By Theyo Team
Getting Started Questions: Simple questions to get you started
If the team is still quite strange to each other, the questions listed here offer you a "gentle start" that promotes getting to know each other among colleagues. They can also be used as an impetus to start a team meeting or used during a team event.
- Where did you grow up?
- What hobbies do you have?
- What is your favorite season?
- Do you have a bucket list and which points are still open?
- Which ones have you already done?
- Where and how do you like to vacation?
- What do you like to do most at the weekend?
- Do you have a favorite book?
- What is your earliest childhood memory?
- What skills would you like to learn?
- What's one thing that instantly improves your day?
- What always makes you smile or put you in a good mood?
- What do you look forward to the most every day?
- What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?
- What are you looking forward to most on Mondays?
- What's your favorite meal?
- Do you have a favourite meal?
- Do you have a tattoo or would you like to have one?
- What do you particularly like to do in summer/winter?
- What's your favorite quote?
Funny questions for colleagues
When the team knows each other a little better and the first ice has already been broken, funnier or cheekier questions can be thrown at the team. You'll see, you'll definitely get to know your employees from a whole new perspective!
- What is your least useful talent?
- Is there a weird food combo you like?
- What is your strangest irrational fear?
- If (your) pet could talk, what would it say about you?
- What's the craziest thing you've ever done on a dare?
- Do you have a favorite karaoke song?
- Are there any funny traditions in your family?
- Which emoji do you use the most and why?
- Do you have a favorite joke?
- What was the most embarrassing situation you've ever found yourself in?
- What is the funniest thing you drew as a child?
Interesting introductory questions
The following questions are suitable - also individually as an impulse for starting a team meeting - for getting to know your colleagues more intensively. The answers will probably not come out of the blue, but they often reveal a lot about the other person.
- If you had a superpower, what would it be?
- Which songs belong to the soundtrack of your life?
- Tell your life story in one sentence.
- What is the strangest coincidence that has ever happened to you?
- What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?
- What are you particularly grateful for?
- What could you not do without for a day - apart from absolutely essential things?
- When did you first feel grown up?
- Whose opinion is most important to you?
- What is your earliest memory?
- What was the most amazing place you've ever traveled to?
- What skills would you most like to learn?
- What do you think your five year old self would particularly like about you?
- What is your favorite website or social media channel?
- Do you have an absolute favorite song?
- What was the best concert you've ever attended?
- What do you dislike that others seem to like?
- Which celebrity would you like to meet?
- Which question would you like to be asked more often?
- What's the best advice you've ever received?
- What's the worst advice you've ever received?
- Is there something you have wanted to do for a long time? Why haven't you done it yet?
- If you could relive a moment in your life, what would it be?
Introductory questions for a more formal work context
Some of the questions already listed may seem too private in a more formal work context. But even in teams with fixed hierarchies and more traditional group constellations, solid group cohesion is important. These questions help to promote getting to know each other in a team and thus strengthen the team spirit.
- What is your position?
- And what did you do before that?
- What was your first job?
- What jobs did you previously do alongside school/university?
- Email or meeting?
- SMS or call?
- Tea or coffee?
- What motivates you?
- And what inspires you?
- What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?
- What career advice would you give to your younger self?
- What's the best idea you've ever had in a job?
- What is the funniest story that has happened to you in the work context so far?
- Do you prefer to work from home or in the office?
- What has been the most interesting thing you have learned on the job so far?
- What made the collaboration?
- In which team have you been able to work best so far?
- What was the best team event/outing you've done so far?
- Have you ever made a mistake from which you were able to benefit later?
- What has been your absolute favorite project so far?
- If you didn't have to make money, what would you do?
- Who or what would be your absolute nightmare boss?
- If you had lived in the Middle Ages, what would your job have been?
- What do you hope your colleagues would say about you?
- If you could ban one question from interviews, what would it be?
Why so many questions?
The exchange of exciting information about each other is particularly valuable in order to get colleagues, teams or even external people to talk to each other and to make or deepen contacts. This question and answer game works especially well when people from all management levels participate and answer the questions openly and honestly. Ultimately, of course, the quality of getting to know each other stands and falls primarily with the openness and fun of answering. By the way: the questions are not only great in a work context, but are also a great opportunity to get to know friends or family again :-)
Are you looking for simple questions or questions about how to get started with a meeting? Here you will find icebreaker questions for (digital) introduction rounds . Before you start, do you need a really good warm-up? Here we have collected ideas on how you can start the meeting well with larger virtual groups .
Are you planning an event and not sure whether it will take place digitally or on site? Then take a look at our 5 tips for successful hybrid events . If you are looking for sustainable team events , you will surely find them here.
The ultimate get-to-know-you event?
And last but not least: Are you looking for the perfect activity for your digital introductory event? Because outside of the classic work context, getting to know each other often works much better. It doesn't matter whether it 's a customer event, team event or company party - we are happy to support you in the implementation of a great and delicious event!
FAQ
What are good introductory questions?
Good introductory questions are questions that reveal something personal or funny about a team member or colleague. Questions that are interesting and entertaining are best. Such questions and, above all, the answers that follow strengthen the relationship between the people who talk about them.
What are the best opening questions?
It always depends on the context in which the people who are getting to know each other relate to each other. Do they already know each other well because they have been working in a team for a long time? Then the participants can start directly with funny and also more personal questions. Do the colleagues only know each other vaguely, do they work together on projects irregularly, or are they just new to the team? Then it makes sense to start with more formal questions – the last questions in our list.
What is the difference between introductory questions and icebreaker questions?
The aim of icebreaker questions is actually - as the name suggests - to break the ice. They are mainly used at the beginning of meetings and are often shorter and easier to answer. Getting to know questions are mostly about getting to know each other better. While icebreaker questions are often only given for a short time, getting to know questions can lead to entire conversations. So the latter is really about having deeper conversations and learning something new, special, or funny about the other person.
How do I get to know my (new) team?
That's exactly why we wrote this article :-) The listed questions are excellent for this. Often, however, you get to know your team much better outside of the classic work context, for example on a company outing. Digital team events are also a great option, especially for teams that have a high proportion of employees working from home.
How do I start a team meeting?
The start of a team meeting defines the mood that follows. So if you choose a casual, communicative, or even fun start, chances are the meeting will go brilliantly. You can use our questions for this, for example, or pick out individual ones, which can then be shared with the group by anyone who wants to. If the whole thing takes place digitally, we have already put together a number of tips in our article "Virtual meetings: the best warm-ups".
What makes a good meeting?
The answer to this question depends entirely on the associated objective. Make yourself aware beforehand why you are calling the meeting and consider how you can best achieve the associated goal. It is also important that everyone has their say and not one individual who takes over the entire speech. A good team meeting is when everyone can say afterwards that they took something away from it and nobody feels left out.
How do I set up a team meeting?
This question is directly related to the previous one. Once the goal has been defined, it is time to plan and conduct a team meeting. After a short introduction - for example a short presentation or a few words to the team - a short warm-up can be carried out. Here, too, our questions are excellent. Afterwards, remember not to lose sight of the goal and to appreciate everyone's input, even if it sometimes seems difficult. Divergent contributions should be recognized but not take up too much space. A successful team meeting thrives on the balancing act of allowing spontaneity while not losing sight of the goal.
