get to know your team questions

111 Amazing Get to Know Your Team Questions You Should Really Try

All great “get to know your team” questions serve at least two purposes. 

First, they let your teammates learn more about each other, and that translates to improved transparency, alignment, and effortless collaboration. 

And second, when properly constructed, “get-to-know your questions” facilitate experience exchange, be it learning how to overcome challenges, sharing personal life hacks, or even enhancing company processes at scale. 

In this article, we gathered more than a hundred best “get-to-know-your-team” questions that modern teams use in their daily meetings and team building exercises to improve balance and efficiency of their teamwork in a fun and engaging manner. 

“What’s Your Favorite” Get To Know You Questions

“What’s your favorite” type of questions are easy to answer questions that don’t require too much effort to ask and yet can surface interesting information about your team members. 

These types of questions are perfect for newly formed teams because they help establish quick rapport without forcing team members to share too much. While answering these questions, teams learn to trust each other and can gradually proceed to more complex subjects in this guide.

At the same time, the questions on the list are versatile: shy teammates can provide quick-to-the point answers while more expressive colleagues can add more background if they choose. 

  1. What’s your favorite book of all time?
  2. What’s your favorite childhood memory?
  3. What’s your favorite movie genre, and why?
  4. What’s your favorite holiday destination you’ve been to?
  5. What’s your favorite meal to cook or eat?
  6. What’s your favorite hobby or pastime?
  7. What’s your favorite music genre or artist?
  8. What’s your favorite sports team, if any?
  9. What’s your favorite season of the year, and why?
  10. What’s your favorite way to start your day?
  11. What’s your favorite app on your phone?
  12. What’s your favorite quote or saying?
  13. What’s your favorite piece of technology, and why?
  14. What’s your favorite thing about where you grew up?
  15. What’s your favorite way to destress during a busy week?
  16. What’s your favorite TV show you’re currently watching or recently finished?
  17. What’s your favorite piece of advice you’ve ever received?
  18. What’s your favorite thing to do on the weekends?
  19. What’s your favorite childhood TV show or cartoon?
  20. What’s your favorite form of creative expression?
  21. What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re feeling uninspired?
  22. What’s your favorite type of food from a specific cuisine?
  23. What’s your favorite icebreaker activity or game?
  24. What’s your favorite thing about learning new skills?
  25. What’s your favorite hidden talent you have?
  26. What’s your favorite memory from a team-building activity?
  27. What’s your favorite fictional character, and why?
  28. What’s your favorite thing about being part of this industry?
  29. What’s your favorite aspect of working remotely?
  30. What’s your favorite TED Talk or inspiring speech you’ve heard?
  31. What’s your favorite app for productivity or organization?
  32. What’s your favorite childhood toy or game?
  33. What’s your favorite lesson you’ve learned from a mistake?
  34. What’s your favorite charity or cause to support?
  35. What’s your favorite thing about networking or meeting new people?
  36. What’s your favorite adventure or outdoor activity you’ve done?
  37. What’s your favorite blog or website you visit often?
  38. What’s your favorite way to recharge over the weekend?

“Teamwork” Get to Know Your Team Questions

Teamwork “Get-to-know-your-team” questions are designed to surface both good and bad when it comes to how your colleagues engage in teamwork without putting a target on anyone’s back.

When analyzing answers to these questions, pay attention to what people don’t say rather than what they focus on. For example, if people can’t share any pleasant team experiences, it might be an early sign of a toxic workplace culture that you might need to start addressing. 

  1. What’s your favorite memory from your time at the company?
  2. What’s your favorite thing about working on our team?
  3. What’s your favorite accomplishment in your career so far?
  4. How do you handle conflicts or disagreements with colleagues or clients?
  5. Can you describe your preferred work environment or atmosphere?
  6. What’s your favorite way to collaborate with colleagues?
  7. What strategies do you use for effective communication in your workplace?
  8. What’s your favorite quality in a team leader or manager?
  9. What’s your favorite memory from a team retreat?
  10. What steps do you take to foster a positive team dynamic in your workplace?
  11. What’s your favorite team-building activity you’ve participated in?
  12. What’s your favorite way to boost team morale during tough times?
  13. What’s your favorite thing about your role in the team?
  14. What’s your favorite piece of advice for new team members?
  15. How do you prioritize tasks and manage your workload?

“Career” Get To Know You Questions

Career “get-to-know-you’ questions allow for a deeper dive into motivations of your employees, so that managers can better understand the point of growth for their employees while letting colleagues learn more about each other.

