5 Virtual meeting icebreakers you can try

Virtual meetings are essential for remote teams. Besides keeping everyone updated on one another’s tasks and deadlines, online meetings foster teamwork by making the participants feel included.

However, getting all members of your team to actively participate can be a challenge. A great way to address this issue and engage everyone is to start with virtual meetings icebreakers. Here are five you can try:

1. Introductions

If the participants don’t know one another or you have someone new joining the meeting for the first time, then introductions should be a given. Have everyone mention a hobby or an interesting fact about themselves. This bit of information helps make new members feel more comfortable with their colleagues.

Alternatively, the new members can ask questions after everyone has shared their name, position, and other information. This approach helps new workers relate with and remember their colleagues better.

2. Favorites

Invite everyone to show their favorite thing or feature of their working environment. This could be their pet, a picture hanging on a nearby wall, or the view from their window. Have them discuss what they like about their choice. People like talking about things they’re interested in, so this activity preps everyone to join the work-related conversation later on.

3. Competition

One of the best ways to get people fired up is to awaken their competitive spirit. You can organize a trivia or quiz where the first one to give the correct answer gets a point. If you’re on Zoom, you can use the “Raise Hand” function. You may also use the chat box if you’re on another platform.

To make the game interesting for everyone, limit your questions to those most people are likely to know. Subjects like music, movies, and history work well for this purpose. You may give winners small prizes, such as a gift card or an extra 15 minutes of break time.

4. Would you rather

Before you begin the meeting, ask one of your team members a would-you-rather question. For example:

• Would you rather give up TV or never use social media again?
• Would you rather it’s always summer or always winter?
• Would you rather explore the ocean or outer space?
• Would you rather be Iron Man or Batman?
• Would you rather have world peace or cure all diseases?

Ask for a short explanation. Once the chosen team member has provided their answer, they can ask a different would-you-rather question to any of their coworkers. The randomness of both the questions and answers will keep everyone on their toes. This icebreaker is especially effective for virtual meetings after lunch, when people tend to be the least productive and energetic.

5. One word

People respond to remote working differently. Some like the flexibility the setup offers, while others prefer working at the office. It’s important to check on how your staff is coping — this icebreaker helps you do just that while drawing all participants’ attention.

Ask everyone to share one word that perfectly captures the way they feel at the moment. The catch is that no one is required to explain their chosen word. Additionally, the rest of the team must listen without responding to or interrupting the speaker. This icebreaker allows people to open up about and receive the kind of emotional or professional support they currently need.

If you want to maximize the benefits of your virtual meetings, it’s vital that everyone participates. Breaking the ice before you begin the meeting may seem like a waste of time at first blush, but it helps your remote team beat any feeling of awkwardness and prepares them for the discussion ahead.

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