The psychology behind ice breakers
According to psychologist and former university professor Anton Villado, good ice breakers achieve three things:
- They calm people’s nerves in an interview situation.
- They set the tone for the rest of the conversation.
- They encourage people to talk about themselves.
This means ice breakers will help both you and the applicant feel comfortable, and the atmosphere is likely to be friendly and pleasant for the rest of the interview. This is a great first step and helps to build a positive relationship between interviewer and applicant. A win-win for both sides!
What are some good ice breakers?
The best ice breakers don’t have to be complex. They can be conversation starters, compliments or simple questions. Of course, they can also be creative, open-ended questions. Before you even get into the nitty-gritty of the interview, use one or more conversation starters to get the dialogue going.
During a job interview, make sure to keep ice breakers work-related to avoid unconscious bias and keep your hiring practices as inclusive as possible.
Conversation starters
When you meet an applicant for the first time, remember that they might be nervous. Make them feel welcome by introducing yourself and start the conversation in a natural way. Simple conversation starters will help to make you both feel comfortable as you walk to your meeting room or as you settle in before you officially start the interview. You could:
- comment on the weather
- ask if they found it easy to get to your location
- offer assistance with their bag or coat
- ask if they attended a recent local event (e.g. a major sports game or high-profile concert)
- make an observation about a piece of wall art or the view
- ask if they’ve been to the coffee shop across the street
Ice breaker questions
Once your interview officially starts, good ice breakers are helpful to get the conversation going, to restart it should there be a pause, or simply to lighten up the mood. Here are some examples of simple yet effective and more creative ice breaker questions:
Work-related ice breakers
As the name suggests, work-related ice breakers give you insights into how the applicant deals with situations in a professional environment. You might get to experience a useful glimpse into their working personality.
- What has been the most unusual job you’ve ever held?
- What’s the most valuable career advice you’ve ever received?
- If you could change anything about your previous job, what would that be?
- What fact should your colleagues know about you?
- Do you prefer working from home or coming to the office?
- What’s your proudest professional achievement so far?
- What would make you jump out of bed with excitement for your job every morning?
- If you stepped out of the room, how would your former boss describe you?
- If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
- What do you like to do after work?
Question topics to avoid
Good ice breakers avoid controversial topics, so you don’t inadvertently offend applicants. It’s advisable that you refrain from asking questions in the following areas:
- politics
- religion
- sexual orientation
- medical issues
- family or relationship status
- ethnic background
These topics may come up naturally in conversation with employees or colleagues later on, of course, but they definitely shouldn’t be addressed in an interview.
Be engaged and interested
When you ask applicants ice breaker questions in an interview, it helps if you’re genuinely interested in their answers. They will appreciate it if you actively listen and take a keen interest in their hobbies and experiences. This can set the stage for a great working relationship if you go on to hire them. Whether you conduct in-person interviews or phone interviews, file some of the ice breaker questions listed here with your job-specific interview questions, so you are as prepared as you can be before meeting with new applicants.
