15 Top Virtual Icebreakers For Team Meetings In 2023

Plus, it doesn’t require any real skill or prior knowledge — it’s pretty much just chance, so everyone at your meeting can participate without feeling bad if they lose. When your team members are remote, it can be a great idea to schedule icebreakers for virtual meetings an actual tour of each remote employee’s location! They can show their office space, guide the team through their home, or co-working space, or, if technology allows, livestream from a place they love in their city or town.

Have participants describe the city or town where they live, and name something they find iconic about that place. She created a slideshow of random travel pictures, started a story, and then called on one of our teammates to follow up on what she had said, based on what picture was currently up. This is a great alternative to the ‘turn to your neighbor’ kind of exercise – it’s interactive, and allows for more in-depth discussion between people. Introverts will appreciate this, as it feels more comfortable to share something in a pair, compared to the whole team. Then, he displayed people’s submissions on the screen and the team guessed who is who just from the three brands.

To break down the “work” barrier

Online escape rooms are immersive team-building activities that require collaboration and problem-solving skills, making them an exciting and engaging virtual icebreaker option for remote teams. In an online escape room, team members work together to solve a series of puzzles, riddles, and challenges in order to “escape” from a virtual environment within a given time limit. These activities not only test the team’s critical thinking and communication abilities, but also provide a unique and entertaining experience that can help foster team bonding and camaraderie.

You can have lots of fun engaging in this as it encourages relatability as team members share about their personal lives, beyond the scope of what they are known for professionally at work. When you participate as a manager in this activity, it fosters trust through helping them view you as down-to-earth and relatable. This is also a quick way for https://remotemode.net/ the others to get to know the newbie before working with them. Good virtual team building icebreakers let you understand how observant the other members are. After that, everyone will get thirty seconds to take in each other’s room or workstation visually. Next, switch off the cameras and move any one item around the room to another location.

Why virtual icebreakers are essential for remote teams

Set aside 15 minutes, ask the same question of everyone — or vary the question from person to person — and really get to know your team. Consider starting your virtual meeting by sharing a snack or coffee. To help encourage participation, consider sending gift cards to help defray the cost.