Speed Dating-Like Game, but for the Workplace

Speed dating gets one thing very right.

In under an hour, you meet everyone in the room. Short chats, a clear reason to talk, and then you move on.

That's exactly what most workplaces need.

Just without the dating part.

Most people only know the folks on their own team.

Sales doesn't know engineering. The new hires don't know anyone. Remote people only know faces from video calls.

At work events, everyone sticks with their team, and the silos stay put.

A speed dating-style game breaks that up fast.

Best for: 10 to 40 people. Time: 30 to 45 minutes.

This is the closest thing to speed dating. Call it speed networking or speed meeting to keep it work-friendly.

• Set up two rows of chairs facing each other, or pair people at standing tables.
• Put one question on the screen for each round.
• Give each pair 3 to 4 minutes to talk.
• Ring a bell or call time, and one row shifts one seat to the left.
• Run 6 to 10 rounds, then let people mingle freely.

• What does a normal day look like for you?
• What's a project you're proud of this year?
• What's one thing people on other teams don't know about your job?
• What did you do before you worked here?
• What's something outside of work you could talk about for hours?

Rotations get messy past 40 people. Someone always ends up without a partner.

You need a host watching the clock the whole time.

And it can feel stiff. Good conversations get cut off by the bell, and awkward ones drag on.

A speed dating-style game at work helps coworkers meet lots of people outside their own team.

Jam Bingo helps your whole company do that, in an interactive way that doesn't feel forced or awkward.

Each person gets prompts that point them to a coworker they don't know yet, like someone from another department.

So everyone has an easy reason to start a conversation, and a first line ready to go.

Good conversations aren't cut off by a bell. People talk as long as they want, then move on to meet someone new.

Sales meets engineering, new hires meet veterans, and team silos start to break down.

Want to see it in action? See how Jam Bingo works!

Point every prompt at someone outside their usual circle:

• Find someone from a department you've never worked with and ask what they're working on.
• Find someone who started in the last 6 months and ask what surprised them about working here.
• Find someone who has been here longer than you and ask for one piece of advice.
• Find someone who works in a different office or remotely and ask what their setup looks like.
• Find someone with a hobby you've never tried and ask how they got into it.

More ideas in the Jam Bingo templates.

• Small team, seated event, one host free to run it: classic speed networking.
• Bigger group, standing event, or a busy host: Jam Bingo.
• Want people to follow up after? Jam Bingo saves every connection.
• Want some friendly competition? Put the Jam Bingo leaderboard on the big screen.

• New hire onboarding, so new people meet more than their manager.
• All-hands or town halls, before the presentations start.
• Team offsites, when two teams are meeting for the first time.
• Holiday parties, to get people out of their usual team circle.
• After a merger or reorg, when half the room are strangers.

Drop the word 'dating.' Speed networking or speed meeting says the same thing without the weirdness.

Keep questions about work, interests and experiences. Skip anything too personal.

Ask leaders to play too. When the VP is chatting with the new intern, everyone relaxes.

And keep it short. 20 to 40 minutes is plenty before people want a break.

Looking for more ideas? Here are some get to know you activities for employees.