New Employee Get to Know You Questions

Every bit a manager, creating a successful, cohesive team is a huge challenge. It involves a number of factors including thought leadership, proper technology, a working system, and more.

But about importantly, information technology requires building trust with your team.

Building trust is a mutual challenge every leader has to face eventually—specially when they are working with new, shy members. This claiming gets even tougher when y'all realize that you need to continue your employees happy, productive, cohesive, and engaged with their job in guild to build an effective team.

And to make it worse, if you fail to build trust with your team, they'll probably leave your visitor and toll y'all more money than you predictable.

And so, how then exercise you build an effective team?

Information technology all starts with request thoughtful questions at work. Because questions can get-go conversations, and conversations can atomic number 82 to more trust and engagement—improving squad productivity along the manner.

Why You Should Ask Team-Building Questions at Work

Bank check this out: 93% of workers believe that the biggest cistron for employee happiness is the trust they have with their bosses.

Yet half of the employees don't trust their supervisors and feel they're being treated unfairly. Plus, they plan to look for a new job in one case the economy improves.

So what's happening?

Companies are failing to build a healthy work environment that benefits employee engagement, civilization, squad-building, and productivity that encourages their employees to stay longer with them.

There are many reasons why this is happening, including a lack of civilization, poor leadership, and low financial incentives.

Thankfully, something as simple as asking your team how they're doing tin can  go a practical, helpful solution to this problem. Because having personal conversations with employees increases their sense of belonging, making information technology easier for them to build trust with both their team and managers.

This practice likewise brings a handful of benefits:

• Increasing the sense of belonging in employees volition inevitably amend their engagement and happiness—which is key for employee retentiveness.
• Working in a trusted environment makes employees more confident to participate in piece of work-related discussions and give valuable ideas and feedback—for shy people in detail.
• When the squad gets used to talking with each other, their internal communication will naturally go smoother.
• Talking with employees can reveal information you lot can after utilize to become a amend leader for them or to implement long-term improvements in the workplace (e.g., playing music  and becoming a pet-friendly office).
• Team-edifice activities and games that involve answering questions work great as a style to improve employee appointment and satisfaction while getting to know your team better.

And the listing goes on!

But not all questions are the same. With that in heed, allow's turn our attention to some of the bang-up trust-building questions you can beginning request around your role.

33 Team-Building Questions Examples

I've compiled a list of 33 squad-building questions that will help you go closer to your employees and build a trust-based relationship.

This list is divided into three categories—personal, humorous, and work-related—to make information technology easier to dive into. Keep reading to larn how these questions can be used and the benefits yous can look to get from them.

Permit's leap right in.

Personal Questions

Personal questions are great for knowing your employee'due south personalities, tastes, and hobbies. They come in handy to introduce new people to the work environment and you can utilize them to dig deeper into your employee'south whole persona and improve your leadership skills at the same fourth dimension.

1. Who inspired you lot to pursue the career you accept today?

This is a cracking conversation starter.

Knowing who and what inspires your employees will give yous some useful information to improve your leadership—whether information technology is a motivation trigger, professional goals, or dreams.

When request this question, see the why backside their answer and how it fits their personality. Perchance you've merely hired the next Elon Musk and you don't know it however. And when you go to know how to inspire these employees, you lot're not only improving performance, you're also increasing employee date every bit well.

ii. What'southward your favorite music genre?

Most people like music. And then, thankfully, this question works for the majority of people.

The music we listen to can reflect our personalities. And believe it or not, talking well-nigh music can give you some ideas about the kind of person y'all're dealing with (don't exist too radical on this though, there are always exceptions.)

Keep the chat simple and engaging. Possibly you'll even end up recommending some albums to each other, and who knows? Maybe you'll end upwardly playing some music at work, increasing productivity because of it.

three. Do you have a pet? What's he/she like?

At that place's naught like talking most animals. You'd be surprised at how long a conversation near pets tin can get.

People who take pets are never agape to talk near how they accept care of their buddies. Like what kind of nutrient they purchase, how ofttimes they bathe their dog, and so on…

If you detect that the bulk of your squad likes and have pets, you lot may want to consider implementing a pet policy, which can work wonders to build trust and ameliorate collaboration between coworkers.

iv. Recommend a volume you recently read.

Discovering what kind of books your employees similar the virtually will give you some ideas about their mentality (e.g., thoughts, philosophy, and sense of morality).

Having conversations about books is extremely helpful for work—especially if you like the same kind of books and authors, which will create some sort of mental connection.

