200+ Best Icebreaker Questions For Work & Virtual Meetings

Colleagues conversing with each other before a team meeting.

Many people feel tense at work or at the start of a team meeting, whether virtual or physical. People often mention tense or awkward meetings when talking about signs of toxicity in the workplace. Here’s where icebreaker questions come in.

Ice breaker questions are questions you can throw at people to break through their walls and get to hear their thoughts, inner processes, and reservations. Since a workplace meeting aims to be as productive as possible, these questions are critical in getting teams to bond and produce meaningful results. Unfortunately, many people can’t engage in conversations or present their best ideas when the environment feels tense, so tension accounts for the percentage of unproductive meetings in many workplaces.

Ice breaker questions help people feel comfortable. This way, you can foster employee engagement and get meaningful results.

In our expert guide, we will run through 200+ icebreaker questions for work and virtual meetings that you can use to start your meetings on the right note.

200+ Icebreaker Questions for Work

Here are some good ice breaker questions to give you some inspiration for your meetings. Of course, you can rephrase many of them to fit your workplace context. This list of icebreaker questions is so you can pick the ones that suit you and your team easily.

— Personal Icebreakers

Personal icebreakers are questions you can ask your team to learn about their personal lives. These questions are great because they make your employees relax, show that you see them as human beings, and also allow you to gain insight into their pattern of productivity. Here are some to get you started:

What else would you be doing if you weren’t in this career?
Are you a morning or night person?
Do you like winter days or summer better?
Are you a morning or night person?
What was your best class in school?
Are you more productive when it’s sunny or rainy?
What state would you like to live in?
Are you originally from this state?
If you could afford to live anywhere, what country would you move to?
Do you enjoy cooking?
Was this your dream job as a kid?
Who inspires you the most in your life?
If you had a million dollars, what would you do first?
What’s the one thing you want to do before you die?
Do you have a favorite quote?
Is there anything you enjoy collecting?
What’s the most memorable thing you did with your first paycheck?
Would you rather be the best at your worst job or the worst at your dream job?
What’s one thing no one at work knows about you yet?
What are the top 5 things on your bucket list?
Do you have a holiday tradition? What is it?
Do you speak any other languages?
If there’s one thing you could remove from your daily routine, what would it be and why?
What type of coffee do you drink?
If you had the chance to learn any language, what would it be?
What book did you read that has had the most impact on your life?
Do you prefer a road trip or a plane trip?
Do you prefer snow or sand?
Do you like any outdoor activities?
Name one area you could use a mentor to improve on.
Have you ever been outside the country? Where did you go?
Tell us one habit you have that others find weird?
What’s a nice thing you do easily and constantly?
What’s your favorite time of the day and why?
Name one thing that gets you eager to start your day.
Are you a traveler or a homebody?
What do you think should be the greatest price for success?
What would your dream office look like?
What was your first job like?
What’s your favorite way to commute to work?
What’s your pet peeve at home?
Share one bad habit you have stopped and how did you do it?
What’s one thing you have been putting off for a while?
What’s One work-related task you did that challenged you.
If you had to live by one quote for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Do you have a family tradition?
What worries you the most about big business mergers?
Do you have a gender preference for your bosses?
Do you have a gender preference for your subordinates?
Does your name have a story behind it?
What’s the best thing a boss or supervisor has done for you?

— Job-Related Icebreakers

These team-building questions are related to professional life. They can be very helpful in helping you pair people up for tasks and unlock inventive and dynamic solutions across work teams. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover why a work strategy has failed or how your team members view themselves.

Here are some you can use:

