Starting a new role can be both exciting and a little nerve-wracking. That’s why a warm, engaging induction experience can make all the difference in helping new team members feel welcome, confident, and ready to hit the ground running.
A great way to break the ice and build early connections is through fun, low-pressure activities that encourage conversation, creativity, and laughter.
Whether you’re looking to inject some energy into day one or help new recruits bond over shared experiences, we’ve put together some games and icebreakers are designed to do just that.
Contact Centre Induction Games and Activities
We’ve put together some tried and tested induction games, icebreakers, and activities for new employees to help them feel welcome, get to know one another, and settle into their new team:
1. Play The ‘Two Truths, One Lie’ Game To Get The Conversation Moving
“I usually do the classic ‘two truths, one lie’ game, where the agents are asked to tell two truths and one lie about themselves. It is then up to the rest of the group to figure out which is which.
This opens up the discussion and also means I can find out interesting things about the group quickly.”
This is a classic icebreaker that’s always a hit in inductions. This game quickly sparks conversation and helps reveal some fun and surprising facts about your new recruits, creating immediate engagement in the room.
How It Works
Each person takes turns telling the group three statements about themselves—two of which are true and one that is a lie. The rest of the group then guesses which statement is the lie.
Contributed by: Sean
2. Ask Why They Are Pleased That They Are Joining The Company
“I find a fun induction activity is to start by asking new recruits a question that is relevant to why they are in the room right now.
For example, “If you had to give just one reason why you’re glad to be joining this company, what would it be?””
Kicking off with a meaningful question helps new recruits reflect on their motivation and creates a positive tone. It connects their personal goals with the company’s purpose and sets a great vibe for the rest of the induction.
How It Works
Go around the room and ask each new recruit to share one reason why they’re excited to be joining the company. It could be anything from the company culture to a personal career goal.
Contributed by: Simon
3. Ask Your New Recruits To Draw A ‘Mundane Superhero’
“One silly way to help your new recruits relax and get to know each other is to ask them to draw themselves as a ‘mundane superhero’.
These drawings should reflect a mundane skill that the individual happens to be exceptionally good at, such as hoovering the stairs or making cottage pie.
After around 5 minutes, get everyone to hold up the pictures of their ‘Hoover Man’ or ‘Cottage Pie Girl’ superheroes and explain their mundane skill to the group.”
This silly, light-hearted activity helps people drop their guard and show off their creativity. It’s a great way to laugh together while celebrating those quirky everyday skills that make us unique.
How It Works
Give everyone paper and markers. Ask them to draw themselves as a superhero with a surprisingly ordinary but masterful skill—like “Microwave Meal Man” or “Spreadsheet Woman.” After a few minutes, each person holds up their drawing and explains their super-skill to the group.
Contributed by: Jane
4. Ask Agents To Give A Brief Presentation About Bad Customer Service
Encouraging recruits to reflect on bad customer service helps them set expectations for what good service looks like. It also gives you insights into their understanding of the role.
“Divide your new agents into smaller teams and ask them to voice an idea by means of a simple chart or presentation.
Simple but effective ideas include ‘outline your expectations of this job role’ and ‘illustrate a bad example of customer service’.”
How It Works
Split the group into small teams. Ask them to prepare a short 3–5 minute presentation on what bad customer service looks like, or to express their job expectations using a flipchart or simple drawing. Presentations can be informal and fun—no PowerPoint needed.
Contributed by: Akhilesh
5. New Recruits Should Tell Each Other 3 Things About Themselves
“Ask your new recruits to talk to as many of their new colleagues as possible in 5 minutes, while telling each person they meet 3 things about themselves.
For example, their best holiday, favourite music and someone they would most like to meet.
This creates a lot of noise and energy in the room, as people start learning small nuggets about each other.”
This high-energy activity gets the room buzzing with conversation. It’s perfect for helping people break the ice quickly and make lots of connections right from the start.
How It Works
Set a timer for 5 minutes and ask everyone to move around the room, meeting as many people as possible. For each person they meet, they should share three personal facts (e.g. favourite food, dream travel destination, favourite song).
Contributed by: Kevin
6. Ask Everyone To Answer ‘What’s New In The World?’
“At the beginning of each induction, I ask everyone to individually answer ‘what’s new in the world?’.
This isn’t work related, but it does get everyone engaged in thinking about innovation, change and endless possibilities.”
This open-ended, curiosity-driven prompt invites participants to think outside of work and engage with ideas, trends, and news. It encourages open-mindedness and gets people talking in a relaxed way.
How It Works
One by one, ask each person to share something new or interesting happening in the world—anything from a news story to a new app or trend. This encourages everyone to speak, think creatively, and engage with current events, while sparking a group discussion.
Contributed by: Nicole
7. Make Everyone Laugh By Sharing Bad Jokes
“We always start by asking our new agents to share a joke, even if it is shamefully bad (like Christmas cracker jokes).
We’ve found that if an agent gets everyone laughing at their joke, it really helps to get the conversation going.”
Laughter is a great leveller. This simple activity gets everyone chuckling and helps ease any nerves or tension. Bonus points for the worst joke in the room!
How It Works
Invite each new starter to share a joke – preferably the worst one they know! Think dad jokes or Christmas cracker groaners.
Contributed by: Steve
8. Play The ‘Same But Different’ Game
“One of my favourite icebreakers is the ‘same but different’ game. In groups of four, get people to find out something that they all have in common and something that is unique.
It opens up the conversation and gets people to share information about themselves that they wouldn’t normally think of.”
This activity encourages participants to discover both what connects them and what makes them unique. It leads to deeper conversations and more meaningful first impressions.
How It Works
Split people into groups of four. Each group must find one thing they all have in common and one thing that’s unique to each person. Then, they share their findings with the rest of the group.
Contributed by: Cameron
9. Take Your New Recruits On A Guided Tour
“At our contact centre, trainers take the new recruits on a tour of company’s facilities and departments as soon as they arrive. This is can be a good example of great icebreaker events.
They also introduce them to different managers and team leaders, and show them some video clips of company activities, before starting the formal training.”
Starting with a tour of the office creates familiarity, shows off your culture, and helps reduce first-day nerves. It also gives recruits a chance to meet key people early on.
How It Works
Kick off induction by showing new recruits around the workplace. Visit key departments, introduce them to team leaders, and explain how different areas of the business function. Add in some fun facts, company stories, or a short welcome video to set the tone.
Contributed by: Taj
10. Keep Mixing Everyone Up Until They’ve All Spoken To Each Other
“Divide your new recruits into small groups and encourage them to talk about everything from politics and new technologies to hobbies and holidays.
After a few minutes, mix up the groups so they get a chance to introduce themselves to even more of their new colleagues. Keep this up until everyone has had a chance to talk to everyone else!”
Encouraging movement and conversation early in the induction helps people feel comfortable faster. This dynamic mixer ensures that no one is left out and everyone gets to connect.
How It Works
Start with small groups discussing fun or light topics. After 3–5 minutes, shuffle the groups so everyone ends up talking to someone new. Repeat until everyone has spoken to everyone else.
Contributed by: Babatunde
If your looking for more information on induction games and activities, read these articles next:
- Clever Ideas for Induction Programmes
- Motivational Games For Call Centres
- Top 20 Motivational Games For the Contact Centre
- Six of the Best Games For Your Contact Centre
Author: Megan Jones
Reviewed by: Hannah Swankie
Published On: 19th Nov 2014 - Last modified: 16th Apr 2025
Read more about - Call Centre Management, Games, Induction Training Programmes, Training
