53 Great Get-To-Know-You Questions For Coworkers
It can be hard for teams to get to know each other, especially when they’re working in a virtual environment. The rise of remote work in recent years has made it more important than ever to find ways to build relationships with your coworkers, even if you’re not in the same office. If you’re hoping to get to know your coworkers better, check out these 53 great getting-to-know-you questions for work. You’re sure to learn something interesting about your coworkers!
In this article we will discuss:
1. The importance of getting to know your coworkers
2. The benefits of getting to know your coworkers
3. 53 great questions to ask your coworkers
4. Tips for asking questions and getting to know your coworkers
The importance of getting to know your coworkers
It can be easy to forget how important it is to get to know your coworkers on a personal level. You might see them in person or virtually every day, but that doesn’t mean you really know them. In fact, studies have shown that most people only remember about 20% of what they hear. That means that even if you spend lots of time talking to your coworkers and think you know everything about them, you probably only know a fraction of what they’re really like.
Getting to know your coworkers is important for a number of reasons. First, it can help you build stronger relationships with the people you work with. When you know more about someone, you’re more likely to feel connected to them and invested in their success. Second, getting to know your coworkers can help you understand them better. If you know what motivates someone or what their goals are, you’ll be better able to work with them effectively. Finally, getting to know your coworkers can simply make work more enjoyable. When you have strong relationships with the people you work with, you’ll look forward to coming into the office and feel more engaged in your work.
The benefits of getting to know your coworkers
There are many benefits of getting to know your coworkers. Getting to know them can help you build better relationships with them. It can also improve your work performance and make your workplace more enjoyable. Some specific benefits of getting to know your coworkers better include:
- Improved communication: When you know more about your coworkers, you’ll be able to communicate with them more effectively. This is because you’ll have a better understanding of their communication style and what they’re looking for in a conversation.
- Increased trust: Trust is essential for any team to function effectively. When you get to know your coworkers, you’ll be more likely to trust them and feel comfortable working with them.
- Enhanced creativity: According to a social science study by Columbia Business School, "people who have deep relationships with someone from another country become more creative and score higher on routine creativity tests". When you know more about your coworkers, you’ll be better able to brainstorm ideas and come up with creative solutions.
- Improved team performance: Getting to know your coworkers can help you work together more effectively as a team. This is because you’ll have a better understanding of each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Greater job satisfaction: When you have strong relationships with your coworkers, you’ll be more likely to enjoy coming into work each day or showing up on a virtual meeting! This can lead to increased job satisfaction and engagement in your work.
Now that we know the substantial benefits of getting to know your coworkers, what questions should you be asking to know them better? Below is a list of questions that strike the right balance between great conversation starters while being personal enough to learn new and interesting things about your coworkers.
53 great questions to ask your coworkers
1. Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
2. What was the last book you read?
3. What’s your favorite season and why?
4. What’s the phone app you use the most?
5. Have you ever disliked something at first but changed your mind later?
6. If you could pick one superpower to have, what would it be?
7. Do you like cooking or baking? What are your favorite meals to make?
8. Do you have any pets?
9. Are you more of an early bird or a night owl?
10. What’s one place you’ve visited that you never want to return to?
11. What’s your favorite thing about your home?
12. What’s one item of clothing you couldn’t live without?
13. What was the last movie you saw in theaters?
14. What was the first concert you saw and how did you enjoy it?
15. Do you have a favorite karaoke song, and if so, what is it?
16. What’s the most important thing on your bucket list?
17. What would your perfect day off look like?
18. What is the best compliment you have ever received?
19. What is something about you that people would never guess by looking at you?
20. What was your first job?
21. How do you de-stress after a tough day?
22. What’s your ideal sandwich?
23. Does your family have any weird holiday traditions, and if so, what?
24. Do you use social media, and if so, what social media is your favorite?
25. Do you have a hidden party trick?
26. What’s your guilty pleasure?
27. What was your favorite book growing up?
28. Have you ever met anyone famous?
29. What was the best gift you ever received?
30. Who was your first crush?
31. Do you drink coffee? How do you take it?
32. Do you like scary movies?
33. Do you like rollercoasters?
34. What is your favorite place for shopping?
35. What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
36. How did you find out Santa wasn’t real?
37. Do you secretly love any gross food combinations?
38. What movie have you seen the most times?
39. What hobbies did you have as a child?
40. What is a favorite memory you have from the past year?
41. Do you have any bizarre phobias?
42. What is the most important lesson you learned in school?
43. What activity do you waste the most time on?
44. What’s your favorite fast food restaurant?
45. What’s your favorite board or card game?
46. Do you wear cologne or perfume?
47. Do you have any weird superstitions?
48. What’s one embarrassing memory you have?
49. What do you value most in a friendship?
50. Have you ever had a bad habit that you’ve quit?
51. Would you rather be too hot or too cold when you’re sleeping?
52. In your opinion, what was the best decade for music?
53. If there was one chore you could never have to do again, what would it be?
Tips for asking questions and getting to know your coworkers
When you're trying to get to know your coworkers, it's important to strike the right balance with this list of questions. You don't want to ask questions that are too personal, but you also don't want to ask questions that are too bland. The key is to find questions that will start a great conversation while also being personal enough that you learn new and interesting things.
Here are some tips for asking these questions and getting to know your coworkers:
1. Start with fun icebreaker questions. Similar to icebreaker games, icebreaker questions can help you get to know your coworkers on a more personal level. Examples of icebreaker questions from this list include: "What was the last book you read?", "What’s one place you’ve visited that you never want to return to?", and "If you could pick one superpower to have, what would it be?"
2. Once you've broken the ice, you can start asking more personal questions. These questions can help you get to know your coworkers on a deeper level. Examples of personal questions from this list include: "Do you have any pets?", "What’s your favorite thing about your home?", and "Have you ever disliked something at first but changed your mind later?"
3. As you get to know your coworkers better, you can now start asking more probing questions. These questions can help you get to know your coworkers on a more intimate level. Examples of probing questions from this list include: "What is the most important lesson you learned in school?", "What’s your guilty pleasure?", and "What do you value most in a friendship?"
4. Finally, once you feel like you know your coworkers well, you can move onto questions that are more fun and light-hearted. These questions can help you get to know your coworkers on a more fun and relaxed level. Examples of fun questions from this list include: "In your opinion, what was the best decade for music?", "What’s one embarrassing memory you have?", and "Do you have any weird superstitions?"
No matter what questions you end up asking, the most important thing is that you're taking the time to get to know your coworkers. By getting to know your coworkers, you'll be able to build better relationships and create a more positive work environment.
Conclusion
Getting to know your coworkers is an important part of creating a positive work environment and increasing employee engagement. In this day and age with the rise of remote work, taking the time to ask questions and get to know your coworkers can help foster closer bonds that might not necessarily exist, enhance creativity amongst teams, and create a greater sense of job satisfaction that comes from increased trust and togetherness. This list of questions is a great starting point for getting to know your coworkers. So, next time you're feeling stuck for something to say, try asking one of these questions with a follow-up question or two. Your coworkers will appreciate the effort and you may just learn something really interesting about them!
Related Articles:
Fun Trivia Questions for Coworkers: 37 Mind-Boggling Questions to Test Your Knowledge!
17 Game Ideas For The Ultimate Online Office Olympics Event
%201.png)
.svg){kind=small}
.svg){kind=small}