What’s the most frustrating trait a colleague can have?
What do you think the worst job is?
What’s the best part of your job?
Name one object you wish would disappear from the office.
If you could trade roles with anyone on your team, who would it be?
Do you have a work playlist?
Who on your team do you think would get invited multiple times to a talk show?
Who has given you the best advice in this office?
What productivity tool do you enjoy using the most and why?
What topic can you give a long presentation on with virtually no preparation?
What courses did you take back in school that have helped with your job?
Which of your colleagues do you think should set up their own company?
What’s your favorite thing about your team?
What’s a great day at work like?
What team-building activity do you enjoy the most?
If you could have just one team member to work with for the rest of your life, who would it be?
What color do you hate to see at a workplace?
What’s one manual aspect of the job you wish could be automated?
What’s the biggest mistake you have ever made at work?
How do you deal with stress at work?
How would you dress to work if there were no restrictions at all? Would you go fully casual, eccentric, or professional?
Would you bring your pet to work if it were allowed?
What do you think your best professional achievement so far is?
Do you have a “my coworkers are crazy” story?
What’s one work-related skill you wish you had?
What’s one part of your routine you wouldn’t skip even if you were running late?
Which fictional team in a series did you like? Why?
Would you rather be part of One Direction or Maroon 5?
Have you ever won something as part of a team? How did that feel?
What is your earliest teamwork memory?
Who is the best businessman/ businesswoman you know, and why?
If office tasks were types of Olympic games sports, which one would you fail miserably, and which would you get an award for?
What team-bonding activity feels great?
Do you usually plan your outfit for work, or do you choose something randomly every day?
What’s your creative ability?
If you could start any business in the world, what would it be?
Share one thing you discovered at work that surprised you.
What’s your pet peeve at work?
How do you spend your lunch break?
How do you stay motivated at work?
What meal would you choose if you had to cook a meal with your team, what meal would you choose?
Name one famous person you would like on your team.
If you had met your team members outside of work, where do you think you would have met?
If you could visit a country with your team, which country would you choose and why?
Do you prefer to eat lunch alone or with your team?
Would you rather receive a public shoutout from the CEO for a job well done or a handwritten letter of appreciation?
What’s your dream bonus package?
What would be the most likely reason if you were to be promoted or fired today?

— Fun Icebreaker Questions

Fun icebreaker questions are easy questions that are lighthearted. If you are afraid to ask the wrong personal questions or feel reluctant about asking work-related questions to ease someone’s mind, you can try these questions.

The zombie apocalypse is upon us; which three people would you want on your team?
Do you name inanimate objects you like?
Who’s your favorite artist?
When was the last time you played a musical instrument?
What would be your campaign slogan if you were running for office?
Share your favorite guilty pleasure.
What snacks did you like to eat as a child that have been discontinued now?
If your life could be turned into a book, what genre would it be?
If your life were made into a movie, what actor would you choose to play you?
What’s the worst gift you have ever received?
If you could go back in time, what age would you choose to return to?
What is one work benefit you can’t do without?
Which conspiracy theory do you dig hook, line, and sinker?
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
What’s your favorite breakfast?
If you became famous overnight, what would it be for?
If you ever got into the Olympics, what sport would it be for?
Have you ever had a bad haircut experience?
What fashion trend did you dig and would love to bring back?
Have you ever met a celebrity? How cool were you?
If everyone got trapped in a horror movie, who on your team do you think would be the first to die?
Which two historical figures do you think should have existed simultaneously?
If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what song would it be?
Do you watch anime? What character do you think comes closest to you?
Were you ever in the boy band phase? Are you still into it?
If you got a boat, what would you name it?
Name one thing you find cool that others find boring.
Do you enjoy watching fashion shows?
How do you like to relax and have fun?
What is one movie that’s not popular but you like?
What book do you think should be made into a movie?
What’s your least favorite movie?
If you were stranded on a desert island, who would you call?
What fictional family would you want to be part of?
What is your go-to karaoke anthem?
The last mistake is the title of your autobiography; what would it be?
The last thing you ate and the last drink you had is the title of your autobiography; what’s the title?
If you could have unrestricted access to just one thing for the rest of your life, what would you choose?
What era would you rather live in?
Are you team Android or iPhone?
What’s your cell phone wallpaper?
Tell us two truths and a lie right now.
What would you do with those extra hours if there was no need for sleep?
What’s the most embarrassing thing you have done lately?
What’s your favorite day of the week? Why?
Have you ever been in the studio audience of a talk show?
If this year had a theme song, what song would it be?
Would you rather post on Instagram or TikTok?
Are you a cat person or a dog person?

— Would You Rather Icebreakers

These icebreakers are fun if you already have a team that’s familiar with each other. They are best used during team bonding activities to generate fun and lightness.

Here are some you can throw at your team members:

