This will ensure that your new employee gets to know their colleagues and fosters interpersonal relationships and connectedness. This will give them more context; they won't be surprised about the new joiner and will, in turn, make the new employee feel more welcome. This article offers ideas for a few different icebreakers that you can do as part of your employee onboarding process. However, the best e-gifts to offer virtual teams are cards that participants can redeem globally. Give each employee an A4 sheet of paper, and give them five minutes to create the tallest free-standing structure possible. 2 How do you introduce a team member in virtual meeting? Team building content expert. Hire a professional chef to help your team cook a delicious lunch or dinner. Your submission has been received! Here are answers to common questions about virtual team introduction ideas. If two or more participants call out a number, then players will begin the countdown from one. Virtual introductions provide a convenience that would be difficult to achieve through face-to-face conversations. What was the main color in our original logo. 15 Creative and Fun Team Building Ideas for Remote Teams - Align Setting up a buddy system is a sure way to strengthen a sense of community in your organization. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. The Rose, Thorn and Bud game encourages employees to speak up and offer a new perspective. The way you deliver your introduction matters since you are introducing yourself for the first time virtually and not in person. 1. Workers can redeem these gift cards by purchasing a wide variety of items from authorized retailers. 1 How do you introduce a new team member in zoom? The two-word check-in activity is a fantastic option if you are looking for virtual meeting introduction ideas. The Countdown Game is an interesting activity that you can use to introduce virtual teams. In my latest book, focused on how to build a great remote team culture, I explore a few ways teams can help take care of each other by carving out more time for joy in their days. The volunteer now has to make their guess, picking a person on the call and saying, Maria, Maria, are you Bob? If Maria (or whoever the volunteer chose) is not Bob, she will say, Bob, Bob, I am not Bob, and then make her own guess: Pooja, Pooja, are you Bob?, 4) Everyone goes around until someone answers by saying, Bob, Bob, I am Bob! After, have everyone close the round by chanting, Bob, Bob, we found Bob!. For instance, wine lovers would enjoy a wine subscription, while foodies may love dining experiences and dessert samplers. 1. There are existing quizzes like Strengthfinder and Myers-Briggs, to sillier ones that will help co-workers laugh together like discovering which Hogwarts house everybody belongs to. In this funny game of virtual hide-and-seek, the team tries to figure out who on your team is Bob. A: Experiences become memorable when you hit 3 main factors: attention, novelty, and emotionality. To break down the "work" barrier Many coworkers only interact with each other in a formal setting, which can lack the personal and human depth of regular conversation. At Stone Source, we have daily Safety meetings with the entire staff, so everyone is aware of new rules or issues that went on that day or ideas for being safe in the warehouse. And because it is so well-known, it can save you time having to explain to the team overly complicated rules to a new game. Take the Quiz You could also have a themed activity. Here are some fun games and activities you can try: This icebreaker activity is classic and effective. You can have a mix of funny, conflicting, or philosophical questions. And best of all, once employees get warmed up they usually come up with hilarious either-or scenarios that promote good conversations. While we wait patiently for having a good laugh with our colleagues in the office, lets infuse our virtual meetings with these fun games to feel better, connect, and even be more productive. Maybe it's by height or shoe size, or perhaps it's by birth month, or number . AnothergreattipiscollectingparticipantsquestionsviaGoogleFormsbefore the call. For more tips on managing a remote workforce, check out our posts on virtual engagement ideas and virtual orientation weeks ideas. You can also make these items small gifts they can use to do their work, such as office supplies for the desk, snacks, and gift certificates. 1) Let people know you will be hosting a lip-sync battle in the next meeting ahead of time. Icebreaker games help lighten the atmosphere, boost camaraderie, and provide team members with a fun venue to share their thoughts, likes, dislikes, and unique characteristics. Online welcome scavenger hunts gamify the process of adjusting to a new workplace and make the process more fun than stressful. Things at your new workplace will be different from the last. Plus, icebreakers aren't just employees and employee engagement. For instance, if you notice that one activity does not engage your team, then be quick to switch to a different idea. If you enjoy the board game Boggle where players use a random selection of letters to form as many words as possible in under a minute you will love Voggle (virtual Boggle). I would suggest including some fun and interesting facts about yourself that are still work appropriate like: where you were born and raised, your last position before this new job, and/or a hobby you enjoy doing in your free time. When holding virtual introductions, you want to ensure that you set the right tone for your work culture and future virtual activities. Once a few rounds have passed, see how fast you can find Bob. Try not to smile as people chant, and do cheer as they search. What Is Regrettable Attrition And How Can HR Reduce It? Best ATS Software Bonus: If your new employee is working remote, send them some useful company-branded swag (+healthy delicious treats) in a personalized Caroo Work From Home Kit to kick off their time at your company in style! Your onboarding process may include online team building activities and an applicant tracking system. Then, give a list of up to 15 activities that groups will use to award points to participants. 