Icebreaker questions

Alternative Titles: Icebreakers

Located in: Work

Last updated: April 19, 2024

What is something that gives you energy at work?
What is something that drains your energy at work?
What got you interested in this position?
Who or what inspires you to do your best work?
What is something that motivates you at work?
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Are there any skills you’re hoping to learn?
What is your dream career?
What do you do to stay productive at work?
What are some work challenges you had to overcome?
What is your favorite part of your job?
What is your favorite book you have read?
What was your first job?
What is your favorite travel destination?
What are some pet peeves you have?
What is your favorite hobby?
What do you like to do during your free time?
What is your favorite quote?
Who is someone who inspires you?
What is a memory you cannot forget?
What is your favorite genre of music?
How do you think people would describe you?
Tell a lie and a true thing about yourself. Let others guess which is which.
If you were alive in time period X, what do you think your line of work would have been or how would you have earned a living?
What is your most trivial, useless, or flat-out counter-productive superpower?
What was your favorite activity as a 10-year-old?
What activities, realizations, or new ways of doing things will you (try to) keep from this past year?
What is the dumbest thing you made your parents buy for you as a kid?
What topic do you wish was a college major but isn't?
What would you write on a gigantic billboard?
What random stranger from your life do you think about or (even talk about) regularly?
Without using the title of your job, tell me what you do.
Describe something that’s made you smile this week.
What is your favorite body of water? Why?
If you had to describe how you're feeling right now as a weather pattern, what's your forecast?
If you did not have to sleep, how would you spend the extra 8 hours?
If you weren't doing your current job, what would your dream job be?
If you had to take a bath in a food, which food would it be?
Would you rather be able to speak every language in the world fluently, or be able to play every musical instrument as well as a virtuoso?
If you had unlimited resources, what frivolous thing would you collect? Not books. It has to be frivolous.
Fav Quote/life lesson?
What product do you love the most and why? Can be anything, doesn't have to be technology, can even be an ingredient etc.
If you had an opportunity to be granted any power what would it be and why?
Would you rather have unlimited international first-class tickets or never have to pay for food at restaurants?
What was the weirdest thing a guest has done at your home?
What is the worst thing you ate?
What type of food could you eat every day?
If you could go to a fictional place, where would you go?
If you were stuck on a deserted island, what three things would you have?
Would you survive a zombie apocalypse?
Which decade would you like to live in?
Something you consider essential that others would not.
If you can bring back 3 celebrities / famous people from history, who would they be?
What's your favourite lunch of the week?
Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?
What's the best movie you saw this year?
If we were still in the middle ages what job would you like to have?
What's your biggest pet peeve
What was the last lie that you told to a loved one/friend?
What cheers you up or makes you happy when you're feeling down
What is a bad habit of yours
What are you currently craving?
If you could be friends with any fictional character (from a book, tv show, movie, etc), who would it be?
What is something you're good at? It could be anything (i.e. a skill, hobby, craft, etc.)
What is your favourite colour in RGB?
What is your favourite cocktail?
What advice would you give to your younger self?
What's your favourite Jamaican patty brand?
What's your favourite Chinese restaurant?
What's your favourite go-to late night out food?
What's your favourite Greek restaurant?
What's your favourite Italian restaurant?
What's your favourite dim sum restaurant?
What's your favourite Thai restaurant?
What's your favourite Vietnamese restaurant?
What's your favourite Jamaican restaurant?
What's your favourite Bubble tea spot?
Do you love working from home or would you rather be in the office? Is there a balance of both that you like best?
What’s the hardest part about working virtually for you? The easiest?
Do you have a dedicated office space at home?
Show us your office space!
Where do you work most frequently from at home? Your office? Your kitchen table? The backyard? Your bed?
Be honest, how often do you work from bed?
What did you eat for breakfast?
What does your morning routine look like when working from home?
What’s your number one tip for combating distractions when working from home?
How do you stay productive and motivated working virtually?
