Trying to break the ice with a new workforce can be a little difficult to begin with, but the introduction of activities can help people loosen up and become a lot more friendly with one another.
It also helps to keep them stimulated going forward, ensuring your new team are always happy, confident and energetic.
However, we can understand that you’re probably up to your eyeballs with your own tasks and as a result, you don’t have the time to come up with these ideas.
Fear not! We’ve done all the hard work for you.
Check out our fantastic guide right here. The newbies will be the best of mates in no time!
The concentration game
If the team is feeling drained and/or stressed, this exercise is a great way to refresh them all. It doesn’t require too much time and the recommended group size is 10-20 people.
- Participants will need to form two equal lines facing each other.
- The game starts when one line turns around, giving the second line 40 seconds to change 10 things about themselves. This can include anything from jewelry or clothing being swapped with other people, untied shoelaces, a different hairdo, or a switched watch or ring to the other hand. All changes must be something the other group can see.
- After 40 seconds, the first group turns around and tries to find all the changes the other group made.
- Once the changes have been recognized, the groups switch, giving each team a chance to make changes.
This game will stimulate the participants’ minds and challenge their memory. Incorporate this activity when lack of energy is apparent.
Take What You Need
This is a great exercise which allows your team to get to know each other. It also doesn’t take up too much of your time.
All you’ll need is a roll of toilet paper or two (depending on the size of your group). Recommended group size is 10-30 people.
- Ask everyone to sit around in a circle.
- Pass around the roll of toilet paper and tell them to take as much as they think they’ll need, without disclosing what the items will be used for.
- If your employees ask further questions, simply answer them with, “take as much as you think you’ll need.”
- Once that’s done, ask them to count the number of squares they each have.
- Going around the circle, each person has to share a fact about themselves for every square of toilet paper or penny they took. So, if someone takes 10 squares, they need to share 10 facts about themselves.
Tip: In order to avoid someone taking too many squares of toilet paper, you could set a limit for each item. The facts don’t have to be long or time consuming.
This activity is particularly beneficial when new employees are hired as it will encourage communication and bonding. You’d be surprised how much this activity will teach you about someone you thought you knew.
Human Knot
This ‘ultimate brainteaser’ works on team building, communication and problem solving. Depending upon how well everyone works together, it should take around half an hour. (recommended for 10-20 people)
- Instruct the participants to stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder.
- Tell everyone to put their right hand in the air and grab the hand of someone standing across the circle from them.
- Now tell everyone to put their left hand in the air and grab the hand of a different person.
- Someone needs to check that everyone is holding the hands of two different people and that no one is holding the hand of someone who’s standing directly next to them.
- The objective of the game is to untangle everyone without breaking the circle.
- If the chain is broken, participants will have to start over.
Encourage that this game requires casual clothing – because everyone will feel a little more relaxed without business clothing.
This exercise will rely quite heavily on teamwork and participants will find it extremely difficult to complete the task. You should also be mindful of people with physical limitations.
Two truths and one lie
Each person submits two truths and one lie about themselves and should then let the game organizer know which statement is the lie. The organiser should then compile all of the information into a document in a multiple choice style quiz and create an answer key.
When that’s done, pass out the game sheets and have everyone answer each question by designating which answer is a lie for each person.
Have one or two people who don’t participate in the game score each submission and declare the winners!
This encourages bonding and teamwork and allows the introverts to come out of themselves a little more.
Name that tune
Create a list of movie one liners and lines from fairly well known songs and write them on slips of paper. (then divide the group into teams)
Each team takes turns drawing a slip of paper and the either reads or sings the line written. Each team has 30 seconds to guess until another team can steal.
Office makeover
This activity can be done at various times in the year.
For every event on the calendar (Halloween, Valentines, charity days, Christmas etc.) let a different member of staff decorate the office.
When it comes to the beginning of a new year, award a member of staff with a ‘best decorated’ award – i.e. give them a cash bonus, additional holiday, or present. Get a little something for the rest of the team, just so they don’t feel left out!