Would you rather do a dream project independently or with a team?
Would you rather stick with a familiar team or a newly constituted team with highly talented individuals?
Would you rather give up your favorite movie or your favorite place?
Would you rather have the ability to freeze time or the ability to rewind time?
Would you rather have happy moments become happier or sad moments become less sad?
Would you rather live in a city or a town?
Would you rather live close to the mountains or close to the beach?
Would you rather live 50 years in the future or in the past?
Would you rather be a senator or a scientist?
Would you rather sit all day at your desk or stand all day?
Would you rather travel back in the past to meet your ancestors or in the future to meet your descendants?
Would you rather have a vacation or a staycation?
Would you rather never listen to old songs again or never listen to new songs again?
Would you rather explore space or the ocean?
Would you rather remember everything or be able to wipe off your memories at will?
Would you rather have cakes or cookies?
Would you rather discuss misunderstandings or just forget about them?
Would you rather go without coffee all your life or breakfast?
Would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?
Would you rather be too hot or too cold?
Would you rather get away with the lies you tell or detect the lies you are told?
Would you rather there was a robot apocalypse or a zombie apocalypse?
Would you rather get the chance to multiply your income or win the lottery with a time condition?
Would you rather work from home or in an office?
Would you rather receive cash or gifts for your birthday?
Would you rather have your favorite food or your favorite drink?
Would you rather be unable to go out during the day or at night?
Would you rather give up your favorite TV show or your favorite music?
Would you rather have separate offices or an open office plan?
Would you rather have physical or virtual meetings?

— Virtual-Only Icebreaker Questions

These questions can help remote team members relax, which is important to get over the awkwardness and uncertainty that many may feel over Zoom. So here are some questions tailored for remote work:

Show us the weirdest thing you have in the room right now?
Would you like to give us a quick tour of your office space?
How do you take a break while working from home?
What has been your favorite thing to do while working from home?
What apps can you not do without while working from home?
What work from home tip has helped you focus the most?
Share something new in your workspace today
What new things have you learned about yourself while working from home?
When you wake up in the morning, what’s the first thing you see?
What’s your pet peeve while working from home?
Do you prefer Slack or Zoom for virtual meetings?
Do you often get bored when working from home?
How fast does time go by when working from home?
Share one thing no one on this call would guess about you or your home.
What’s your go-to excuse for being late to virtual meetings?
Which do you prefer; video-on or audio-only calls?
If you had the chance to never work again, would you take it?
What’s the most difficult part of having a virtual meeting?
When working remotely, do you leave the TV or music on to pretend you are working with people, or are you fine with absolute silence?
What’s your favorite social media platform, and how often do you take social media breaks when working?

— Funny Icebreaker Questions

These questions are not by themselves funny, but you can count on them to generate funny answers that you and your team members can bond over. If you are in a tense situation stressing everyone out, these questions can help you get some much-needed laughter.

If you could be a supernatural creature, what creature would you choose and why?

What’s a ridiculous fashion trend?
How many times do you hit snooze on your alarm?
Do you have a pet? What’s the craziest thing it has ever done?
What slang did you overuse when it was in fashion?
What’s the strangest name you have ever been called?
How ugly is your laugh?
Name one weird thing about your hometown.
Which superpower would you prefer your enemy to have?
What was your best high school experience?
What’s your favorite dad joke?
How long would you last in a zombie apocalypse?
What color would you choose if you accepted a dare to eat crayons? Why?
Can you act out your favorite emoji?
What’s the funniest experience you’ve ever had?

Again, knowing which question is appropriate for what occasion is important. Suppose you also have limited time for your meetings. In that case, you must control the room to have time for the meeting agenda.

Other Team Building Exercises You Can Try

A group of colleagues on a team building high ropes course in a forest.

Apart from icebreaker questions, you can have several other team-building activities to make your meetings or team bonding sessions go smoothly. These games will help to diffuse tension and keep everyone interested, especially if they are done regularly.

Team bonding activities are not only good for keeping people’s interests, but they also reiterate the idea of being in a team and allow members to see for themselves the strengths of their colleagues and play crucial roles in bringing victory to their teams in a more relaxed and less demanding way.

Here are a few team-building exercises you can try:

— Compliment Circle/ Anonymous Appreciation Letters

Compliment circles are great because everyone gets flattered or appreciated for even the little things. Plus, it can also be a virtual team-building activity. This can be as easy as having a five minute break where each person has to compliment a team member that no one else has complimented.

Alternatively, you can have people write down their thoughts and collect them. However, you should think through the content before reading it aloud so no one is offended by anything.

— Solve a Puzzle

You can either get a puzzle piece set or use a brain teaser on which team members can brainstorm aloud. The latter is cheaper, so you can have team members put their heads together within a limited time and complete the task while you read out the questions and keep track of time.

If you want to take this a step further, have your team members reflect on each person’s contribution and the strategy they used to solve those problems. Even when they can’t solve most of the problems, have them reflect and discuss why they were unable to. This more accountable exercise allows team members to produce results as a unit.

— Show & Tell

This game allows team members to remember and brag about accomplishments. This game is best played between teams as it promotes the spirit of sportsmanship. It also lets each person stay updated on what others are working on.

