RetroLift / Icebreaker questions / Conversation starters for work

50 conversation starters for work and coworkers

Easy conversation starters for coworkers, for the minutes before a meeting, a team lunch, a new joiner's first week or a quiet video call. They are open questions about weekends, food, travel and work life, so they lead to a real chat rather than a one-word answer, and none of them pry.

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The questions

What was the highlight of your weekend?
What are you looking forward to this week?
What is something you learned recently that surprised you?
What was your first job, and what did it teach you?
What is the best piece of work advice you have been given?
What podcast, book or show would you recommend right now?
How do you usually get to work, and what do you do on the way?
What is a sport or activity you have always wanted to try?
What is the best meal you have had in the past month?
What is a skill you are quietly proud of?
What did you want to be when you were a kid?
What is the most useful tool or shortcut in your work day?
What is a local spot near the office or your home that you love?
What is something on your to-do list that is just for fun?
What part of your job would surprise your friends?
What is a place you have been that you would go back to tomorrow?
How do you like to switch off after work?
What is something you have changed your mind about lately?
What is a project you worked on that you still think about?
What is your favourite way to start the morning?
What is a small win you had this week?
What is the last thing you made with your hands?
What is a tradition from where you grew up that you still keep?
What is something you know a lot about that might surprise us?
Who is someone at work who helped you early on?
What is the best team you have ever been part of, and why?
What is a topic you could talk about for an hour?
What is an online course or video series you would recommend?
What is a film you think everyone should watch once?
What is your favourite thing about the city you live in?
What is the best concert or live event you have been to?
What is one thing that always makes your day better?
What is a recent purchase you would recommend?
What is the most interesting place you have worked from?
What is a work habit you picked up from a colleague?
What is your favourite time of day to get focused work done?
What is a sport or game you enjoy watching or playing?
What is a goal you have outside work this year?
What is the best thing about your current role?
What is something people often get wrong about your job?
What is a café, restaurant or takeaway you keep going back to?
What would your perfect day off look like?
What is the kindest thing a stranger has done for you?
What is a small thing a colleague did that made your week?
What is a game or app you have been playing lately?
What is something you are better at now than a year ago?
What is your go-to snack during a long day?
Where did you grow up, and what was it like?
What is something you would like to try at work but have not yet?
What is the most memorable team event or outing you have had?

Facilitator tip

Ask a follow-up before you share your own answer. "What made it good?" turns a polite reply into a conversation.

Draw these live with your team →

Frequently asked questions

Can I use these conversation starters for work for free?

Yes. Copy them, or use them in the free deck, with no account.

How do I use them in a meeting?

Draw one card and show it full screen, or open a live room where everyone answers on their phone before the reveal.