Creative onboarding ideas to help new hires connect with their team
Mar 13, 2025
Starting a new job can feel like being the new student in school—exciting yet overwhelming. For HR professionals, onboarding managers, and team leaders, it’s clear that onboarding is more than just paperwork and formal introductions. It's an opportunity to make new hires feel supported, included, and connected.
Strong workplace connections play a significant role in employee satisfaction and retention. But how can leaders foster these connections early on? The answer lies in creative onboarding activities. From scavenger hunts to icebreaker games, these ideas help break barriers and create a sense of community from day one. This article explores the benefits of creative onboarding activities and provides actionable tips for implementing them effectively.
Why team connections matter during onboarding
The importance of team-building
Did you know that only 12% of employees strongly agree their organization does a great job onboarding new hires (Gallup)? Poor onboarding is not just a missed opportunity—it can lead to disengagement and turnover. Building strong team connections during onboarding is essential to setting a positive tone for new hires. These connections influence how supported, valued, and prepared an employee feels in their role.
Strengthening company culture
Meaningful introductions go beyond shaking hands. They welcome new hires into the organizational culture and show that they’re valued not just for their skills but for who they are as individuals. Incorporating creative onboarding ideas helps reinforce company values on a much deeper level than a welcome packet or HR manual.
The role of creative activities
Team-building activities are so much more effective than standard introductions. Icebreakers and games are memorable, interactive, and fun. This approach takes onboarding beyond formalities, bringing your new hires and their teams closer, faster.
Scavenger hunts as a fun onboarding activity
How it works
An onboarding scavenger hunt takes the standard team introductions and transforms them into a hands-on activity. Instead of overwhelming new hires with information, this approach keeps them active and engaged as they get to know their coworkers.
Tasks might include:
“Find a teammate who has been with the company for more than five years and ask for their best piece of advice.”
“Discover a coworker who enjoys rock climbing or hiking.”
“Find someone in the office who can teach you the company handshake.”
Benefits of scavenger hunts
Improved engagement: Rather than passively absorbing information, new hires actively interact with coworkers.
Faster integration: Meeting teammates becomes fun, not intimidating.
Reinforces culture: Highlighting shared interests strengthens bonds and shows that the company values personal connections.
How to implement
Create engaging prompts: Combine professional and personal prompts like “Who can help answer questions about tech tools?” and “Which teammate loves coffee as much as you do?”
Adapt for remote teams: Platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams can be just as effective for virtual scavenger hunts where employees connect through chat and video.
Use technology: Tools like InCommon can help automate personalized scavenger hunts with minimal effort.
Want to learn more about scavenger hunts as an onboarding tool?
Icebreaker question games to break barriers
Purpose
Some new hires are natural conversationalists, while others need a little nudge to open up. That’s where icebreaker question games come in.
Examples of games
"Find a Trait Everyone Shares": Split employees into small teams and challenge them to identify a fun commonality, like “We all love tacos!” or “We’ve all seen every episode of Friends.”
"Two Truths and a Lie": Each employee shares two truths and one lie about themselves, and the team guesses which one is false. It’s lighthearted and reveals unique quirks.
When to use
These games are great for kicking off team meetings, virtual calls, or even informal group lunches. They’re versatile and work in most contexts where new hires meet their teammates for the first time.
Remembering names and faces with gamification
The challenge of name retention
Meeting an entire new team at once is daunting. Many new hires struggle to remember names, which can create unnecessary anxiety.
Creative solutions
Name tag matching: Pair team members’ names with a fun fact. For example: "Jack loves hiking." or "Lisa is a coffee enthusiast."
Memory bingo: Create a bingo sheet with names and unique traits (e.g., “Has a pet iguana”). New hires tick off boxes as they interact with their colleagues.
Benefits
These activities not only help new employees feel comfortable addressing colleagues by name but also reduce social anxiety during those early days.
Want to learn how InCommon's Meet & Shuffle game helps automate and scale a name game?
Building a sense of community through activities
Fostering inclusion
Creative onboarding activities don’t just improve engagement—they also foster a sense of belonging that smooths the transition. When employees feel like they’re truly part of a team, they’re more likely to stay and thrive in their roles.
Making it scalable
Integrating these activities into standard onboarding programs saves effort in the long run. Using tools like InCommon can help streamline the process even further, making meaningful onboarding accessible at scale for remote, hybrid, or in-office teams.
Welcome new hires like rockstars
Creative onboarding activities like scavenger hunts, icebreaker games, and name-retention challenges are more than just fun—their impact lasts far beyond the first week. Thoughtful onboarding strengthens team bonds, reinforces company culture, and sets the stage for long-term success.
Why wait? Try introducing one of these activities for your next onboarding session. Your new hires—and your company culture—will thank you.
Looking for more ways to make onboarding effortless and engaging? Contact our team to discuss unique strategies tailored for your needs.