4 subject lines that never fail. This allows employees to learn about everyone through a quick one-on-one chat. Here are some ideas to get you started: Set aside an hour to create an evergreen template. Make sure you get the permission of the new joiner to share their LinkedIn profile.. - What do you value in a team? Thisexerciseisbeneficialbecauseithelpsemployeesdevelopanelevatorpitchandaquick-sellpersonalbrand,whichishandyforfuturenetworking. Good virtual onboarding ideas include new hire survival kits, brand new buddy calls, and remote welcome team lunch. As an added plus, obtaining your new employees address up front means you can send stealthy surprises in the future! On some days you can use this time to check in on peoples well-being, and on other days you can use it to laugh, have fun, and play together. Also, players must not engage in verbal communication other than counting numbers. Close your email like a pro. Thats a good one thanks for sharing, Melanie! Through these strategies or activities, team leaders can easily make an excellent first impression and integrate new members into an organization. We also have a list of the best onboarding books and these ideas for internship orientations at work. Do a Scavenger Hunt. Have your participants choose from a list of questions theyd like their coworkers to answer about them, before watching as they guess the right answer. Online Accessibility Statement, Pricing For this idea, teams will briefly describe their city using non-direct cues. - Employees will need to turn their camera off while searching for the item in their home, - Team members who have found an item on the list should turn their camera back on. Virtual offices do not need to forego this tradition. Superlatives. This is interesting on everybodys part. Two truths and a lie Ditch the boilerplate new hire welcome email and incorporate some out-of-the-box ideas to make introducing new employees a fun experience. The Countdown Game will boost focus among participants and also teach listening skills. Assign a work buddy to them to show them the ropes of your virtual office and practical things at your organization. You and your team members can schedule an online team lunch via Zoom, WebEx, or Google Meet. Nevertheless, you can still successfully introduce teams through well-thought-out virtual strategies, tools, and activities. 14 Best Ice Breakers for Meetings [Staff, Parent, Team] Provide an unforgettable entrance for new hires by handing out stickers printed with their names and faces. Whatsound,image,orsmelltriggersnostalgiaforyou? The idea is suitable for large or small groups that are not familiar with each other. Lastly, you should make an introduction to the rest of the team and plan a team bonding activity to help the new hire feel welcome. Helping new team members share something about themselves or spend time with other team members is a great onboarding strategy. 1. Ask your new colleagues on an individual basis if they'd like to get together for lunch, meet up after work, or have a video chat. For larger teams, group video chats can be overwhelming and may not give everyone a chance to speak. Virtual Onboarding Ideas to Welcome New Employees in 2023 9 Creative Employee Announcements For New Hires In 2023 - SnackNation Instead of asking each employee to send an object, you can take suggestions and gather all the ingredients for the package, giving the present a more personal and collaborative touch. Whether you're a new employee or a seasoned leader, here's how to introduce yourself properly to your work colleagues over Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet. Examples ideas include grand entrance announcements and new hire survival kits. For instance, players who love coffee can form one group. Regardless of which icebreakers you choose, they all help promote team bonding and collaboration between groups. If you are unsure of the best gifts that will interest each participant, then opting for virtual gift cards is a fantastic idea. For this activity, ask participants to mention five qualities that best describe their personalities or interests outside work. 2) On the count of three have everyone hold the letters up to the camera. Small group orientations also provide a better avenue for facilitators to run fun activities and games. Try ten of our most successful ice-breakers & group games in our all-new 28-page ebook. Whatever method you choose, be sure to update your figure regularly so that your employees receive relevant information. 5) Have the audience score people on accuracy, dramatics, and overall fun. We have a new employee starting next week. Best Employee Engagement Software Platforms For High Performing Teams [HR Approved] i find it very useful. This information can be stored and used for future reference. Your new employee has a lot to learn. As a special touch, you can allow the guest of honor to pick the type of food everyone orders, such as noodles, pizza, burritos, or breakfast foods, or you can enable free choice. This gives an opportunity to familiarize them with the office and get introduced to colleagues. The best remote onboarding ideas introduce employees to colleagues and facilitate team bonding. Based on animation, GIFscan convey information faster than static images or texts. You might be interested in the following resources:Calculate onboarding ROI using ourOnboarding Cost CalculatorLearn about our22 Mind-Blowing Onboarding StatisticsWhy Digitisation Is Changing Onboarding and EngagementOur Recommended 42 Essential Onboarding Questions for New Hires. To create a comfortable environment for your incoming employees, you can create a digital new member lounge and library. For this activity, start by requesting participants to countdown to a random number. While laughter is not a cure-all, it is an action that decreasesdepression and anxiety, and one that is also ascarce commodityright now. Now what? The CEO has set up a mandatory meeting for 5 pm Friday, When your work BFF gets a significant promotion, When your coworker needs some encouragement, The ability to read minds or move things with your mind, Have unlimited power or universal respect, Give up heating and air conditioning or the internet for the rest of your life, Labor under extreme cold or scorching sun, A night in a real haunted house or a week alone in the forest, Always have a full gas tank or full phone battery, Speak all foreign languages or be able to talk with all animals. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. We provide a monthly, curated selection of healthy snacks from the hottest, most innovative natural food brands in the industry, giving our members a hassle-free experience and delivering joy to their offices. Figuring out what you would like to say beforehand can help with nerves. Give people 10 seconds to write down all the letters. Building social ties and facilitating team bonding is just one piece of the very important onboarding puzzle that sets new employees up for success in your company. Which are our best-selling services or products? The Marshmallow Challenge is an activity that needs to be done in person and with everyone in the same room but it's one of the favorite physical icebreakers for promoting teamwork. A nice way to make the new employee feel welcome. 5 Ways To Welcome New Hires When Your Company Is Distributed - Trello Blog Send out a general announcement email with the employees pictures and brief bios. May be difficult for co-workers with families. (Dont have a Bob on your team? 2023 teambuilding.com, all rights reserved | Terms | Privacy, quick team building activities for conference calls, virtual scavenger hunt ideas and sample lists, the best would you rather questions for work, team trivia questions and answers for work meetings, tips for building successful virtual teams, My city is famous for its terrible traffic and famous personalities Los Angeles, My state has the longest coastline in the U.S Alaska, We have the only active diamond mine in the U.S Arkansas, We are the worlds largest island nation Indonesia, We are the largest supplier of nurses in the world The Philippines, I am in the most visited country in the world France. share-fun-facts-and-bond-with-a-team-quiz. The online onboarding ideas on this list can honor the start of the virtual workers journey and solidify the new employees status as a valued member of the team. A buddy system is a clever option for companies seeking non-mundane virtual new hire introduction ideas. 3) Limit the time to 2030 seconds per participant. Some good ideas for virtual meeting introductions include two-word check-ins, guest speaker sessions, and This or That. 17 Amazing Virtual Onboarding Ideas for 2021 | Scavify Understanding different types of team-building activities can help you make your meetings more engaging, personable and productive. For instance, if you are hosting a virtual new hire introduction event, then you could invite the company CEO to give a brief talk. The key to this version of an icebreaker is simply to have questions that are as interesting as possible. 1) Before your next meeting, take some zoomed in photos of common objects from around the house or office. You could start by seeking volunteers in your workforce. 17+ Unique Ways to Welcome a New Employee Right - Hoppier - What is your favorite thing about working in a team? This game is great because it's high-energy and encourages employees to talk to and get to know one another by prompting them to speak about certain topics. Post 2: Provide a few more details on the new hires. While you certainly should encourage new employees to reach out to veteran teammates, your greener teammates might be more relaxed mingling with other newbies. You are free to let participants mention either work or non-work-related ideas. Here are more ideas for your virtual scavenger hunt. 7 How do you have a fun virtual team meeting? - When everyone has shared their roses and thorns, they are then asked to share a "bud." Some ways that you can use to introduce new team members virtually include a virtual team photo, hidden city descriptions, and shared interests. For those who'll work closely with John, please remember to schedule 1-1s with him." LOL. Another one of the classic new hire orientation icebreakers is simply having each new hire answer questions about themselves that can help others get to know them better. To get started, split employees up into teams or pairs, with each team having an equal amount of new and veteran employees. Your next move. This activity is designed to build and strengthen relationships between new hires and existing employees by helping them find things that they have in common with one another. Bonus for work-related words! Guess the acronym is a simple, and work-related, way to get people giggling and having fun. 5 creative ways to introduce a new team member virtually - The Magic of Together, everyone says, Giants, wizards, elves go! The two people playing each other do one of the three actions. Before figuring out what to say about yourself to your new teammates, consider the following:, You know what they say, practice makes perfect! Happy Hour 2: Relay new hires hidden talents or most embarrassing moments. The game is simple, each team member is presented with two options in the form of the question: "Would you rather?" Blog That way your new employee will be able to show how much they have learned during the first few days of onboarding while playing an interactive trivia game. The first person to get enough signatures in a row (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal) to traverse the board wins. Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences! Inviting a guest speaker is a great way to reassure event attendees or new hires of your motive to promote their learning and development efforts. For inspiration, check out this list of this or that questions for adults. The seemingly simple activity will challenge players and foster connections. Ask your new recruits to take out their smartphones and use Poll Everywhere to launch a trivia game that lets everyone watch answers populate in real-time. Unique Gifts For Employees We give the new hire an office tour on their first day. You can even do this as a company-wide competition. After a brutal year of working remotely and often alone many of us have forgotten the importance of allowing ourselves moments of joy. Oneofthebestwaystohostsmall-grouporientationsisthroughbreakoutrooms. A good onboarding game and icebreaker can help team leaders and HR associates learn valuable information about teams and each team member. Angela has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and worked as a community manager with Yelp to plan events for businesses. Virtual Staff Introduction Ideas for Team Building | Odyssey Teams The gift can double as a virtual team building exercise if you ask each team member to suggest an item and write a welcome message. You could even research participants interests and offer goodies that complement their hobbies. Member Reviews It'll help you eliminate the initial phase of silence and awkwardness. 70 Fun (Not Cheesy) Ice Breaker Games & Activities Your Team Will Enjoy While the familiar home office might make a remote employee feel more comfortable on the first day, the lack of change can make the transition tough. One of the more personal new employee orientation ideas is to send new hire survival kits during the first weeks. One of the best online team introduction activities to engage participants is Q & A sessions. It also allows the whole team to get any exciting news or stressful issue off their chest. However, virtual introductions can feel impersonal, especially among a new workforce. Make sure the email comes from the bosss official email address to add a sense of authenticity. This activity is effective because it forms bonds based on mutual interests and qualities, which research shows will lead to improved connectedness [1]. Open with icebreaker questions. The trick to making virtual meetings fun is to make your employees feel comfortable. Here is a sample of how to introduce new team members virtually: " Hey team, John is joining the marketing team next Monday as a Content Manager. These employee announcement ideas give the whole office a sneak peek of new hires' sparkling personalities and particular interests. Remote workers often report feeling lonely, and being a new employee can be an isolating experience as well. Here are 5 essential offboarding email templates you should be using. Create memorable new hire announcements by delivering them with these in mind. This tactic ensures that your new teammate can focus on bonding with coworkers instead of dedicating time to memorizing basic facts. Do a Show and Tell. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. Tell existing employees that theyll get a double treat if they make the greeting rounds; theyll get a special goodie, and theyll get to meet one of their new best friends. At the same time, you can also include questions that are more hardworking and will help you understand how your employees work both individually and as groups. Try it out here: Onboarding Trivia Quiz . Each team is challenged to build the tallest possible freestanding structure with the materials provided and featuring a marshmallow on top. Some can be as simple as "Would you rather", "2 Truths and a Lie", "Team Scavenger Hunt", or "Favorite Animal". Scavenger hunts are a great idea if you are looking for ways to introduce new hires. It could be a close up shot of your pandemic footware (slippers), your cats right eye, or your keyboard. Play Lunch Roulette During the First Week. The easiest way to infuse some joy into your workday is by having a little fun during your team meetings. A virtual introduction would be incomplete without a team photo. You can share these pictures in your internal newsletter and encourage other workers to welcome the new hires. GIF reactions are also a great way to get additional insight into what interests participants in a relaxed manner. - What interest haven't you pursued, but have always wanted to and why? Organize a fun scavenger hunt where the new employee goes through different departments to find items and meet new colleagues. 12 Awesome Onboarding Activities for New Team Members Split your team into smaller groups of around eight players. One of the best ways that you can use to introduce new teams to your workforce is by sending virtual gifts. Everyone can play their part in bringing some laughter and joy to team meetings with these fun virtual games that require little or no prep and can be played in under 10 minutes. Upon discovering similar interests such as running, vegetarianism, or Harry Potter fandom, teammates could even form group chats and later add other members. 1)Start by teaching your team the three actions: 2)The activity leader calls on two people to play each other. Youcouldevenprovideicebreakersthatwilleaseparticipantsinteraction. You could start by requesting participants to state two words describing their feelings. The player who gets a line of three first will win. Encourage your team to cheer equally for everyone. 10 New Hire Orientation Icebreakers To Try | Indeed.com Interested in a content partnership? Let the announcement run (and sink in) for a few days, and then schedule a casual all-hands meeting where existing hires can mingle with new hires in person. Send out a Slack/ Teams/ Email message to your team, Now, its time to introduce your new team member to the team. Even just a 10-minute of coffee break could make such a big difference. Next, you should ensure that the employee has access to all applicable programs, set up logins and passwords, test the software, and give demonstrations if necessary. Then hand out the scavenge sheet.