160 Check-in Questions for Meetings in 2024

Looking for engaging ways to start your meetings? Check-in questions are the perfect solution to build rapport, boost participation, and create a positive atmosphere.

In this guide, we provide 160 check-in questions tailored for remote, hybrid, and in-person meetings in 2024. You’ll find the right question for every occasion from icebreakers to mental health check-ins. Plus, discover how Krisp’s AI Meeting Assistant can streamline your meetings by capturing key points and improving team productivity. Make your next meeting more effective and connected with these simple but impactful questions.

What Are Check-in Questions? 

Check-in questions are a simple but powerful way to kick off a meeting and get everyone talking. They’re icebreakers that help people feel more comfortable and connected right from the start.

Whether you’re working remotely or in person, asking a quick check-in question lets everyone share a bit about how they’re doing or what’s on their mind. It could be something fun, like “What’s your favorite way to unwind after work?” or more focused, like “What’s one challenge you’re facing this week?” They set the tone for the meeting and make sure everyone feels included.

What Is The Purpose of Check-in Questions in Meetings? 

The purpose of check-in questions in meetings is to create a welcoming and engaging atmosphere right from the start. They help break the ice, get people talking, and encourage everyone to participate. Check-in questions are especially useful for remote and hybrid teams, where it can be harder to feel connected. 

By asking a quick, simple question, you can gauge how team members are feeling, set the tone for the meeting, and build stronger team rapport. Ultimately, they make meetings more productive and inclusive by ensuring everyone has a voice and feels part of the conversation.

How To Ask Great Check-in Questions?

To ask great check-in questions, the key is to make them simple, relevant, and aligned with the purpose of the meeting. Here are a few tips to ensure your check-in questions hit the mark:

Consider the meeting’s tone

If it’s a casual meeting, you can opt for light and fun questions like, “What’s your favorite way to relax after a long day?” This helps everyone feel comfortable and breaks the ice. For more serious meetings, especially those focused on project updates or problem-solving, try something like, “What’s one challenge you’re facing right now?”

Keep it open-ended

Great check-in questions encourage conversation and don’t have yes/no answers. This allows team members to share more about their current thoughts or feelings. Open-ended questions like “What’s something that’s been on your mind lately?” invite deeper engagement and reflection.

Make it relevant to your team

Tailor your questions to suit the team dynamics and work environment. If you’re leading a remote team, ask something like, “What’s one thing that’s been helping you stay focused while working from home?” Relevance makes the questions feel more personal and relatable.

Mix it up

Avoid asking the same questions over and over. Rotate between fun, thought-provoking, and work-related check-ins to keep things fresh. This ensures that the team doesn’t get bored and everyone remains engaged.

Be mindful of time

While check-in questions are a great way to connect, don’t let them take up too much time. Keep them brief and to the point so the meeting can flow smoothly.

Encourage honesty

Create an environment where team members feel safe being honest with their answers. You can do this by leading with your own check-in response, showing that it’s okay to share both positive and challenging experiences.

Categories of Check-in Questions

Icebreaker Questions

These questions are perfect for breaking the ice and getting everyone comfortable, especially at the start of a new project or when people don’t know each other well. 

1. What’s one interesting thing you did over the weekend?
2. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
3. What’s a fun fact about yourself that not many people know?
4. What’s the last book or movie you’d recommend?
5. If you could travel anywhere right now, where would you go?
6. What’s your favorite way to spend a Sunday?
7. Who’s someone you admire and why?
8. What’s your favorite hobby or pastime?
9. If you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
10. What’s your go-to karaoke song?
11. What’s one thing on your bucket list you haven’t done yet?
12. If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be and why?
13. What’s the most unusual job you’ve ever had?
14. What’s one thing you’re looking forward to this week?
15. What’s the most surprising skill you’ve learned recently?
16. If you were an animal, which one would you be?
17. What’s your favorite season and why?
18. If you could instantly become an expert in something, what would it be?
19. What’s a talent or skill you wish you had?
20. What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever tried?

Remote Team Check-in Questions

These questions are ideal for virtual teams to stay connected, especially when physical distance makes regular interaction more difficult.

1. What’s one thing that’s been helping you stay productive while working remotely?
2. How are you managing your work-life balance while working from home?
3. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced working remotely?
4. What’s something you miss about working in the office?
5. What’s your current workspace like?
6. How do you stay motivated during long remote work days?
7. What’s a remote work tip that has helped you the most?
8. How do you maintain boundaries between work and home life?
9. What’s something positive about remote work you didn’t expect?
10. What’s one tool or software you can’t live without while working remotely?
11. How do you stay connected with your colleagues outside of meetings?
12. What’s one routine that helps you transition between work and personal time?
13. What’s your favorite part of working remotely?
14. How do you take breaks during the workday?
15. What’s something new you’ve learned since working remotely?
16. What’s one thing you’ve found challenging about video meetings?
17. How do you make your home office feel comfortable?
18. What’s one skill you’ve improved while working from home?
19. What’s something that helps you stay focused in a remote work environment?
20. How do you balance personal life distractions while working remotely?