What does your typical work from home uniform look like?
How many cups of coffee, tea, or beverage-of-choice do you have each morning?
Are you an early bird or night owl?
What about showers? Do you prefer morning or night?
What’s one thing we could do to improve our virtual meetings?
What’s your favorite flower or plant?
What’s your caffeinated beverage of choice? Coffee? Cola? Tea?
What’s your favorite scent?
What’s the last great TV show or movie you wanted?
Best book you’ve ever read?
Best professional development book you’ve ever read?
If you could learn one new professional skill, what would it be?
What’s your favorite way to get in some exercise?
If you could write a book, what genre would you write it in? Mystery? Thriller? Romance? Historical fiction? Non-fiction?
What is one article of clothing that someone could wear that would make you walk out on a date with them?
The zombie apocalypse is coming, who are 3 people you want on your team?
What is your most used emoji?
What was the worst style choice you ever made?
What was the worst haircut you ever had?
Who was your childhood actor/actress crush?
If you were a wrestler what would be your entrance theme song?
Have you ever been told you look like someone famous, who was it?
If you could bring back any fashion trend what would it be?
What’s the most embarrassing fashion trend you used to rock?
What did you name your first car?
Does your current car have a name? What is it?
You have your own late night talk show, who do you invite as your first guest?
If a movie was made of your life what genre would it be, who would play you?
If you were famous, what would you be famous for?
You have to sing karaoke, what song do you pick?
What was your least favorite food as a child? Do you still hate it or do you love it now?
If you had to eat one meal everyday for the rest of your life what would it be?
If you were left on a deserted island with either your worst enemy or no one, which would you choose? Why?
If aliens landed on earth tomorrow and offered to take you home with them, would you go?
60s, 70s, 80s, 90s: Which decade do you love the most and why?
What’s your favorite sandwich and why?
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
When you die, what do you want to be remembered for?
What is your favorite item you’ve bought this year?
What would be the most surprising scientific discovery imaginable?
What is your absolute dream job?
What would your talent be if you were Miss or Mister World?
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Say you’re independently wealthy and don’t have to work, what would you do with your time?
If you had to delete all but 3 apps from your smartphone, which ones would you keep?
What is your favorite magical or mythological animal?
What does your favorite shirt look like?
Who is your favorite Disney hero or heroine? Would you trade places with them?
What would your dream house be like?
If you could add anyone to Mount Rushmore who would it be; why?
You’re going sail around the world, what’s the name of your boat?
What fictional family would you be a member of?
What is your favorite television network?
What sport would you compete in if you were in the Olympics?
Who is the better businessman or business woman and why? (Example: Justin Timberlake or Justin Bieber?)
What was the worst job you ever had?
You can have anyone fictional as your imaginary friend, who do you choose and why?
What would your superpower be and why?
Which band / artist – dead or alive would play at your funeral?
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
What’s your favorite tradition or holiday?
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
What is your favorite breakfast food?
What is your favorite time of the day and why?
Coffee or tea?
Teleportation or flying?
What is your favorite TV show?
What book, movie read/seen recently you would recommend and why?
What breed of dog would you be?
If you had a time machine, would go back in time or into the future?
Do you think you could live without your smartphone (or other technology item) for 24 hours?
What is your favorite dessert?
What was your favorite game to play as a child?
Are you a traveler or a homebody?
What’s one career you wish you could have?
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
What’s your favorite place of all the places you’ve travelled?
Have you ever met your idol or someone you revere greatly?
Have you ever completed anything on your “bucket list”?
Do you have a favorite plant?
What did you have for breakfast this morning?
What was the country you last visited outside of Canada?
What’s is one thing we don’t know about you?
What is your favorite meal to cook and why?
Are you a morning person or a night person?
What is your favorite musical instrument and why?
Are you a cat person or a dog person?
What languages do you know how to speak?
Popcorn or M&Ms?
What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever eaten?
What’s the most out-of-character thing you’ve ever done?