In a way, career questions complement your one-on-one meetings with employees and can inform their agenda

  1. What inspired you to pursue your current profession or role?
  2. What skills do you believe are essential for success in your field?
  3. What are your long-term career aspirations, and how do you plan to achieve them?
  4. What aspect of your job do you find most fulfilling?
  5. Can you share a significant accomplishment or project you’re proud of?
  6. How do you adapt to changes or new technologies in your industry?
  7. What tools or resources do you find most helpful in your work?
  8. How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance in your role?
  9. What motivates you to strive for improvement in your job?
  10. How do you define success in your current position?
  11. Can you share a memorable or influential mentorship experience you’ve had?
  12. What values or principles guide your decision-making at work?
  13. How do you incorporate creativity into your job responsibilities?
  14. What opportunities for growth or advancement do you seek in your career?
  15. How do you stay updated with industry trends or changes in your field?
  16. What role do collaboration and teamwork play in your daily work routine?
  17. How do you set and achieve your professional development goals?
  18. What do you find most challenging about working remotely or in a hybrid setting?
  19. How do you build and maintain relationships with clients or stakeholders?
  20. Can you discuss a time when you had to adapt to a significant change in your job?
  21. What motivates you to go above and beyond in your role?
  22. How do you contribute to creating a positive work culture in your team?
  23. What strategies do you use to stay organized and focused at work?
  24. How do you handle multitasking or managing multiple projects simultaneously?
  25. Can you share an experience when you had to demonstrate leadership in your role?
  26. What’s your preferred method for receiving feedback and constructive criticism?
  27. How do you approach learning from mistakes or failures in your job?
  28. What challenges do you foresee in your industry, and how do you plan to tackle them?
  29. How do you cultivate and leverage your professional network in your work?
  30. Can you discuss a time when you had to navigate a difficult decision at work?
  31. What do you find most rewarding about mentoring or guiding others in your field?
  32. How do you ensure your work aligns with the company’s mission and values?
  33. How do you initiate and foster innovation or new ideas in your workplace?

“Lessons Learned” Get to Know You Questions

Lesson learned questions are a great addition to agile retrospectives, if your team is already running them, or just a great tool on its own to help your team improve. 

Try to include at least one lesson learned questions in your team building sessions and pay closer attention to any recurring issues.

Pro tip: if you’re using slack or Ms Teams for daily communication, tools such as Geekbot can be used to automatically create and store answers to these questions in your messenger channels so that you can reference and analyze them over time. 

  1. Can you share an example of a mistake you’ve made and what you learned from it?
  2. What’s a significant setback you faced in your career, and how did it shape your professional growth?
  3. Can you recall a time when a failure led to a surprising success?
  4. Have you encountered a situation where you had to pivot from your original plan?
  5. Describe a project that didn’t go as planned. What were the key takeaways from that experience?
  6. Can you share an example of a missed opportunity and the lesson you learned from not seizing it?
  7. Describe a time when you had to adapt your communication style to overcome a challenge.
  8. How do you handle failure or setbacks?
  9. Share a situation where you underestimated a task’s difficulty. What did you learn from that underestimation?
  10. Have you ever faced a conflict with a colleague or team member? What strategies did you use to resolve it, and what did you learn from that conflict?
  11. Reflect on a time when you were outside your comfort zone. What insights did you gain from stepping into that unfamiliar territory?
  12. Can you recall a moment when you had to lead a project that faced unexpected challenges? What were the key lessons learned from that leadership experience?
  13. Describe a situation in which you took a risk that paid off. What did you learn from taking that leap?
  14. Reflecting on your career, what’s a valuable piece of advice or lesson you received that significantly impacted your professional journey?
  15. Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a task or project? How did you handle it, and what lessons did you take away from that experience?
  16. Can you describe a situation in which you had to reevaluate your priorities? What did you learn about balancing competing demands?
  17. Share a time when you had to collaborate with a diverse team. What lessons did you learn about teamwork and inclusivity?
  18. Reflect on a moment when you struggled with time management. What strategies have you implemented since then to improve your efficiency?
  19. Can you recall a moment when you had to navigate a high-pressure situation? What did you learn about managing stress and maintaining composure?
  20. Reflect on a time when you encountered ethical dilemmas. What lessons did you learn about integrity and decision-making in challenging situations?
  21. Describe a time when you had to delegate tasks effectively. What insights did you gain about delegation and trust in a team setting?
  22. Reflect on a situation where you had to communicate difficult news or feedback.
  23. Share an instance when you felt undervalued or unrecognized for your contributions. What lessons did you learn about recognition and appreciation in a work environment?
  24. Reflect on a situation where you had to step into a leadership role unexpectedly.

In this comprehensive compilation, we’ve laid out a thousand ‘get-to-know-your-team’ questions, each designed to foster deeper connections and strengthen team dynamics. Remember, it’s not about the quantity but the quality of discussions these questions spark.

As you apply these questions within your team, focus on the conversations they ignite rather than racing through the list. Cultivate an atmosphere where these questions serve as catalysts for authentic connections and professional growth.

Frequently asked questions

How can I effectively use these 'get-to-know-your-team' questions in meetings?

Start meetings with a question to encourage discussion. Rotate questions weekly to engage everyone. Use them as icebreakers or to delve deeper into team dynamics.

Is there a recommended frequency for using these questions during team-building activities?

Aim for regular but varied usage. Integrate a few questions into weekly meetings or reserve a session solely for team-building activities. Tailor the frequency to maintain engagement.

Can these questions be adapted for remote teams or virtual settings?

Absolutely. Utilize video conferencing tools and chat platforms to pose questions. Encourage written responses or allocate time for each team member to answer during virtual meetings.

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