As a leader, knowing what kind of books your squad likes the most will bring some opportunities to build a lecture to talk about your favorite quotes, titles, topics, themes, and more.

v. What'southward your secret talent that no one knows nigh?

This is a groovy question for new members and teams since you can relate a certain person as the drummer or the chef.

It'due south also helpful for delegating work. Maybe your copywriter is also well-versed in web design, so maybe letting this private influence both the design and the copy of a new landing folio may seem similar a great idea.

6. Which movie have yous seen recently or what are yous watching on Netflix?

We all watch movies and series.

Starting a conversation nearly movies or series tin make them feel like they're talking with their casual friends, then this question tin piece of work wonders to reduce some awkward or cold feelings in the work environment.

As an added bonus, you might discover out about films y'all never knew existed. Not only volition watching them help y'all connect with your team on a personal level, you lot might also larn a leadership trick or two—a double win!

7. What's the craziest thing y'all've ever done or seen before?

This is an first-class group question to help anybody start knowing each other. And to spot the craziest, weirdest person in the room.

One of your teammates might take climbed Mount Everest. Another one might have gone bungee jumping in Austria. Someone else might have hitchhiked around South America.

Finding out what your squad members are able to do will give you lot some useful leadership inspiration—and some joke ideas.

8. What'south the best repast you've ever had?

All humans are continued with food. So this question applies to everyone.

Exist honest: If someone were to ask you this question, how long would it take for y'all to reply it?

Encounter, asking this question should get your employees thinking. And from at that place, you can start talking about what kind of food they savour the almost—and maybe their favorite restaurants.

Everybody loves nutrient. So having food conversations can hands engage people.

Any y'all do, just don't ask before lunch.

9. What are your pet peeves?

With this question, you tin direct find out how to exist a less abrasive boss.

As well, you may discover some weird pet peeves you would take never known without asking. It'south important to go along all of this information elevation of listen and starting time applying some personalized leadership.

10. Practice you have traditions in your family?

This i is great if y'all take team members from unlike cultures. It helps you learn more virtually your teammates' culture and history, and enrich your work environment because of it.

Also, you don't have to come from a foreign civilisation to answer this question. Maybe your family unit likes to hike every Dominicus or something like that. Whatsoever way you slice it, this question brings a lot of room for interesting conversations.

11. What was the first affair yous bought with your ain money?

This is an interesting question that often elicits some nostalgia. And you'll learn nearly what people used to value back when they were younger.

Talking about their youth works wonders considering learning nearly your employee's past and how they've developed over time will help you larn well-nigh their drives and internal personality. Plus, it allows you to connect with them in a deeper style.

12. Is in that location something that has made you smile recently?

You may get some surprisingly personal answers to this question. And you'll observe yourself listening closely as your employee talks about their cat or most someone they bumped into in the supermarket.

This scenario volition easily assist you build a personal connection with employees. Plus, you'll learn about their personal lives and how much attention to item they have.

thirteen. What'south the all-time advice y'all can requite to someone who just started their career?

This is an awesome warm-upward question that helps the team beginning learning from each other.

You'll become tons of keen advice to use in your life. Too, yous'll know what kind of human values are more nowadays in your employees' lives, such as emotional intelligence, practicality, rationality, and more.

xiv. What's your favorite video/board games and why?

Gamers are becoming more popular with each passing mean solar day. And in that location's a high adventure that at least one of your employees is a gamer—and perhaps fifty-fifty several of them.

If you find many gamers in your team, getting them to play together tin take their collective engagement to another level. Doing so volition strongly encourage friendship, which is a big deal because having close friends at work is great for increasing employee retention and enhancing company civilization.

fifteen. Practise you cook? What's your favorite recipe?

They don't take to exist top chefs to answer this question. Instead, they tin just talk near what they do for breakfast and what recipes they've found useful and succulent.

You can create a talking point by opening a discussion about what's the best way to cook your eggs, creating some healthy debate between people who adopt scrambled eggs over boiled eggs, and vice versa.

Humorous Questions

These questions come in handy to "break the water ice" in stressful situations where people just want to relax—which is important so that they can answer you. You'll open some funny discussions where everyone can participate and have a good laugh together, which is good news for employee happiness and retention.

sixteen. Pineapple pizza. Yay or nay?

This question, aside from cultivating a non-serious surround, volition create some salubrious discussion and disparity between people who like pineapple pizza and those who think of it every bit an abomination.

