“Hey, how you doin`?” is a great icebreaker, but Joey`s line won`t do the trick if you really want to get to know someone.
Do you want to learn more about your +1, work colleague, student, family member, or just some stranger you`ve met in a bar? Great news: We`ve done the work for you, so all you have to do is scroll down, and see what ‘getting to know each other’ questions suit your context.
Basic questions to ask when getting to know each other
- How would you describe yourself in three words?
- Is there any product that you couldn’t live without?
- What’s the phone app you use most?
- How old are you?
- When is your birthday?
- Where did you grow up?
- What was the last TV show you binge-watched?
- What was the last thing you read?
- How do you like your coffee?
- What are your hobbies, and how did you get into them?
- What song always gets you out on the dance floor?
- What’s your go-to guilty pleasure?
- What’s your favorite board game?
- Do you have any pet peeves?
- What’s your favorite way to spend a day off?
- What’s your favorite sleeping position?
- What activity instantly calms you?
- What’s your favorite season and why?
- Where’s the next place on your travel bucket list?
- Do you have a favorite type of exercise?
- Do you enjoy cooking?
- What is your favorite kind of cuisine?
- What is your favorite cocktail?
- What is your favorite snack?
- If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?
- What’s your favorite ice cream topping?
- What are you afraid of?
- What are you most excited about right now?
- What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
- Would you say you’re more of an extrovert or an introvert?
- What kind of elderly person do you hope to be?
- What is your favorite website?
- What is your favorite season?
- What’s your most prized possession and why?
- If you could make one rule for everyone in the world to follow, what would it be?
- What would your favorite outfit look like?
- How would you redesign your bedroom?
- What is your favorite thing to do with your parents?
- What is one question you wish people would ask you less?
- What do you dislike that everyone else seems to like?
- Do you have any tattoos? If not, are there any tattoos you want?
- What are you allergic to?
- If given the opportunity, what book would you write?
- What makes you happiest?
- If you won the lottery, what would you do first?
‘Getting to know each other’ questions for work
- If money were no issue, what would you do with your time?
- Are you more of a “work to live” or a “live to work” type of person?
- What’s your favorite thing about your current job?
- What’s the career highlight you’re most proud of?
- What is the best idea you have ever had for a business?
- How do you approach taking time off from work?
- Is there one job you’d never ever do?
- Who inspires you in your career?
- Do you have a morning routine at work? If so, what it’s like?
- What’s the first thing you do after getting home from work?
- What’s your favorite part of the workday?
- Are you able to work from home, and if so, do you enjoy it?
- Could you describe a funny story that happened during a virtual meeting?
- How would your 10-year-old self react to what you do now? (This is also a great icebreaker question for work!)
- What’s the worst job you’ve ever had?
- Have you ever had a side hustle or considered having one?
- How do you separate your work life from your home life?
- Have you ever had “imposter syndrome”?
- Are you into after-work happy hours?
- How do you deal with work stress?
- Do you have a work BFF?
- What qualities do you look for in a boss?
- What does your family think of your career?
- If you could do it all over again, would you pursue the same career? Why or why not?
- What’s your most embarrassing office story?
- Do you prefer group work or solo work?
- Emails, texts, or phone calls?
- Could you describe the most interesting coworker you have worked with?
- What scares you, professionally speaking?
- You can ban one question from the interview process forever. Which one do you choose?
‘Getting to know each other’ questions for students
- One day, your English teacher turns into a witch and zaps you into a novel. Which novel would you hope she zapped you into and why?
- Do you prefer distance-learning or in-person learning?
- If you could attend any fictional school, which one would you choose?
- What`s the best study tip?
- What do you like least about school?
- What is your favorite subject at school and why?
- What class do you wish your school offered?
- Do you prefer school uniforms or a relaxed dress code?
- What is your standard morning routine?
- Do you put your cereal in the bowl before the milk or the milk in before the cereal?
- What is your favorite lunch?
- What superpower would you like to have and why?
- Do you prefer to work individually or in groups?
- Do you belong to any extracurricular activities?
- Do you play any sports?
- Do you play any instruments?
- Do you speak any other languages? Which languages would you most like to learn?
- Who is your favorite teacher so far?
- What is the most interesting thing you see on the way to school?
- What is the first thing you do upon arriving home after school?
- What is the most surprising fact you learned?
- Do you play indoor games? If so, what`s your favorite one?
