Raise your hand if you’ve hired and onboarded an employee remotely in the past year. At this point, we’re well aware that It can be difficult to onboard and acclimate new hires in the remote workforce. And if you’re the new employee, when you begin to work for a company, you’re typically introduced to the entire team, you can talk by the coffee machine, and have elevator chatter. When you’re fully remote there’s no chance of these casual interactions happening. 

In fact, in normal work times, new hires may feel disconnected even if they are on-site, as it takes time to get to know people and build relationships. When remote work is added to this equation not only do new hires feel disconnected, but it’s likely their productivity decreases as well. A recent survey Ten Spot conducted found that 54% of Gen Z workers, who are joining the workforce for the first time now, report being less productive when working from home. To remedy this Ten Spot has found that introducing icebreakers across meetings and other virtual events is a very effective way for new hires and their new teams to get to know each other and establish and solidify new team dynamics. 

Icebreakers, by definition, are things that are said and done that help people relax and begin talking in social situations - they might seem a bit cheesy but they’re an easy way to create connections in the distributed workforce. There’s a critical need to recreate a way for employees to truly connect in a virtual work world, and Icebreakers take away the awkwardness of those initial conversations not just for the employer, but also for the new hire. It gets the dialogue going and makes both parties feel more comfortable. 

To get your organization started with virtual icebreakers, we’ve included a list of ten of the most engaging icebreakers our customers have experienced. So, get ready to have fun and get to know your coworkers better by talking about your first concerts, favorite movies, hidden talents, and more!

The Best Virtual Icebreakers

1. Favorite childhood smell?
2. Favorite childhood toy?
3. Biggest pet peeve?
4. All-time favorite movie?
5. What is your go-to karaoke song?
6. What was the first concert you went to?
7. What has been your favorite vacation?
8. What was your first job?
9. What would be your last meal on earth?
10. If you could have one superhero skill, what would it be?
11. Do you have any hidden talents?
12. Have you ever met a celebrity?
13. What is your favorite binge-worthy TV series?
14. What is your favorite holiday?
15. What was your favorite Halloween costume?