55 of the best “get to know you” questions to ask at work
Getting to know the people you work with is good for both you and them. Even though it can be hard to get personal at work, the right attitude and a few tried-and-true “get to know you” questions can get things moving in the right direction.
In this article, we talk about how important it is to ask questions to get to know people at work and give examples of questions you can use to get to know your coworkers better.
Key takeaways:
- Questions to help people get to know each other are a good way to meet new people or introduce new teammates.
- Ask open-ended, thought-provoking questions to get people talking.
- Actively listen to the answers and remember them so you can use them later to get along with your coworkers.
Get-to-know-you questions help you learn more about the people you work with, connect with them, and get to know them better. Depending on what you want to get out of the conversation with the other person, these questions can be simple or deep. When you ask these kinds of questions at work, it can help break the ice with new employees, bring your current employees closer together, and make your team more productive as a whole.
Why are questions to get to know you important?
When you ask someone a question, it shows that you’re interested in them and want to learn more about them. A conversation like this can help you work better with both your coworkers and the people you manage. The more you care about other people, the more likely it is that they will like and respect you.
Getting to know the people on your team can help you build trust with them and make it easier for you to talk to them. Even though it may seem simple, showing your team members you care about them can help them work better and be happier on the job.
Get-to-know-you questions in the workplace also have the following benefits:
- Getting to know why someone is in the job they are in
- Find out what your team’s strengths and weaknesses are
- Getting your employees to be happier at work as a whole
- Making new hires feel more welcome and like they’re part of the team
- Getting along well with your coworkers or employees at work
- Getting to know you and your staff better
- Getting employees and managers to talk to each other
How to ask questions to get to know someone
You can ask “getting to know you” questions in a number of different ways and situations. For example, you could stop by a coworker’s office and start a conversation about the pictures they have up. Have they been to many places? Have they put up pictures of their heroes or favorite sports teams? This is a great way to start a conversation because it builds on what your coworker has already said.
If you are a manager, you could use icebreaker questions at your team meetings once a week or once a month. Have each person answer a question about themselves that they picked out of a hat. This can help start a conversation and set the tone for a meeting that is more open to communication and ideas.
When asking questions at work, it’s important to keep them polite and appropriate. For example, a good “get to know you” question would be to ask about their past jobs or what they like best about their job. But it’s not appropriate to ask your coworker about their recent divorce, especially if you don’t know them very well.
The better the conversation will go, the more thoughtful, kind, and polite your questions are. If you aren’t sure if a “get to know you” question is appropriate for the workplace, think about how you would feel if you were asked the same thing. If it would make you feel bad, you should probably not ask it at work.
55 questions to ask people at work to get to know them
There are a lot of questions you can ask to learn more about someone, whether you are in a team meeting or just talking to them in their cubicle. Start with the following 55 questions:
- What do you do for a living?
- What are your responsibilities at work?
- Do you have anyone who helps you with your work?
- What was the first job that paid you?
- Who gives you ideas?
- What do you like to listen to?
- Which concert did you like the most?
- Do you like traveling?
- Where has been the best place you’ve been?
- Do you like reading? If you like to read, what kind of books do you like?
- What’s the best book you’ve read in the past few months?
- What’s the most interesting thing about what you do?
- What did you do before you got this job?
- How do you make the most of your time?
- Which animal do you like best?
- Have you made plans for any trips?
- What are you most proud of?
- Which food do you like best?
- Which movie do you like best?
- Do you have any hidden skills or interests?
- Do you own any animals?
- Do you like sports? Which teams do you like the most?
- Do you like to get up early or stay up late?
- Do you like coffee or tea?
- What is the most difficult thing about your job?
- Who in the company do you look up to?
- What would you change if you could change one thing about your life?
- What scares you the most?
- What keeps you going at work?
- What’s something you’re not very good at?
- What is one thing you do very well?
- What show are you watching over and over again?
- Have you ever met a well-known person?
- What’s a skill you want to get better at?
- What would you do for a living if you could do anything?
- Which one is your favorite?
- What’s the best thing someone has ever said about you?
- What did you want to grow up to be when you were a child?
- What’s the chore around the house you hate doing the most?
- What’s your favorite weekend thing to do?
- Which holiday do you like best?
- Can you talk to people in more than one language?
- In ten years, where do you see yourself?
- Which class did you like the most?
- What do your friends say about you?
- What sports do you play?
- How good are you at keeping a secret?
- Are you a shy person or a talkative person?
- Do you like rides with ups and downs?
- Do you fear anything?
- What instrument would you play if you could?
- Who would you most like to meet from history?
- Which season do you like best?
- What three things would you bring to a desert island?
- How would you describe the ideal day?
