The only list of get-to-know-you and icebreaker questions you'll ever need

My workplace has a monthly Friday afternoon catchup zoom meeting. We gather together onscreen from around the country, usually dressed to match a silly theme — or at least with an appropriately ridiculous zoom background.

During the meeting we celebrate birthdays, hear about what we have achieved during the month, and get to know any new people who’ve joined our teams.

For the very first meeting someone asked me if I’d interview the newcomers. I said, ‘sure’, bravely pulled together some light-hearted, get-to-know-you questions… and ended up keeping the job all year.

Soooo… if you’re looking for ice-breaker questions that will work for a zoom meeting (or any other gathering), you’ve come to exactly the right blog post because I’m about to share my favourites with you!

Here’s how my get to know you questions work for our zoom meetings.

• First, I reassure each new person that they have no need to be nervous! (It’s amazing how often they are!)

• I tell them to give the first answer that comes to the top of their head.

• Then I ask them five questions, rapid fire.

The get to know you questions are designed to be funny, quirky and just a little bit unusual. I’ve sourced a few from different lists over the year, but mostly they come from my head. Each person gets a different list of four questions, just to make it more fun — and then everyone gets the same final question.

That last question is always this one: “What do your friends say you’re really good at.”

The reason I ask this is because I want our newcomers to feel celebrated for their talents and abilities. In some workplaces, people might be overly forthcoming and braggy about their achievements. I don’t know. I haven’t worked in a place like that!

But our workplace attracts a genuinely humble, lovely group of people. And because of that, I like to invite our newcomers to own and feel comfortable with what they’re good at from the very start.

(And obviously, it’s easier to say what your friends think you’re good at and keep some distance in your answer rather than be all embarrassed to say what you think you’re good at.)

The only list of get-to-know-you and icebreaker questions you’ll ever need

Here we go. Feel free to use any of the list of get to know you and icebreaker questions below! You could use them in your zoom meetings, or in your in person meetings. You could even use them as icebreaker questions for school or youth group, or any other gathering.

When you were eight, what did you want to be when you grew up?
The Cricket world cup [insert other sporting event] is on. Would you rather go to the event or watch it at home?
A smell that takes you back to childhood
What’s a favourite possession that’s within reach right now and that you can show us?

What’s something not many people know about you
What’s something you've learned this year
Your alternative career: what would you do if you weren't doing this?
The best mentor or teacher you've ever had

Describe your relationship with poetry
Where would we find you in a bookstore
If only one music genre existed - what would you want it to be?
Time of day you are least productive?

Who is your superhero alter ego
Favourite emoji - and most used emoji
The perfect two day holiday would be...
To understand you well, what's something we should know?

If you had one possession to save from your burning house, what would it be?
Do you have a standard joke you tell, and what is it?
Sparkly or smooth? (For anything)
What always makes you laugh?

Can you tell your life story in exactly one sentence?
What’s the best outfit currently in your repertoire?
Favourite random fact?
What's your YouTube rabbit hole of choice?

It's winter: what colour is your winter jacket and what colour do you want it to be?
Your favourite item or activity when you were 7 years old?
Describe your relationship with dance?
What are two things on your bucket list you'd really like to do one day?

Adrenaline holiday in NZ or a cabana on the beach in Thailand?
Which is your preferred story genre - book, TV, film or other?
Did you have a nickname growing up and will you share it with us?
Would you rather cook, or be cooked for?

Did you make any rash pandemic purchases? (And if you could have, what would they have been?)
Fluffy or smooth (for anything)?
It’s Christmas: are you a Grinch or a Christmas fanatic?
When it comes to shoes: would you purchase the 'moderately smart, very comfortable' pair, or the 'moderately comfortable, exceptionally smart' pair?

The last book you read/movie you watched/TV series you binged
Snow holiday or sand holiday?
What are you eating today and why?
What's your ‘aesthetic’ of choice?

An unusual talent or party trick that you have that you don't bring out too often?
Would you rather be a farmer or a financial trader and why?
A gift you've received sometime in your life that you thought was the best ever?
Indoor plants or nah? Discuss.

Any unexpected benefits to your life from the pandemic?
Your favourite age so far in life?
Something you’ve purchased recently that you LOVE?
Colour palette: Spring, Corporate, Pastels or Goth?

Something that other people would consider trivial but which really annoys you?
Do you veer towards being more artsy, more sporty or more nerdy?
If someone gave you a restaurant voucher to anywhere in your city, no limits on the amount, where would you spend it and what would you eat?
The Olympics is on: what’s your reaction?

Current favourite item in your wardrobe?
Would you rather be the person asking these questions or answering them?
Where 1 is perfectly calm and orderly, and 5 is chaos, where’s your comfortable place?
Discuss your relationship with grocery shopping

Apartment in the city, great views but no garden, or house in the suburbs and a nice patch of ground to dig in?
Your go-to meal when you just can’t be bothered?

Are you more afraid of heights or sharks?
Exercise: in your life is this something you avoid or embrace?
Discuss your relationship to parties?
If they made a story about your life, would you rather have it as a book, a film or a stage musical?

And… what do your friends say you’re really good at?

Let me know if you use these get-to-know-you and icebreaker questions - and which ones worked best for your group!