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25 questions

Icebreaker questions for remote teams

Remote teams lose the small moments that build trust in an office: the chat by the coffee machine, the walk to lunch, the quick question over a desk. A good icebreaker puts a few of those moments back at the start of a call.

These questions are built for video calls. Most of them invite people to share something from where they are right now, which gives quieter teammates an easy, concrete thing to talk about and lets everyone see a little more of the person behind the camera.

What does your workspace look like right now, and what is one thing in it you would never give up?

All 25 questions

  1. What does your workspace look like right now, and what is one thing in it you would never give up?
  2. What is the best tip you have for staying focused when working from home?
  3. Which time of day do you do your best work?
  4. What is something in your room right now that the rest of us cannot see on camera?
  5. What is your go-to drink while working?
  6. If you could work from any city in the world for a month, where would you go?
  7. What is one small habit that makes your workday better?
  8. How do you mark the end of your workday when home is also the office?
  9. What is the most useful app or tool you have discovered while working remotely?
  10. What is something you miss about working in an office, and something you do not miss at all?
  11. Do you have a pet or a plant that keeps you company during the day? Introduce them.
  12. What is the weather like where you are right now?
  13. What did you have for lunch yesterday?
  14. What is one thing about your local area that a visitor should not miss?
  15. Which do you prefer for focused work: total silence, background music or ambient noise?
  16. What is the most unusual place you have ever joined a call from?
  17. How do you take a proper break during the day?
  18. What is a song you have on repeat at the moment?
  19. If our team had a mascot, what should it be?
  20. What is one thing that would make our online meetings better?
  21. What is a hobby you picked up since you started working remotely?
  22. What does a perfect weekend look like where you live?
  23. What advice would you give someone starting their first remote job?
  24. Which local food should everyone on this call try at least once?
  25. What is something you learned from a teammate in another time zone?

Tips for using these questions

  • Go round in a set order so nobody has to jump in over someone else. The turn picker makes the order for you.
  • Keep answers to about 30 seconds each, or the warm-up eats the meeting.
  • Let people pass. A forced answer does more harm than a skipped one.
  • Ask the same question to everyone, including the person running the call.

Need a speaking order or groups? The team generator and turn picker makes them in one click. For more ideas, read how to run an icebreaker that people actually enjoy.

Questions people ask

How many remote teams questions should I use in one session?

One question is enough for a regular meeting. For a workshop or a team's first session, two or three work well. Save the rest for later meetings so they stay fresh.

What if someone does not want to answer?

Let them pass, without comment. A forced answer makes the whole group less comfortable, and the point of an icebreaker is the opposite.

Can I print this list?

Yes. Print the page from your browser, or copy the questions into your own slides or notes.

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