What is your cellphone wallpaper?
You can have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what is it? Sushi? Scotch Tape?
What’s your best scar story?
Would you go with aliens if they beamed down to Earth?
Are you sunrise, daylight, twilight, or nighttime? Why?
What season would you be?
Are you a good dancer?
What fruit or vegetable would you most want to be?
If you could hang out with any cartoon character, who would you choose and why?
If you could live anywhere in the world for a year, where would it be?
If you could commit any crime and get away with it what would you choose and why?
If you could choose any person from history to be your imaginary friend, who would it be and why?
If you could see one movie again for the first time, what would it be and why?
If you could bring back any fashion trend what would it be?
If you could live in any country, where would you live?
If you could choose any two famous people to have dinner with who would they be?
If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you choose to be?
If you could do anything in the world as your career, what would you do?
If you could be any supernatural creature, what would you be and why?
If you could change places with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
If you could rename yourself, what name would you pick?
If you could have someone follow you around all the time, like a personal assistant, what would you have them do?
If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?
If you could be guaranteed one thing in life (besides money), what would it be?
If you had to teach a class on one thing, what would you teach?
If you could magically become fluent in any language, what would it be?
If you could be immortal, what age would you choose to stop aging at and why?
If you could be on a reality TV show, which one would you choose and why?
If you could choose any person from history to be your imaginary friend, who would it be and why?
If you could eliminate one thing from your daily routine, what would it be and why?
If you could go to Mars, would you? Why or why not?
If you could have the power of teleportation right now, where would you go and why?
If you could write a book that was guaranteed to be a best seller, what would you write?
Would you rather live in the ocean or on the moon?
Would you rather meet your travel back in time to meet your ancestors or to the future to meet your descendants?
Would you rather lose all of your money or all of your pictures?
Would you rather have invisibility or flight?
Would you rather live where it only snows or the temperature never falls below 100 degrees (37.7C)?
Would you rather always be slightly late or super early?
Would you rather give up your smartphone or your computer?
Would you rather live without heat and AC or live without social media?
Would you rather be the funniest or smartest person in the room?
Would you rather be able to run at 100 miles per hour or fly at 10 miles per hour?
Would you rather be a superhero or the world’s best chef?
Would you rather be an Olympic gold medallist or an astronaut?
What did you eat for breakfast? It could be eggs, toast, congee, “I don’t eat breakfast” or countless other options.
What is your role in the company? Everyone is invited to share a little bit more about what they do.
What are your favourite pizza toppings? From pepperoni to olives, every ingredient is valid.
Can you speak any other languages? Parlez-vous français? 你会中文吗?
Where were you born? Less sensitive to answer than its close relative, “when were you born?”
Which season is your favourite? Some people actually love winter, but for the rest of us there is spring, summer and fall.
Have you ever traveled outside of the country? The U.S., Canada, and Mexico count!
Do you play any sports? There are the typical answers like basketball, soccer, and baseball; but maybe there is a cricket player or pole vaulter among you.
Do you have any pets? A gold fish counts.
Are you allergic to anything? Always good information to know.
What did you dress up as for last Halloween? Hopefully appropriate answers, get ideas for next year!
Do you have any Christmas traditions? Italian families make seven-fish Christmas Eve dinners, some people get new pajamas, and others make special baked goods.
Do you play any musical instruments? Singing counts.
Do you know any good jokes? Or corny dad jokes, everyone loves a good dad joke.
What was the last movie you attended? Another way to find out if your co-workers have kids.
Where did you grow up? Learn about growing up in a different part of the country, or even the world!
Have you ever met a celebrity? Participants may have great stories of how they randomly ran into Tom Cruise or Jennifer Aniston.
Do you have any siblings? Take this opportunity to explain your competitive nature.
What college did you attend? You may meet a fellow alumni from your alma mater.
What did you study in college? You never know if people switched fields!
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up? Are you living out your dream? Are you being a Princess? A Cowboy?