During this session, you can pick a team to talk about their work, achievements, etc., and have people inter-team make suggestions, comments, and reservations on the project or ongoing work. Another advantage is that it allows each team to fully fathom out the details of their work as they discuss it. You can also have people from outside teams bring innovative and eye-opening ideas that no one on the team has considered.

— Scavenger Hunts

You can play this more relaxed game during work hours or field trips. This can help familiarize people with the terrain outside their usual seats and teams, stimulating their brains during the day. For example, you can hide something in the office, attach a generous prize to the winning team, and have team members work together to locate it. This could be a company artifact that they would need codes or company information to decode where it is located.

Another advantage of this game is that it would help new employees know the office terrains and interact with veterans, which will help to create a bond among and across teams quickly.

— Board Games

Board games are a proven traditional way to get people to work together and network. They are super effective, and even people who are not good at them can still enjoy the camaraderie.

People tend to loosen up over games like Pandemic, Apples to Apples, Codenames, Leather Domino, and Reverse Charades. However, there are several more you can check out.

The Bottom Line

The best way to create good synergy and increase productivity in your meetings and workplace is to ensure everyone is relaxed. You can use icebreaker questions at the start of the meeting or when you sense the energy is low or tense. Just ensure you use them at the right time and in an unoffending way.

You can try asking personal questions to get to know each team member; job-related ones to get insight on factors affecting team performance, and funny and weird ones that would help people relax and create bonds. These questions are also helpful when conducting a phone interview.

You should also practice other team-building activities such as having team members give compliments to one another, playing board games, show and tell, etc. This will facilitate good teamwork and improve the company culture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can team bonding improve productivity?

Team bonding can improve productivity in several ways. But the key reason it works is that it helps an employer or supervisor communicate to employees that they are invested in the success/ progress of the employees, which in turn keeps employees motivated and more willing to invest time and resources in the workplace.

Also, it helps break the ice. When guards are let down, ideas can flow easily in a less bureaucratic manner, enabling everyone to contribute as necessary to achieve desired results. Besides, during team bonding activities, you get to unveil the hidden potential of your employees and improve communication, especially between managers and subordinates.

What are other ways to unify a team?

There’s been an increase in team-building activities across the United States, yet reports state that several cross-functional teams are dysfunctional. So, it shows that before attempting icebreaker games, there are other things that an employer needs to put in place to promote good workplace synergy.

First, you need to set clear goals and communicate them effectively to your employees, then have each executive tie their goals to the central goals, codify the goals and make them accessible across management systems and levels, and most importantly, create a system where each employee can give input regularly.

Employee alignment is critical to unifying teams, so ensure that the goal is often reinforced. Also, you should ensure that you actively seek to resolve conflict without delay and use exercises to build team trust.

How do you motivate a broken team?

If you feel like you are a member or a leader of a team that’s been on a downward spiral for a while and you want to fix that quickly, here are a few steps you can try:

— Identify the Root Cause

The first thing you need to do is identify what went wrong. Usually, this can be the lack of a clear goal, lack of communication, or lack of accountability.

— Look Outside the Team

One mistake many people make when trying to fix a broken team is focusing all their energy on the team. Often, a team isn’t productive because of company structure, old systems, or ineffective policies that don’t align with the team’s work or processes. Be humble enough to question the processes instead.

— Create an Action Plan and Accountability Check

Make sure to incorporate a call to action into your meeting agenda. This allows everyone to know their roles. Also, ensure people account for their actions and inactions fairly. This will help individuals take responsibility and stay motivated.

What are the 5 stages of team development?

These are the five stages of group development, also known as Tuckman’s Stages. Tuckman first published them in his work, Developmental Sequence in Small Groups, in 1965. They are:

— Forming

This is the first stage where new employees meet, and teams are formed. It can be referred to as the orientation stage. The team defines goals and lays down ground rules and strategies.

— Storming

This is considered the most difficult stage for any team, as individual personalities begin to clash. Also, members will disagree on roles, responsibilities, authorities, and goals.

— Norming

At this stage, internal competition and conflict would have died down to a manageable extent as everyone begins to understand their roles and accommodate one another.

— Performing

This is the stage where there’s clear cohesion, team satisfaction, fulfillment, and high performance. Everyone understands team success and consequences as a unit.

— Adjourning

This is also called the mourning or ending phase. At this stage, most or all the team objectives have been achieved, and teams will start to be restructured. For example, new team members may be brought in or veterans assigned to new teams.