Icebreaker questions for work

Quick and easy

1. What's the best thing you've eaten this week?
2. Coffee, tea or neither?
3. What's your go-to karaoke song?
4. What's the last show you binge-watched?
5. Beach vacation or mountain vacation?
6. What's your favorite app on your phone?
7. What was your first job?
8. What's a small thing that made you happy this week?
9. Early bird or night owl?
10. What's your favorite snack at work?
11. What's the best concert you've ever been to?
12. Sweet or savory breakfast?

Get to know you

1. What's a hobby you'd like to pick up?
2. What's a skill you have that most people don't know about?
3. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
4. Where's the most interesting place you've traveled?
5. What did you want to be when you grew up?
6. What's a book or podcast you'd recommend?
7. If you could live anywhere for a year, where would it be?
8. What's something on your bucket list?
9. Who's someone you admire and why?
10. What's your favorite way to recharge after a long week?
11. What's a tradition you love?
12. What's the best compliment you've ever received?

Fun hypotheticals

1. If you could have any superpower for work, what would it be?
2. If you were a kitchen appliance, which would you be?
3. If you could have dinner with anyone, living or not, who would it be?
4. If your life had a theme song, what would it be?
5. If you could instantly master one skill, what would it be?
6. If you won the lottery tomorrow, what's the first thing you'd do?
7. If you could swap jobs with anyone for a day, who would it be?
8. If animals could talk, which would be the rudest?
9. If you could only eat one cuisine forever, which one?
10. If you had a free hour every day, how would you use it?

Team and work

1. What's the best team you've ever been part of, and why?
2. What's one tool or app that makes your work easier?
3. What does a perfect workday look like for you?
4. What's a work win you're proud of this year?
5. What's the best way for people to work with you?
6. What's something you'd like to learn from someone on this team?
7. What's the most useful thing you learned at a previous job?
8. Where do you do your best thinking?
9. What's your favorite way to celebrate a team win?
10. What's one thing that would make meetings better?

For virtual meetings

1. Show us something on your desk that has a story.
2. What's the view from your window right now?
3. Introduce us to your pet (or your dream pet).
4. What's your work-from-home uniform?
5. What's the weather like where you are today?
6. What's your favorite mug and why?
7. What's one thing in your home office you couldn't work without?
8. What's your go-to background music while working?

Tips for playing

• Keep it to one question per person in a regular meeting. It should take 5 minutes, not 30.
• Go first yourself so people know how long an answer should be.
• Let people pass. Icebreakers should be optional and low pressure.
• For new teams, 'get to know you' questions work best. For regular teams, try the hypotheticals.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good icebreaker question for work?

A good work icebreaker is quick to answer, easy for everyone, and not too personal. For example: 'What's a small thing that made you happy this week?'

How long should an icebreaker take?

Around 5 to 10 minutes for a regular meeting, longer for team-building sessions.

What icebreakers work on Zoom or Teams?

Questions that use people's surroundings work well online, like showing something on your desk. See the 'For virtual meetings' section.

Related

• Office party games
• Two Truths and a Lie
• Would you rather questions for work