Mental Health and Well-being Questions

These check-in questions are designed to help gauge how your team is feeling and to open up conversations around well-being.

1. How are you feeling today, really?
2. What’s one thing you’ve been doing to take care of yourself this week?
3. On a scale of 1-10, how stressed are you feeling?
4. What’s something you’re doing to relax or unwind after work?
5. What’s one thing that’s been on your mind recently?
6. What’s one way you’ve been managing stress lately?
7. How do you recharge after a long day?
8. What’s one small victory you’ve had recently?
9. What’s something you’re looking forward to in the next week?
10. How do you stay positive when things get tough?
11. What’s a mental health habit that has been helping you recently?
12. What’s something you’re grateful for right now?
13. What’s one area of your life you’d like to improve?
14. How are you maintaining work-life balance?
15. What’s one way you’ve been kind to yourself lately?
16. What’s one thing that helps you stay calm under pressure?
17. What’s something you’ve done this week that made you happy?
18. What’s a hobby or activity that helps you clear your mind?
19. How do you decompress after a long meeting or workday?
20. What’s one self-care practice you want to try?

Team-building questions

These team-building questions help strengthen team dynamics by encouraging collaboration and a sense of team.

1. What’s one quality you appreciate in a teammate?
2. What’s one strength you bring to the team?
3. How do you like to collaborate with others?
4. What’s something you’ve learned from working with this team?
5. What’s one thing we could do to improve teamwork?
6. How do you handle disagreements with team members?
7. What’s a recent team achievement you’re proud of?
8. How do you like to receive feedback?
9. What’s one way we could make our meetings more productive?
10. What’s one lesson you’ve learned from a past project?
11. How do you prefer to communicate within the team?
12. What’s one thing that motivates you when working with this team?
13. What’s one thing you value about being part of this team?
14. How do you celebrate team wins?
15. What’s a challenge you’ve faced working in a team, and how did you overcome it?
16. What’s your favorite team-building activity?
17. What’s one thing you think we do well as a team?
18. How can we support each other better as a team?
19. What’s one thing you’ve learned about a teammate that surprised you?
20. How do you stay connected with your team outside of work?

Work-life Balance Check-in 

These questions help open up conversations about balancing work and personal life, especially in remote or high-stress environments.

1. How are you balancing work and personal life lately?
2. What’s one activity you do outside of work to recharge?
3. How do you disconnect from work when the day ends?
4. What’s one boundary you’ve set to protect your personal time?
5. How do you prioritize self-care during busy work periods?
6. What’s something you do during your breaks to relax?
7. How do you manage your workload and avoid burnout?
8. What’s one tip you have for maintaining balance while working remotely?
9. What’s your favorite way to unwind after a long workday?
10. How do you handle stressful days at work?
11. What’s one thing that helps you switch off from work mode?
12. How do you set boundaries with work when you’re at home?
13. What’s one habit you’ve developed to help maintain a healthy balance?
14. How do you ensure you’re getting enough downtime?
15. What’s one challenge you’ve faced balancing work and personal life?
16. How do you plan your day to avoid feeling overwhelmed?
17. What’s something you do outside of work that makes you happy?
18. What’s your biggest work-life balance struggle right now?
19. How do you create separation between work and home life?
20. How do you handle urgent work requests during your off-hours?

Project-specific Questions 

These questions help kick off project meetings and encourage reflection on team progress.

1. What’s one thing that went well on our last project?
2. What’s a challenge we’re currently facing on this project?
3. How do you feel about our progress so far?
4. What’s one thing you’re excited about in this project?
5. What’s one area where we could improve?
6. What’s the biggest risk we’re facing in this project?
7. How do you think we can stay on track with our deadlines?
8. What’s one lesson we’ve learned from this project so far?
9. What’s a recent project win worth celebrating?
10. What’s the next major milestone we should focus on?
11. How can we improve communication in this project?
12. What’s a recent challenge we overcame on this project?
13. How do you feel about the current project timeline?
14. What’s one thing we could do differently next time?
15. How can we better support each other on this project?
16. What’s one thing that could slow us down in the next phase?
17. What’s a priority for you in this project right now?
18. How do you feel about the current team collaboration?
19. What’s a potential roadblock we need to address?
20. How can we ensure we’re meeting our project goals?

