When it comes to building a healthy social ecosystem in the workplace, camaraderie amongst colleagues is a must. Beyond breakout rooms, holiday parties and company retreats, ice breakers play a fundamental role in letting your employees feel a sense of human connection. Helping coworkers get to know each other better, energize a room, and get people engaged from the start of a meeting, they’re crucial when it comes to workplace bonding.
The key is choosing the right ice breaker questions, striking the balance between prompts that are meaningful enough to learn something new about your colleagues while avoiding anything too personal in a professional setting.
Before kicking off your next team meeting, consider facilitating from this list of 79 best ice breaker questions sourced across a variety of categories.
Getting To Know You Ice Breakers
These prompts allow coworkers to share fun facts and insights about themselves and their lives outside of the office.
What’s your favorite binge-worthy TV show?
If you could have dinner with any celebrity, living or dead, who would it be?
What’s the luckiest thing that has ever happened to you?
If you could take a paid sabbatical, how would you spend your time off?
What’s your favorite family tradition?
What’s your spirit animal?
If you had to eat one meal every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What’s your favorite quote?
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
What’s your favorite book of all time?
What’s your zodiac sign? Do you think it fits your personality?
Ice Breakers That Are Work Specific
These queries can give insights into your colleagues’ work styles, experiences, and philosophies.
What’s one work habit or trait you’re most proud of?
What’s your proudest career accomplishment so far?
What motivates you to wake up and go to work?
What’s one work goal you have for the coming year?
What’s your favorite part of our company culture?
If you didn’t need a paycheck, would you still choose this career path? Why?
How would your best friend describe you in three words?
How do you typically like to start your workday?
What’s one thing you want to be better at for your career development?
What’s the most important risk you’ve taken in your career?
Hypothetical Ice Breakers That Are Silly And Fun
These lighthearted questions engage imagination and humor for an energizing tone.
If you had to get a movie made about your life, which actor would you want to play you?
What inanimate object would you choose to be for a day?
If you were an ice cream flavor, which one would you be and why?
If you were the CEO of your company, what’s the first thing you would change?
What was your favorite toy growing up?
What’s the most embarrassing song on your playlist?
If you could be any age forever, which would you choose?
If you had a super power, what would it be?
If you had to eat a flat-food for every meal, like a burger, what would you choose?
What’s the funniest actual apparel thing you’ve ever worn?
Two Truths And A Lie Ice Breakers
Classic game where everyone shares 2 true statements and 1 false statement for the group to guess the lie.
Round of Two Truths and a Lie
Two Truths and a Lie – Childhood Edition
Two Truths and a Lie – Vacation Edition
Two Truths and a Lie – Embarrassing Moments
Would You Rather Ice Breakers
Giving your team a “Would you rather?” scenario can lead to revealing insights and hilarious justifications.
Would you rather have unlimited pizza or tacos for life?
Would you rather be able to fly or be able to breathe underwater?
Would you rather be the best player on a losing team or an average player on a championship team?
Would you rather never have to work again or never have to sleep again?
Would you rather have telepathy or telekinesis? …
Would you rather be able to speak every language or be the world’s greatest linguist?
Would you rather have a personal chef or a personal trainer?
Would you rather be supremely intelligent or incredibly gifted artistically?
Would you rather explore the depths of the ocean or outer space?
Would you rather have endless lucky charms or endless money?
Most Likely To Ice Breakers
Who in the office is most likely to survive a zombie apocalypse?
Who is most likely to become a billionaire?
Who is most likely to star in a reality TV show?
Who is most likely to go viral for an outrageous video?
Who is most likely to invent something revolutionary?
Unpopular Opinions Ice Breakers
What’s one unpopular opinion you have about your industry/field?
What’s a common piece of career advice you disagree with?
What’s one thing people seem to love that you just don’t get?
What’s a movie/book that is universally beloved that you couldn’t stand?
What’s a trend you refuse to get behind?
Fun Fact Ice Breakers
What’s your favorite podcast?
What’s the best concert or live show you’ve ever attended?
What’s one fun fact about you that might surprise people?
What’s your favorite type of cuisine or genre of food?
What’s your favorite place you’ve ever traveled to?
Ethical Dilemmas Ice Breakers
Would you rather save one dog or five pigeons? Why?
If you had to choose between lying to spare someone’s feelings or telling a hard truth, which would you pick?
If you had the opportunity to dine with your hero, but had to miss your best friend’s wedding, what would you choose?
Random & Thought-Provoking Ice Breakers
How different would your life be if you were born in a different country?
If you could see one statistic about your life, what would you want to know?
If you had to describe yourself as a song, which song would it be?
What’s the weirdest food combination you actually enjoy?
How would you prefer to be addressed – by your first name or last name?
Ice Breakers That Relive Memorable Moments
What’s your fondest childhood memory?
What’s the most daring thing you’ve ever done?
What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
What’s an accomplishment you’re really proud of, big or small?
What’s the best day you’ve had in recent memory?
Philosophical Ice Breakers
What social cause or issue are you most passionate about?
What motivates you to be a good person?
Is there anything you believe in 100%, without any doubts?
What one piece of advice would you give your younger self?
What do you think is the most important value to uphold?
If you could thank one person for helping shape who you are today, who would it be
