40 Would You Rather Questions for Work
Start a meeting with one question, or bring a few to a team lunch. This pack gives coworkers two choices to vote on without asking for a private story. You can read the questions, draw one with the picker or print all 40. Below are suggestions for which questions to use, how to vote together and how to finish the round before returning to work.
Which questions should you start with?
Use the question pack above to find ten questions in each of four groups. For three or more coworkers, allow about two minutes to open the pack and explain the voting rules. One screen or a printed copy is enough; you don’t need prizes or a score sheet.
- Meeting Warmups: start here for a question about meetings themselves. The choice between joining five minutes early and finishing five minutes early gives everyone two familiar options.
- Work Style: use these when the group wants to talk about preferences, such as complete silence versus quiet background music. Keep the answer hypothetical; it does not need to describe anyone’s current working conditions.
- Team Choices: try the choice between team trivia and a collaborative puzzle when coworkers are deciding what they might enjoy at a social event. A game answer is a conversation starter, not a binding vote on team policy.
- Office Daydreams: try perfect office coffee versus perfect office temperature for a new group. These everyday imaginary choices ask less of people than a question about how they do their jobs.
If you only have time for a vote, the shorter pairs in This or That questions let you skip the explanation round. For the general format and other themed packs, see Would You Rather questions.
How to run a short meeting round
Choose one question before the meeting rather than drawing several while everyone waits. Say how people will vote, make passing explicit and invite two volunteers to give short reasons.
- Read both choices. For example: “Would you rather join a meeting five minutes early or finish five minutes early?” Assign one finger to the first option and two to the second.
- Vote together. Give people a moment to decide, count down from three and have everyone who wants to answer show one or two fingers.
- Hear two short reasons. Invite one volunteer from each side if both choices have votes. If everyone picks the same option, invite any two volunteers. If nobody wants to explain, move on.
- Return to the agenda. Thank the group and start the meeting. There are no points, winners, eliminations or tie-breakers; an even split needs no deciding vote.
You could introduce the round with: “I’ll read two choices. Hold up one finger for the first or two for the second when I count down from three. You can pass, and you don’t need to explain. We’ll hear two short reasons from volunteers, then return to the agenda.”
Keep the icebreaker short. One question is enough for a meeting warmup; save a longer set for a break people have agreed to use for a game.
How to vote on a remote call
Paste the full question into chat or show it on screen so everyone can read both options. Label the first choice 1 and the second 2. Ask people to type their number, then send it after your countdown. A quick poll works too; if you use reactions, explain which reaction means each option before starting.
People can keep their cameras off and pass without posting an answer. Invite volunteers to explain aloud or add one sentence in chat. Read out any written reason you want the whole group to hear, then move on. In a hybrid meeting, display the same choices for the room and remote colleagues, and take both sets of votes before inviting explanations.
Keep answers about the imaginary choice
Preview the pack for your particular team. Stay away from questions about family status, health, politics, religion or financial pressure. Even an ordinary work preference can sound like a performance review if a manager asks people to defend it. Skip a question such as speed versus careful accuracy if it could feel like a test, and use an office daydream instead.
Let people answer the imagined choice without explaining their own circumstances. Avoid follow-ups such as “Is that why you never speak in meetings?” A short reason about the options is enough, and passing needs no explanation. A manager can give a brief answer first, then invite volunteers rather than calling on colleagues.
For a lighter round, preview funny Would You Rather questions and keep the joke on the imaginary situation. The unhelpful-superpower choices in funny This or That questions offer another way to be silly without asking for a confession. A team that wants a longer discussion can try a skill or focus dilemma from hard Would You Rather questions; check the wording first and keep it separate from evaluating anyone’s work.
Questions for a team lunch or retreat
For a lunch or retreat, choose five to ten questions and agree to stop after that set, or sooner if people are ready to move on. Rotate the reading turn among willing colleagues. Nobody needs to read, explain or join in to stay with the group.
At a team lunch, try perfect office coffee versus perfect office temperature, then a lake retreat versus a walkable city. For another subject, food Would You Rather questions has imaginary breakfast and snack choices. Nobody needs to taste anything or explain a dietary restriction. If you’re waiting for lunch to arrive, games to play while waiting for food includes seated games and explains where to stop each one when plates arrive.
At a retreat, you could turn an imaginary break-room question into four choices: a snack cart, a small library, a puzzle table or a music corner. Number four walls, read the options in the same order and let volunteers move to their answer. Keep a seated or chat vote available. The numbered-wall setup in Would You Rather Four Corners explains the format; use workplace choices rather than its children’s deck, and do not score coworkers for following the majority.
For a scheduled team celebration, the office party game plan offers other opt-in games, remote adaptations and a sample 30-minute schedule. Use it if you want a fuller activity block instead of extending a meeting icebreaker.
Questions about playing at work
Are these Would You Rather questions appropriate for work?
The pack focuses on everyday work preferences and imaginary choices. Preview the questions for your team and skip any that could feel like a test of job performance. Nobody has to answer or explain.
How many questions should a meeting use?
One question is enough for a short warmup. A retreat or team lunch can use five to ten; stop sooner if the group is ready to move on.
Can remote teams play?
Yes. Display or paste both options, label them 1 and 2, and let people vote in chat, with reactions or in a quick poll. Cameras and explanations are optional.
Should managers answer first?
A manager can model a short, low-stakes answer, but invite volunteers rather than calling on people. Everyone can pass without explanation.
What makes a work icebreaker useful?
A useful icebreaker is quick, easy to answer and does not require private information. Keep the conversation about the imaginary choices rather than judging colleagues.