As work communication moves online, appointments and meetings become somewhat more complex. Body language almost completely disappears and it is no longer possible to cheer up a colleague with an approving nod or smile during a presentation. It is not possible to informally chat over a cup of coffee, and onboarding is a separate quest.

You have to somehow get out, enter online activities, coffee breaks or informal calls. Alas, at such meetings there are often awkward pauses, especially at the very beginning of the conversation. How do you defuse the situation? I have selected for you an impressive list of questions on various topics that you can use for your employees.

Many questions look funny or even ridiculous - just what it takes to slightly relieve the intensity of the call. The main thing is to select appropriate questions in your specific situation. At the board of directors, perhaps, you should not ask about your favorite drink, but at an informal meeting with colleagues - why not?

Save the article to your bookmarks so you don't lose it. You can also select the questions that you liked the most, and save them to a separate file. Or maybe even print it out and hang it near the workplace to have a kind of cheat sheet for awkward pauses.

We've broken down the questions into several categories to make it easier for you to navigate them. We hope they will save you from pauses and allow you to get to know your employees better.

Questions about remote work
How do you like to work better: at home or in the office? Why? Would you like to combine remote and office work and, if so, how?
What's the hardest part about working remotely for you? And the easiest part?
Do you have your own "office" (separate workplace) at home?
Will you show us your "remote" workplace?
Where do you most often work from home? At your desk? At the kitchen table? On the balcony? On the couch? In your favorite chair?
Let's be honest, how often do you work lying in bed?
What do your morning gatherings look like when you're working from home and don't have to make a fuss to go to the office?
What is your main life hack so as not to be distracted while working from home?
How do you stay productive and motivated by working remotely?
What does your work outfit look like for removal? Do you wear Hawaiian shorts under a classic shirt because you can't see the bottom on the video call anyway?
How many cups of coffee/tea a day do you drink?
Are you a lark or an owl? When is it most convenient to work and is it possible to organize a convenient schedule remotely?
How do you think we can improve our calls?
Do you like to drink caffeinated drinks (tea, coffee, cola) while working?
What worthwhile movie or TV series have you watched lately?
Which of the books you read is the best and why?
And which of the professional literature do you consider the best?
If you could master one new hard skill anytime soon, what would it be?
If you could develop one new soft skill anytime soon, what would it be?
Do you like to play sports? Which sport do you like the most?
If you could write a book, what genre would you choose? Fantasy? Thriller? Novel? Historical fiction? Professional literature?
Funny questions
The zombie apocalypse is coming, gather a team of three people for yourself. Why did you choose these people?
Which emoji/sticker do you use most often?
Tell us about your worst/inappropriate outfit?
And about the worst haircut?
What was your favorite actor/actress as a child?
Are you being compared to any celebrity? With whom?
If you could bring back any fashion trend, what would it be?
What mode of transport do you like the most?
 Imagine hosting your own late-night talk show. Who would you invite as your first guest?
Imagine that a film is being made on your biography. What genre would it be and who would play you?
Do you want to become famous? In what field?
Do you like to sing karaoke? What's your favorite song?
What kind of food didn't you tolerate as a child? How do you feel about that now?
If you had to eat one dish for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Imagine that you have a choice: to stay on a desert island alone or with your worst enemy. What would you choose and why?
If aliens flew to Earth tomorrow and offered you to fly with them, would you agree?
'60s, '70s, '80s, '90s: Which decade do you love the most and why?
Which of the things you bought this year do you love the most?
Questions with a touch of philosophy
What's the best advice you've ever received?
What do you think is one of the most surprising scientific discoveries?
What do you dream of?
If you were competing in a Miss/Mr. World type competition, what would you present at the talent pageant?
What would you call your autobiography?
Imagine that you are very rich and you no longer need to work. What would you do?
If you had to uninstall all but 3 apps from your smartphone, what would you keep and why?
What is your favorite magical or mythological animal?
Who is your favorite fairytale character? Would you like to be in his/her shoes?
Tell us about the house/apartment of your dreams.
Imagine that you are going on a round-the-world voyage. What would you call your ship and why?

Questions about interests and preferences
If you were an Olympic athlete, what sport would it be and why?
Who do you think is the best in the business world and why?
Tell us about your worst job.
Which of the famous people in history would you like to be friends with and why?
If you had a superpower, what and why?
Which musical group or artist would you like to invite to your celebration?
Who did you want to be as a kid?
Do you have a favorite tradition or holiday? What is this?
What fictional world or place would you like to visit?
What do you like to eat for breakfast?
What is your favorite time of day and why?
Coffee or tea?
Teleportation or flight?
What's your favorite show and why?
If you had a time machine, would you go to the past or to the future?
Do you think you would be comfortable living without your smartphone for a day?
What's your favorite dessert?
What kind of game did you love as a kid?
Are you a traveler or a homebody?
If you didn't work what you work for now, who would you be?
What is your favorite city/country you have visited?
What would you do if you met your idol?
Do you have a so-called "bucket list" – a list of things that need to be done in life? What's the most important/interesting thing about it?
Tell us some fun fact about yourself.
What's your favorite dish and why?
Do you play any musical instruments? On which ones?
Do you like cats or dogs more?
How many languages do you know?
What's the weirdest food you've ever eaten?
What's the most unusual thing you've ever had to do?
What wallpapers do you have on your phone/computer?
Imagine that you can choose an unlimited supply of some product for life. Which will you choose?
What time of year do you love the most and why?
Do you like to sing/dance?
Which of the fruits and vegetables do you love the most?
If only questions
If you could chat with any character in a fairy tale/movie, who would you choose and why?
If you could live in any country for a year, what would you choose and why?
If you could commit some crime that you could get away with, what would you do and why?
If you could see a movie again for the first time, what would you choose and why?
If you could live in any country where you would live?
If you could choose two famous people to dine with, who would you choose?
If you could be an animal, who would you be and why?
If you could swap places with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
If you were going to change your name, what would you call yourself?
If you had a personal assistant, what would you delegate to them?
If you could instantly become an expert at something, what would it be?
If you were guaranteed something (other than money), what would you choose?
If you had to teach one discipline, what would it be?
If you could instantly learn a language (other than English), what would you choose?
If you could become immortal, at what age would you stop aging and why?
If you were on a reality show, which show would you choose and why?
If you could exclude one thing from your daily routine, what would it be and why?
If you could fly to Mars, would you fly? Why yes, why not?
If you could teleport right now, what place would you be transported to and why?
If you could write a book that is guaranteed to be a bestseller, what would you write about?
Questions about choice
Would you rather live in the ocean or on the moon?
Would you rather lose all your money or all your photos?
Would you rather be able to fly or become invisible?
Would you rather live where it's always cold or always hot?
Would you rather always be a little late or arrive a little earlier?
Would you rather give up your smartphone or computer?
Would you rather live without heat and AC or without social media?
Would you rather be the funniest or smartest person in the room?
Would you prefer to run at 100 km/h or fly at 10 km/h?
Would you rather be a superhero or the best chef in the world?
Would you rather be an Olympic gold medalist or an astronaut?