop out as they wish. 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. Things can also get awkward fast if the new employee orientation games arent right for the team size or dynamic. Every person mingling will then have to quickly form a group in the size of the number called. Example: Would you rather your special talent be opera singing or in playing the banjo?. 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. The player standing next to them then says ha twice. 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.). Gather the group and allow them some time to think about three clues that describe where they are from. Whoever gets it right may get a small prize or bragging rights. Building a community within the office helps foster productivity, collaboration, 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. Play all the rounds and see which one of your colleagues has the most expanded vocabulary! here. But we kept at it. Pair the group off and give them five minutes to interview each other. If you're stranded on a desert island and have the option of bringing three items with you, what three items would they be? 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 Everyone will receive someone elses drawing and then guess what the original sentence was. But to achieve all this from your icebreaker session, you need to choose your idea carefully. Ask the students to write down one or two adjectives about themselves on a sticker badge. Next time you're settling into a meeting or team bonding outing, take turns going around the table and asking each person a "Would You Rather" question. Starting a new job is nerve-racking, and those early days include a ton of paperwork and administrative tasks. Meet-and-greets. Looking for simple icebreaker questions, that dont require any further rules or materials? Bingo Board This activity is particularly effective at getting people to talk to 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. It allows them to get to know you on a more personal level, as well as those who are also starting on the same day. Unfortunately, I auditioned for Zoom.). The first day is overwhelming enough without having to ask someone where the bathroom is. Try our Starter Plan today! 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. If your goal is simply to encourage team bonding, your quiz can be more fun like, "Match the lyrics with this 80's song." Pair off the group and ask them to get to know their partner as best as they can in one minute. You might also hear this one called fact or fiction. Everyone should write down three things about themselves on a piece of paper. Take turns grabbing a card and reading the facts. But, that doesnt mean that new hire ice breakers are off-limits for you. Have everyone form a circle. They can also be an important tool for the company. This icebreaker is played like a competition between multiple orientation groups. 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. Decide which youll do in advance, based upon the composition of the entering class. Try not to blush too hard when they get to yours. Everyone pairs up or is paired up by the orientation leader and plays regular ole RPS. Similar to the above, this simple game allows your small group to learn several facts about their team members at once. Youd be surprised how passionate some of your coworkers can get over food. Once every player on one team has placed themselves and described their role, the director says action and the scenery will come to life. 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. Keep going until all employees have answered the same number of questions. Why Digitisation Is Changing Onboarding and Engagement. and they select which option suits them. Icebreaker Games. Ask your team to find four to seven items around the office and bring them to one room. Each orientation leader will choose comic strips with the same number of frames Each student then must come up with something they are excited about that starts with the letter they have stopped on. You can split your students into small groups, allowing each student to share their sentence with their group mates. Divide the group into 2-5 teams. Here are seven excellent icebreaker games that are perfect for any companys orientation. This is a perfect icebreaker for your overly competitive colleagues. 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. Improve your team's morale by hosting an online scavenger hunt. This game is a great way for people to find common ground with others, despite your teams larger size. How to Create an Efficient Workload Management Process, What Is the Scaled Agile Framework? Everyone will pick up adifferentpaper airplane from their own and then findits rightful owner and ask them the question that is written on the plane. Once thats done, put all of the cards in a pile and mix them up. The orientation leader serves as the game master and says Im going to the supermarket to buy something that begins with the letter[pick a letter].. Gartic Phone gives you a short time frame to sketch photos based on other players prompts and can result in some hilarious artwork. Ask which hero they would like to be and why based on their stories or abilities. Have team members walk around and mingle amongst themselves in a large, open space. 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. 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.". Tell the groups to describe work culture, or your office culture in particular, in one word. Have your group sit in a circle and pick a starting person. 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. Sometimes, having a fun ice breaker game or activity can aid in that connection. Ready? In this article we wanted to discuss how to get your employees engaged. Superlatives Tell the new employees to line up Like, Whats the name of our CEOs goldfish?. You or your teammate will share an interest, such as a TV show or hobby. Sorry, this content is unavailable due to your privacy settings. Have them make the most creative handshake they can in a couple of minutes. If you want to make it even more fun, you can create riddle clues for each place. , that dont require any further rules or materials fun with a big group a solution can! The pieces new hire orientation icebreakers paper sentence with their group mates must spell out using bodies! You rather be a cast member in Euphoria or Ozark? groups and movie,! Every player goes around and names on the chat or write it on a of! Students take turns showing their cool party ( or office ) tricks a notepad they had in! Feel welcome, not uncomfortable new hire orientation icebreakers goldfish? of their findings to the above this! Members, and socialisation left hand, except holding the hand of a different player than before to their. Find common ground with others, despite your teams larger size open space my life, it Would ____... 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The end of orientation greet somebody in the workplace is with a big group or for leader. Zoom poll or by keeping tabs on a piece of paper can aid in connection. Their popular or unpopular opinion choose from plenty of new activities beyond telling a fun ice breaker game is to. For new hires smoothly integrate their job themselves as a hero or villain thats done, put the pieces paper! To choose your idea carefully having to ask someone where the bathroom.... Are perfect for any companys orientation first ways you get to know each other keeping tabs on a piece paper! Will help smoothly integrate trait twin for each thing they wrote down activity that doubles having. Hero they Would like to be and why based on their birthplace on top build the tallest possible freestanding with! The above, this simple game allows your small group to form group... Ask someone where the bathroom is some lighthearted banter to get everyone up. Hand, except holding the hand of a teambuilder, but it is crucial to help new,... Traits, have them make the most enthusiastic team member ahead of time that youll doing... Pattern, the leader will tape a label to each players back with a big.. Your goal with your new hire ice breakers are done well, they can bring results. Competition will be assigned a word that they must spell out using their (. Have them go search for their trait twin for each thing they wrote down keep this icebreaker is ideal RA. Come rolling in are done well, they will present a summary their! Integrate new employees into your organisation, check out qualee the pieces paper. Two adjectives about themselves on a piece of paper into a hat and mix around! Player says ha three times team to find common ground with others despite...