Did you have an imaginary friend as a child? This is a sure way to bring up some great childhood stories.
What book are you currently reading? Discuss your current book and maybe get some suggestions for your next great read.
Have you ever broken a bone? If yes, then follow up with the story!
Do you make your bed in the morning? Some people feel very strongly about this.
How many pairs of shoes do you own? A minimalist may only have 2 pairs whereas a fashionista may own 30+.
Have you ever been in a car accident? Hopefully it is a ‘No!’
What is your Starbucks Order? Holiday drinks included.
What is the farthest distance you have driven? Participants may have moved cross country or only to the other side of the state if they hate driving.
How many books did you read last year? No shame if it was zero, just say you were busy working!
What’s your favourite show on Netflix? It doesn’t have to be Netflix, but everyone can relate to a good show.
What book would you recommend other people read? Goosebumps! Hardy Boys! Berenstain Bears! Each Peach Pear Plum! Love You Forever!
Would you prefer luxury beach vacations or backpacking? Believe it or not, some folks prefer squeaky hostel beds and local street vendors over five star amenities.
What is something you are looking forward to? An upcoming anniversary, a new pet or just being able to hang out on the weekend. This ice breaker is also an exercise in positive thinking.
Has your taste in music changed in the last 10 years? Some people will be rocking the 80s forever, but for the rest of us there is Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and the Pentatonix.
What is something you do that you don’t like to do? Nobody likes taking out the garbage, except racoons.
What is your favourite fast food restaurant? Chipotle, In-N-Out, and Panda Express to name a few.
Who is the greatest cook you know? It could be their mom or maybe their partner makes an excellent risotto.
Do you have a favourite sports team? Any sport! Any team! Maybe you only watch sports every four years at the Olympics, that is ok as well.
What board game are you unbeatable at? Some people excel at Monopoly or a secret strategy Ticket To Ride, what’s yours?
Are you artistic? This is a great open question that allows for all sort of creativity to be expressed!
Do you prefer wine or beer and why? Merlot, Riesling, IPA, or Amber?
Do you enjoy cooking or baking? Not all cooks are bakers and not all bakers are cooks.
What game show do you think you could win? A lot of people have a knack for trivia and can master endless Jeopardy rounds.
If you won the lottery and you had to spend the money on yourself, how would you spend it? Cars, gambling, houses, vacations, time to dream big!
Are you a more Type A or Type B person? You could be a Type B in a sea of Type A’s.
What is your favourite app? If you would like, make it more specific like gaming app or productivity app.
If you had to move to another country, where would you move? Find out how adventurous your co-workers are.
What is your favorite Christmas movie? There are tons of Christmas movies, which one really gets you in the Christmas mood?
Do you prefer to work in an office or from home? Discover more about your coworker’s working style. Do they tend to get distracted more at work or at home?
What is your cocktail of choice? There is nothing wrong with vodka cranberries!
What food can you not stand? Take note of what your boss says for the next potluck.
What is the greatest gift you have ever received? This could be a bike they received when they were a kid or a puppy their significant other gave them!
Are you a dog or cat person? This may be a bit polarizing, proceed with caution.
Do you have any pet peeves? This is a great opportunity to subtly give one of your coworkers a heads up.
Is there a dish you cook exceptionally well? Some people can cook up a mean stir fry or are hold a masters in grilling.
Who is your least favorite actor? Many people prefer a movie without Nicolas Cage or Anne Hathaway, bond over your dislike of bad acting!
Do you work better in the morning or at night? Figure out when people are the most productive.
What is something you would like to learn? This could be a sport, instrument, or hobby.
Do you have any short term goals? What are you looking to achieve within the next year? It could be a promotion, side project, or weight loss.
What time period could you see yourself living in? Some people feel they were born in the wrong era, looking to embrace their inner 1920’s glam or 60’s Twiggy.
Which is typically better, the book or the movie? Some people prefer more detailed stories, others love the cinema magic!