- Do you work?
- Do you volunteer? If so, where? If not, where would you like to volunteer?
- What is the best project you ever turned in?
- If I asked you to teach a class on any subject, what topic would you choose?
Funny ‘getting to know each other’ questions
- How would you sum up the internet, in one sentence?
- Do you have any crazy roommate stories?
- What actor would you choose to play you in your biopic?
- If your pet could talk, what do you think they might say about you?
- Could you tell me your life story in one sentence?
- What is your useless talent?
- What would your drag queen name be?
- What is the grossest thing you would do for $1000?
- What does your most eccentric family member look like?
- What songs are on the soundtrack to your life?
- What would your warning label say?
- What is your go-to karaoke song?
- What did you do as a teenager that makes you cringe now?
- What is your most random impulse buy?
- What is the strangest food combination you enjoy?
- A genie grants you the ability to have infinite amounts of one item. What is it?
- Does your family practice any unusual traditions?
- What is the dumbest way you injured yourself?
- How do you waste time most often?
- What is the worst outfit you ever wore?
- What’s the best prank you’ve ever pulled on someone?
- What’s the most ridiculous fact you know?
- What inanimate object do you wish you could eliminate from existence?
- What’s the best Wi-Fi name you’ve seen?
‘Getting to know each other’ questions for couples
- What is the first feature you tend to notice in a potential partner?
- What are the most important things in a relationship for you?
- What is the worst date you’ve ever been on?
- What is your idea of a perfect date?
- Who would you prefer to set you up on a blind date: friends, family, coworkers, professional dating services, or random strangers?
- What do you think is your best quality?
- How do you prefer to resolve conflict?
- What are your dating deal breakers?
- Do you believe in soulmates?
- How long should you wait until moving in with your partner?
- What is one fact that few people know about you?
- What is the best pick up line you know?
- Are you still friends with any of your exes?
- Where is your happy place?
Questions to ask when getting to know each other`s families
- Do you and your family have any nicknames for each other?
- What TV show reminds you most of your family?
- Which family member has had the greatest impact on you?
- Who in your family makes you feel the safest?
- How much time do you spend with your family?
- What can always bring your family together?
- Does your family’s last name have an important meaning? If so, what is it?
- If you could change your relationship with a family member, would you? If so, with whom?
- Which family member makes the best food?
- Who’s the best gift-giver in your family?
- Who’s the newest member of your family?
- If you had a family business, what would it be?
- Do you play any outdoor games at family reunions? If so, what are your top choices?
- What’s your favorite story about your grandparents?
- How would you like to raise your children?
- If you could only teach one thing to your (future) child, what would it be?
- Do you have any friends you would consider family?
- Has your family ever pressured you to act a certain way?
- What personality traits do you share with your relatives?
- What physical traits do you share with your relatives?
- What’s something your family would be surprised to learn about you?
- How do you deal with arguments between family members?
- How did your parents meet?
- What makes you proud of your family?
Personal ‘getting to know each other’ questions
- Are you an organ donor, and how did you come to that decision?
- If you could change anything about the way your parents raised you, what would it be?
- If you could speak to one deceased person, who would it be and what would you say?
- If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are now living? Why?
- Is there something that you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? Why haven’t you done it?
- If you could travel to the past and change one event, would you? Which one? Why?
- If you could relive one moment in your life, which would it be?
- If you could switch lives with any one person for one day, who would you choose?
- Do you think that people can change?
- What was the scariest moment in your life so far?
- What is your most cherished belief?
- What is your definition of success?
- How do you define beauty?
- What do you think is the meaning of life?
- What do you think makes someone a “good person”?
- For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
- What is your biggest regret?
- Do you believe in karma?
- Do you believe what is meant for you will never miss you?
- How has your perspective on the world changed over time?
- What line should someone never cross with you?
- How can someone earn your trust?
- How can someone lose your trust?
- Do you believe in second chances?
- What makes you feel at peace?
- Are you active on social media, or do you prefer to be more private?
Why bother with ‘getting to know each other’ questions?
Well, you could find out some pretty cool stuff about complete strangers, and even people you thought you knew.
As opposed to icebreaker questions, the ‘getting to know each other’ questions are meant to reveal personal, interesting facts among conversation partners. They are used to encourage community building while getting to know someone on a deeper level.
Stay tuned for more posts on eTeamBuilding – the cutting edge of fun and games!