(I personally recollect it's peachy and totally legit—modify my mind.)

17. What is the strangest meal you lot've always eaten?

You'll get some good laughs from people who take tasted exotic foreign food like tarantulas or snails. And those who take fabricated weird mixes between spicy and sweet flavors, for instance.

Whatever it is, people will feel relaxed while talking and hearing most culinary experiences.

18. What's your weirdest habit?

If yous get your teammates to tell yous that they like to chew freshly mowed grass because they like the smell, then you're getting into a dark zone of weird but hilarious true facts most your coworkers.

This tin turn into a fun (and weird) chat that simply people with enough trust tin can accept. So, this is actually a good way to tell that your employees are shut enough to talk about weird things without shame.

19. Are you a beer or wine person?

This is both personal and humorous since you're opening a discussion, plus people merely notice information technology funny or light-spirited to talk about booze (usually).

Also, it'south worth knowing if your team prefers beer over vino (for hosting events) and if there's someone who doesn't drinkable alcohol (which is okay, so you lot salvage yourself from getting an embarrassing no when offering a drink.)

twenty. What was your favorite ring 10 years ago?

This question helps you spot the employee who was a My Chemical Romance emo fan back in the 2000s, and who thought that Rebecca Black'southward vocal "Friday" was good.

People will detect information technology funny to expect at each other's nighttime by and how they've changed over time.

21. If you lot had a yacht, what would you lot name it?

This is a pretty random question, to be certain. But arguing about what the best proper noun for a yacht would exist becomes funny and relaxing when people need to take a quick break from work and go some distraction

22. Which fictional family would y'all want to exist role of?

This question can open up conversations about TV shows and movies that people may like, setting the stage for an engaging conversation.

It can also showcase a piddling bit of the personality of each person. Someone who'd choose to be in The Simpsons will probably be unlike from someone who'd prefer to be a office of the Targaryen family from Game of Thrones.

23. How would yous draw your job to a bunch of 5-year-olds?

For a programmer or author, information technology could be something like "I tap some buttons in my laptop and make coin."

This question encourages people to get creative, and when they are able to explain their job in the simplest way, it normally ways that they know it well.

As Albert Einstein said: "If you tin can't explain information technology simply, you don't understand information technology well enough."

24. Show the all-time meme you have in your phone.

In the internet age, nosotros're all connected through memes. That'southward a fact.

Inviting people to show their All-time meme can give some skilful laughs in the workplace and will permit you know what kind of humor your employees like.

Once you know their gustatory modality, y'all'll exist able to share appropriate memes you'll know they will appreciate.

25. How would y'all spend a million dollars in 24 hours?

Putting this challenge on your employees will requite you some ideas well-nigh the things they prioritize the virtually—and how intelligent they are with their finances.

It'due south also a fun question to ask since yous'll hear about how they'd use the money to celebrate with a crazy political party, buy a Bengal tiger, or practise any unnecessary but hilarious things.

READ More: THE ULTIMATE LIST OF Squad BUILDING ACTIVITIES

Piece of work-Related Questions

These questions are related to the work environment and will help you know how to ameliorate as a leader and accept the company as a whole to the next level. Plus, you'll find many opportunities to raise employee engagement and better retention from these kinds of conversations.

26. What's the coolest thing y'all're working on right now?

This is a smashing way to go along rails of your employee's progress without them feeling like they're existence constantly watched.

This question won't only give you clues into each of the contributions the members of your team are making, it will besides provide the groundwork for some well-deserved employee recognition.

For example, imagine one of your employees is combing through your paradigm archive to clean up file names and delete duplicates. This is of import work that can frequently go unnoticed, and that you can accept as an opportunity to celebrate it with them.

27. How practice you like to go feedback?

Everyone works differently. Some people like receiving negative feedback and then they tin can amend. Others are more sensitive.

The just way to know is past asking them straight. So effort to exist empathetic and talk to them well-nigh how y'all should be giving them feedback.

Recall that, to take your business organization to the side by side level, y'all need to learn how to approach your staff effectively.

If you're worried that your employees might not be honest with you lot, employ pulse surveys to let them share their thoughts anonymously.

28. What was your outset job?

This question works wonders to assistance you go to know more near your employees' backgrounds—and hear some hilarious stories.

You'll probably hear entrepreneurship stories like how the VP of sales went from selling pencils in the street to becoming a sales professional or how the CTO started out as a hotel receptionist.