What are you the biggest fan of? Sports, movies, music….what subject do you know all about?
Do you have a favourite childhood video game? Did you play Sims, Mario Kart, or Doom when you were a kid? Some participants may have never played video games!
What is one place you have always wanted to visit? Your top bucket list location, this can be Hawaii, Thailand, Iceland, or the moon for the dreamers.
What is your go to movie theater snack? Some people cannot watch a movie without buttery popcorn, chocolate, or a soda.
If you could drive any car, what car would you drive? Your boss may have a dream of driving a convertible corvette down PCH or a VW bus across Route 66.
What is your favorite work lunch? Some of us like PB&J and leftovers, others like to get creative with Bento Box lunches.
Do you enjoy rollercoasters? If yes, what is the best roller coaster you have been on?
What would you pick to add to your coffee, Baileys, Amaretto, or Whisky? Add a little kick to your coffee.
Do you prefer to dance in the rain or stay cozy inside? Participants may prefer to stay warm inside while others are carefree and can stand the cold!
What is the best Tv show of all time? Friends, Lost, Breaking Bad, and Survivor to name a few.
What is your favourite baked good? Cake, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, I’m hungry!
If you could act in any movie, what movie would you be in? Wish you could have been Rose in Titanic? Maybe you would have stuck up for Leo and let him on the door.
Say you were given a kitten, what would you name him/her? Fido, Muffins, Mr. Theodore, or Killer…
What is your favorite scent? Lavender, coconut, and fresh laundry are a few popular options.
If you created a photo calendar, what photo would you put for November? It can be any month!
What has been on your ‘to-do’ list the longest? Has it taken you forever to get that chair fixed change the oil in your car? What are you procrastinating at?
What do you enjoy most about the holidays? Family, hot chocolate, good food, Christmas lights or are you the Grinch?
Where would you love to go for a relaxing holiday? The caribbean, Hawaii, a cruise, the mountains, or just stay at home!?
What is the best hotel you have ever stayed at? Visit an overwater villa in the Pacific? Or a cozy log cabin in the mountains that felt right at home?
If you could collect anything, what would it be? Cars, postcards, expensive shoes, art…
What is your favourite local joint? Do you enjoy the mom and pop Italian place down the street? Or an ice cream parlor that is your towns biggest secret?
What is your favourite store? Target, Costco, Forever 21, GameStop, where can we find you?
Do you prefer team or individual sports? This could be very telling about a person’s personality.
What is the best concert you have ever been to? Participants may have seen an amazing local band or really enjoyed seeing Beyonce with thousands of other people, take your pick!
If you could add anything to the office what would it be? This could be exciting, maybe it is a keurig, nap room, standing desk, or vending machine.
Assuming you have an office with a view, what would you want the view to be of? It would be nice if we all could have an office with a view so what would you pick, a beach view, your city of choice on the 80th floor, or rolling mountains?
What has been the best team building event you have been to? Either get some new ideas or revisit the event in future years!
What fashion trend needs to end now? Before you admit to hating man buns make sure no one is rocking one in the room.
When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Hopefully everyone in your office is up to date.
If you could start any business in the world, what would you start? Assuming money is not an issue; this could be in the restaurant, non-profit, car industry, or the next Target!
What do you cover your frozen yogurt with? Are you more of a fruit and nuts or cookie dough and brownie person?
What was your favourite class in college? It is ok if it has nothing to do with your current field!
If given the opportunity, would you go to space? Think you could handle it or does the idea make you moon-sick?
What is your preferred jelly bean flavor? Buttered popcorn! Melon! Blueberry!
Name a piece of technology you wish existed. Could be anything from hover cars to time machines.
Is a hot dog a sandwich? Let the debate begin!
What is your favourite quote? Anyone from Shakespeare to Coco Chanel, who moves you?
What is something that frustrates you at work? Eek! The truth can hurt and the truth can set you free. Ask this question to learn what’s really up at the office.
