Do you often encounter awkward silences during lunch, when meeting a co-worker, or in a weekly team meeting?
Getting to know your work team is crucial for having a normal working relationship. Knowing some personal details about each other contributes greatly to the understanding, comprehending and having a better workflow process in organizations. One of the best ways to build this connection between coworkers is by using “getting to know you” questions. These questions will break the ice, encourage open communication, and help the team members understand each other better.
Whether you are onboarding a new employee, you’d like to improve remote team’s relationship, you need everyone’s cooperation before a product launch, or you are just thinking about deepening the relationship of your team members so that during lunch there will be something to talk about besides work, this list of questions is perfect for getting everyone to talk and connect with each other.
The questions are divided into several topics in order to adjust the level of intimacy required in each situation.
Work related get to know you questions
1. What motivates you at work?
2. What challenges you the most at work?
3. What is the best compliment you have received from your manager or co-worker?
4. What new skill would you like to learn?
5. Do you prefer working individually or as part of a team?
6. What is your dream role?
7. What has been the most significant project you have worked on?
8. In your opinion, what is the preferred method for internal office communication: emails or text messages?
9. Are you a cattle person or a night owl?
10. What’s the best way to spend a day off work?
General get to know you questions
11. Describe yourself in one sentence
12. Are you a coffee or tea person?
13. What is your favorite food?
14. What is your hobby or thing you like to do in your spare time?
15. What is the most worthwhile place you have traveled to?
16. Have you ever met someone famous?
17. Do you like roller coasters?
18. How many languages do you speak?
19. Have you ever learned to play a musical instrument?
20. What is your biggest fear?
Philosophical get to know you questions
21. If you could go on vacation anywhere, where would you go?
22. If you had a time machine, what period in history would you go back to?
23. What is the one thing that will instantly make your day better?
24. What would you take with you to a desert island?
25. Where do you see yourself in ten years?
26. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
27. What do you think is the best invention ever made?
28. What would you buy if money were no consideration?
29. What is the first thing you would buy after winning the lottery?
30. When did you first feel like an adult?
Funny get to know you questions
31. Describe the strangest situation in which you have answered emails.
32. What is a vegetable you can’t live without?
33. What movie do you know by heart?
34. What is your useless talent?
35. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
36. Who is your favorite superhero?
37. Who is the weirdest person you have worked with?
38. What is your most hated homework?
39. What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?
40. If your dog could talk, what would he say about you?
Get to know through requests for a recommendation
41. What is the best series you have seen recently?
42. What is the best movie you have seen recently?
43. What is the best book you have read and would always be happy to read again?
44. What is the most worthwhile restaurant you have visited?
45. What is the most exotic destination you have reached?
46. What is the best alcoholic drink you know how to make?
47. Who is your favorite person to work with?
48. What is the weirdest recipe you are best at?
49. Who is your role model?
50. Who is your favorite celebrity?
6 tips for maximum engagement
- Team Meetings: Take advantage of the time before everyone is settled to ask questions that lighten the atmosphere. This can help ease any tension and create a more relaxed environment.
- Breaking the Ice: Use ice-breaking questions at the start of every team meeting This sets a positive tone and encourages team members to engage with each other from the beginning.
- Virtual meetings for remote teams: When your team works remotely, ask questions that will encourage everyone to share personal, non-intrusive information. Virtual meetings can feel impersonal, so these questions can help bridge the gap and create a sense of connection.
- Employee Onboarding: Help new employees feel like they belong by adding questions that will help them get to know the team and vice versa.
- Be respectful: Encourage open discourse, respectful dialogue, but be mindful of protecting employees’ privacy. There may be employees who will not want to share.
- Keep it fun: Choose from a variety of questions – serious, deep and funny questions in order to maintain balance and enjoyment, mixing up the types of questions keeps the activity interesting.
Host Your Next Team-Building Session with Gloww
By integrating these tips into your team interactions, you can create a more engaging and connected work environment. Whether in-person or virtual, using these questions thoughtfully can enhance team cohesion and improve overall communication.
For building a strong team culture, incorporating ice breakers, and running engaging meetings, use Gloww. Gloww improves virtual meetings, facilitates team-building activities, and simply adds some fun to your team dynamics.
You can get started with Gloww today. Want to learn more about our advanced features? Take a look at our premium pricing packages. If you still have questions about Gloww, why not drop us a message?