What'southward more than, learning about what people needed to learn in guild to reach their goals is helpful in getting your team to know each other's strengths and weaknesses. As such, this question  can be very, very useful.

29. If you could get a new skill in 10 minutes, what would information technology exist?

This is a good way to tell what professional path your employees are aspiring for and what kind of goals they're striving to attain.

Also, if yous're looking to implement some grooming programs, y'all'd desire to know what kind of skills your employees are interested in developing.

xxx. What are the toughest challenges you lot've had at work?

With this question, you're spotting what weaknesses your employees have and tin tell if they need to improve in that area or if you just need to delegate less similar tasks.

Besides, you may hear some epic accomplishment stories where your employees rose to the occasion and faced a challenge successfully. This is great groundwork for employee recognition.

31. What upcoming technological innovation volition dramatically impact the industry in the adjacent five years?

As a leader, information technology's proficient to know how your employees are thinking about the futurity of their industry, and if they come across themselves working in it over the long term.

This question can also open discussions about technology and the industry in general, which is especially healthy for team-building.

32. What skill do you think everyone should learn?

Many people agree that the well-nigh important things aren't taught at schoolhouse.

In fact, you can alter the question to "what practise y'all wish yous've learned in school?" to make information technology more specific. Information technology could be personal finance, learning to learn, sales, and an countless corporeality of other topics.

This volition probably turn out into a rant against the instruction arrangement or the regime. Just at least information technology'southward like shooting fish in a barrel for everyone in the team to join the discussion and give an stance on the topic.

The bottom line? You should larn what kind of skills your employees value the most and if it's relevant to your business and their career.

33. Take you taken a huge leap of organized religion at piece of work? Did it pay off?

Some disciplines are non an verbal science (similar writing, design, and marketing). But you actually need to get some results from these areas, so you're oft finding yourself taking regular leaps of faith to get them to work out (fifty-fifty later doing everything right).

With this question, you lot'll know what were the biggest leaps your employees had to take that ended up successful. See information technology as an opportunity to celebrate with them and put employee recognition into practice, which—according to one of our reports—is constructive when information technology comes to retaining high-performing employees.

How and When to Ask Team-Edifice Questions

In a perfect world, you'd have plenty of social skills that allow you to connect with people and influence them. But, in reality, you still have some self-doubts and keep suffering from impostor syndrome—at least a fleck.

Whether you're a full extrovert or non, if it's evident that you're asking forced or previously proficient questions, the results won't exist every bit good as y'all'd like.

Y'all need to be genuinely curious about your employees. Remember that these people are moving your company forwards, and you lot should definitely have at least some curiosity about the people to whom you're delegating such important responsibilities.

And once you lot've developed some honest curiosity, you can kickoff asking questions.

As a starting bespeak. Hither are some common situations or scenarios where you can ask questions without feeling awkward:

• At break time—when people are supposed to exist talking—ask some simple questions and come upwardly with interesting conversation topics.
• When you need to make people feel integrated into a new environment or event (east.thou., a seminar, presentation, or workshop).
• When you want to create an open up discussion where everyone can feel gratuitous to participate and give their opinion.
• When you want to break the water ice with new members or teams and start getting to know each other to reduce that awkward feeling of working with total strangers.
• If you want to exam how knowledgeable and skillful employees are in their area, ask them work-related questions and open a give-and-take.
• When y'all need to come upwards with framework improvements and go more synergy, information technology'southward important to ask employees how they prefer to work—and then fit their pieces together in order to create an unstoppable productivity machine.

If you improve your social skills, you'll find lots of opportunities to engage your employees with conversations.

It merely requires some practice and fourth dimension. But most importantly...

Be Yourself

As a favor to your company, please don't imitation these questions.

You need to have a genuine interest in your employees and exist curious about them. Because if you didn't know, people can really notice whether yous're beingness honest or putting up a facade.

Trust me: You'll find that your employees are more interesting than you retrieve, and you'll surely desire to engage with them.

It doesn't matter if they aren't comfortable with you all the same as long as y'all go along doing your best.

And so start putting this into practice right away. Y'all'll see the difference. Request the right questions volition help you reveal a lot of useful data you can leverage to build an fifty-fifty more effective organization.

READ MORE

• Ask the right question: 50 Essential questions for your employee engagement
• seven icebreaker games your team will
• The ultimate list of team building activities
• Inspiring team- building activities while working from home

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Source: https://www.tinypulse.com/blog/sk-questions-to-ask-employees

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