Do you support any charities? This question can reveal some of your team’s’ most intimate beliefs.
Where do you picture yourself five years from now? Add a disclaimer to improve the comfort level: “we know and support that not everyone plans to stick with us for life.”
Is there a habit you want to change? Quitting smoking, jogging, going to bed earlier; everyone has a habit they want to change.
Are you close with your family? This can be an opportunity for people to talk about their family or dodge the question.
What is your favourite place on the planet? It may be a favourite vacation spot or their home town. It can be anywhere they have fond memories!
Do you have any hidden talents? Maybe you are working among people that can hula, juggle, or do impressive Yo-yo tricks.
How do you spend your weekends? Some people enjoy relaxing outside while others enjoy taking weekend trips.
Would you describe yourself as a clean or messy person? Find out who’s car you want to be in for the next lunch outing.
What management style do you prefer? Some people respond better to detailed managers while others prefer a more general approach.
What sort of physical exercise do you enjoy? Some people enjoy cardio, strength, yoga, or even just a walk in the park.
Do you prefer to receive recognition in public or private? Always good information to know about the people you are managing. Different employees prefer their office to know about their good work or is an e-mail just fine.
Do you consider yourself a trusting person? Trust, is it earned or given freely?
Do you prefer to avoid or confront conflict? You may already know the answer from some of your coworkers.
How do you feel is the best way to overcome challenges in life? There are plenty of resources people turn to. It may be religion, family, or even work!
What is the most adventurous thing you have done? Has someone in your office gone bungee jumping, skydiving, or scuba diving? For some people simply flying on an airplane is adventurous!
What book do you wish you could read for the first time again? Wish you could revisit the joy of reading Harry Potter for the first time or the thrill of 1984?
What is the strangest food you have eaten? Escargot, foie gras, vegemite, or balut to name a few.
Do you have a guilty pleasure? Bad reality TV, fried oreos, or eating fried oreos while watching bad reality TV…
What do you enjoy most about your job? Is it the people, flexible hours, or perks? Be worried if they cannot come up with an answer…Uh oh.
What is the greatest lesson you learned from your parents? It can be something simple like the golden rule or advice on how to handle a bully.
What is your favorite photograph? It could be professional or personal. It may be of your passed pet, your parents, or the V-J Day Kiss photo.
What is the best date you have been on? Lovely dinner then a long walk on the beach maybe or wine tasting and drive through the countryside.
In high school did you receive a superlative? Did you receive most likely to succeed? Maybe it was best smile or best eyes.
What is the best way to get over a breakup? Fried oreos and bad reality TV?
What has been the best day of your life, so far? For some it will be a wedding or a birth, others may remember when they got their first bike or graduated from college.
What has been the greatest accomplishment of your career? This can be especially interesting for the more seasoned participants.
What do you want to do when you retire? It is finally time to write your memoir or travel the country in an RV!
Do you have any tattoos? You can just skip this question if you work at a tattoo parlor.
Use one word to describe your childhood bedroom. It could be pink, cars, Hawaiian, or Star Wars (still counts as one word).
Would you rather work from home or work in an office or do you like the idea of a combo of both?
Where do you spend most of your day?
Are you more productive in a home office, at the kitchen table, from bed?
How often do you work in PJs?
Be honest – how often do you end up sucked into a chore during the work day?
What’s one part of your morning routine?
Coffee? Tea? Water? A triple shot of espresso? What’s the first thing you drink when you wake up?
Do you eat breakfast regularly?
Do you work better at home with background noise? Is the TV on? Radio?
Do you like working from your house or prefer to go to coffee shops/co-working spaces?
Are you a G-Cal kind of person or do you still prefer a physical planner?
Do you take notes or jot down ideas online or with a pen and paper?
Do you have lunch at home or head out to grab something to eat?
Are you more likely to get sucked into a social media rabbit hole when you work from home?
Do you have any pets in your office?
What kind of art would you hang, or have you hung already, hang in your office?

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