Whether you’re meeting a friend for coffee, chatting with a neighbor, or making small talk with the person behind you in line, most conversations begin with a lighthearted icebreaker. You don’t start off by drilling the other person with tough questions. Instead, you converse on a mutually interesting topic or two to get the conversation started.
A job interview, which is arguably one of the most impactful conversations you can have, is no different. Kicking it off with an icebreaker question helps set the interaction in motion and allows both the interviewer and the interviewee to find their footing for a productive talk.
Read on to learn what makes a great icebreaker question and how icebreakers can help you have more effective interviews.
What Are Icebreaker Interview Questions?
An icebreaker interview question “breaks the ice” at the start of a job interview. It’s meant to help introduce both parties and relieve the tension that’s common in such a setting.
Icebreaker questions encourage interaction and off-the-cuff answers, allowing you to get a glimpse of a candidate’s personality while helping make them feel comfortable to dive into more serious topics.
What’s the Point of Icebreaker Questions?
Icebreaker questions serve a number of purposes. They can help you:
Transition into the interview
When you’re getting ready for a workout, you don’t break into sprints in the first 30 seconds. You take a few minutes to warm up your muscles, transitioning your body from being at rest to being in motion.
It’s the same when you’re talking to a new person for the first time; getting acclimated takes a few moments. Icebreaker questions allow both people to ease into the conversation and “warm up” for a smooth chat.
Put candidates at ease
It’s normal for a candidate to feel nervous going into an interview, and a little bit of nerves can be helpful. If they’re overly anxious, however, they’re more likely to stumble over their answers, which makes it harder for you to get an accurate read on their capabilities.
Icebreaker questions are easy, giving candidates a quick confidence boost. The low-stakes topics allow candidates to get comfortable, which can help them give their best answers to the tougher questions and, in turn, help you make a thorough assessment.
Build rapport
Asking an engaging question at the start of an interview demonstrates that you’re enthusiastic about the interaction and interested in what a candidate has to say. Showing that you’re happy to be talking with them contributes to a positive candidate experience, which benefits your employer brand.
Gauge personality
Icebreaker questions allow candidates to speak spontaneously, which allows their personality to shine through. Seeing an interviewee’s speaking style, tone, and energy level can help you envision how they might mesh with your team, which is useful in identifying culture fit.
Assess quick thinking
A well-prepared candidate has probably practiced their answers to the most common interview questions, like ‘Why do you want to work here?’ or ‘What are your biggest strengths?’ Since icebreaker questions are more unique, a candidate probably won’t have a scripted answer they’ve rehearsed in advance. Their response lets you see their ability to think on their feet, which is an important soft skill.
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Characteristics of a Good Icebreaker Question
While an icebreaker question is meant to be informal, it’s still a good idea to strategize what you plan to ask beforehand. A good icebreaker question is…
Relevant to the role
One tactic is to introduce a relevant topic to the job while not overly focusing on the candidate’s qualifications. For example, if you’re interviewing for a creative role, you might ask an interest-based question like, ‘Who are your favorite artists?’
Not too serious
Icebreaker questions should be conversational and casual, promoting two-way interaction. If it’s something you could easily ask while making small talk, it’s probably a good candidate for an icebreaker topic.
Something you can answer, too
A good way to contribute to rapport-building is to answer the same question you asked the candidate once they have had a chance to respond. This helps the interview feel less like an interrogation and more like a two-sided conversation, producing more insightful answers.
What’s NOT a Good Icebreaker Question?
Trick questions
Some questions feel tricky, whether you mean them to or not. Avoid questions with right and wrong answers or questions that are meant to trip up the candidate. “Why are manhole covers round?” or “What is the color of money?” are two such questions we’ve heard of. (In case you’re wondering, the “right” answers to those questions are “so they can’t fall through the hole” and “it depends on what country you’re in,” but these are likely to throw a candidate off rather than make them feel at ease.)
Questions that could induce bias
Some seemingly innocuous questions are actually problematic because they can introduce bias. “Where did you go to school?” for instance, can be a loaded question because it may induce bias over whether it’s a “good” or “bad” educational institution.
Sensitive or intrusive topics
Avoid icebreakers touching age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, politics, family, and national origin. Not only are these irrelevant to a candidate’s qualifications, but they can also set you up for a lawsuit if you ask about them.
50 Good Interview Icebreaker Questions To Ask Candidates
Getting to know you
- What’s your go-to breakfast food?
- What’s your morning routine?
- Do you have any hidden talents?
- What’s your favorite book/movie/podcast?
- Have you watched any good shows lately?
- What’s the best thing that happened to you last week?
- What is your hometown known for?
- What’s your most-used app?
- What’s something people would be surprised to learn about you?
- What’s your least favorite chore?
- What was your favorite subject in school?
- What did you want to be when you grew up?
- Did you do any odd jobs as a kid?
Personal preferences
- What is your favorite hidden gem in our city?
- What is your most-used emoji?
- What’s your favorite place to visit?
- Where would you love to visit?
- What’s your ideal way to spend a day?
- How do you take your coffee?
- What’s the best purchase you’ve ever made?
- Would you want to meet your idol?
- What’s your favorite season?
- What’s your biggest pet peeve?
- Olives: love them or hate them?
- If you didn’t have a work schedule, would you rather arrive late or leave early?
Interests and hobbies
- What do you like to do in your free time?
- How do you relieve stress?
- What skill would you like to learn that’s unrelated to work?
- What’s something you wish you knew more about?
- What would you do with your time if you didn’t have to work?
- Which famous person would you most like to meet?
- Have you ever won a contest?
- What’s something on your bucket list?
- If your boss told you to take the day off, how would you spend it?
Just for fun
- If you woke up 100 years from now, what’s your first question?
- If time travel were possible, would you do it?
- What random job do you think you’d be really good at?
- What’s a job you’d never want to have?
- Have you ever had a bad haircut?
- What’s the funniest thing that happened to you recently?
- If you had a YouTube channel, what would it be about?
- What’s the most famous movie you’ve never actually seen?
- What’s your biggest unpopular opinion?
- What’s your favorite way to eat eggs?
- If your life were a movie, who would play the villain?
- Are you superstitious?
- What non-domestic animal would you like to have for a pet?
- Would you ever want to go to outer space?
- How much money would it take to give up your phone for a month?
- Have you ever met a celebrity?
While icebreaker questions may seem frivolous, they’re actually a useful tool for starting a job interview on a positive note and setting a candidate up for success. Use them to get the ball rolling and open the door to a productive and informative conversation.
Related: Best & Worst Interview Questions