Fun and Creative Questions

These questions bring a little lightheartedness and creativity to your meetings, perfect for energizing your team.

1. If you could have dinner with any fictional character, who would it be?
2. What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve done recently?
3. If you could instantly learn any skill, what would it be?
4. What’s your dream vacation destination?
5. What’s a talent you wish you had?
6. If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be?
7. What’s your favorite thing to do on a lazy day?
8. If you could live in any historical period, which one would it be?
9. What’s the weirdest food you’ve ever tried?
10. What’s your favorite movie or book genre?
11. If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?
12. What’s your go-to comfort food?
13. If you could be any animal, which would you be and why?
14. What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?
15. If you could be famous for one thing, what would it be?
16. What’s your favorite way to spend a weekend?
17. If you could instantly visit any place in the world, where would you go?
18. What’s your favorite childhood memory?
19. If you had to give a TED talk, what would it be about?
20. What’s your favorite thing to do when you need a break from work?

How Often Do You Need To Do Check-ins?

How often you do check-ins depends on your team’s dynamics and the type of meetings you’re running. Here are some guidelines to help you decide how frequently to include check-ins:

For Regular Team Meetings

If you’re meeting with your team on a weekly basis, doing check-ins at the start of each meeting can be a great way to gauge how everyone is feeling. Weekly check-ins help keep communication flowing and allow team members to share updates, challenges, or wins.

For Daily Stand-ups

If you have quick, daily check-ins like stand-ups, you don’t need to do an in-depth check-in every day. Instead, keep it brief and focused, such as asking, “What’s your priority for today?” or “How’s everyone feeling this morning?” This keeps the conversation relevant without taking up too much time.

For Project Kickoffs or Wrap-ups

Check-ins are especially useful at the start and end of projects. At kickoffs, ask questions like “What’s one thing you’re excited about for this project?” to get the team motivated. For wrap-ups, try questions like “What’s one lesson we’ve learned from this project?” to reflect on the process.

During Major Transitions or Busy Periods

If your team is going through a stressful or transitional time—like taking on a new client or managing a heavy workload—it’s helpful to increase the frequency of check-ins. Asking questions like “How is everyone managing with the current workload?” ensures team members feel supported and gives you insight into how they’re coping.

Remote and Hybrid Teams

Regular check-ins are crucial for maintaining a sense of connection for remote and hybrid teams. In this case, weekly or biweekly check-ins can help prevent isolation and keep team members feeling engaged and included.

What Makes Great Check-In Questions?

Great check-in questions are those that spark engagement, encourage open conversation, and help build connections among team members. Here are some key elements that make check-in questions effective:

• Simplicity

The best check-in questions are easy to understand and quick to answer. They don’t require long explanations, making it comfortable for everyone to participate.

• Relevance

Tailor the questions to the team’s current situation or the purpose of the meeting. Relevant questions make people feel like their responses matter and contribute to the conversation.

• Open-ended

Great check-in questions avoid yes/no answers. Instead, they invite team members to share their thoughts, feelings, or experiences. Open-ended questions like “What’s one thing you’re looking forward to this week?” encourage deeper reflection.

• Variety

To keep things interesting, switch between light, fun questions and more thoughtful or work-related ones. This prevents check-ins from feeling repetitive and keeps team members engaged.

• Inclusive

Make sure your questions allow everyone to participate, regardless of their role or personal preferences. Inclusive questions ensure everyone feels welcome to contribute.

• Mood-appropriate

Align your questions with the tone of the meeting. Fun or creative questions work well for casual meetings, while more reflective questions suit serious or stressful times.

Integrating Krisp’s AI Meeting Assistant for Better Meetings

Integrating Krisp’s AI Meeting Assistant into your meetings can take your productivity and team engagement to the next level. Here’s how it works and why it’s a game-changer for modern meetings:

Automatic Transcription

One of the biggest perks of Krisp’s AI Meeting Assistant is its ability to automatically transcribe your meeting in real-time. Whether you’re discussing important project details or sharing updates during a check-in, you’ll never have to worry about missing key points. The transcription feature captures everything, ensuring that all voices are heard and important information is saved for future reference.

Meeting Summaries

Instead of manually taking notes or trying to remember who said what, Krisp’s AI Assistant generates clear, concise summaries of the key points discussed. This helps team members stay focused on the conversation, knowing they’ll have access to accurate summaries afterward.

Boosts Engagement

By handling note-taking and transcription, Krisp’s AI Meeting Assistant frees up team members to be more present and engaged during meetings. Rather than scrambling to take notes, they can fully participate in discussions, share their thoughts, and actively listen to others.

Noise-Free Conversations

Background noise during virtual meetings can be distracting and frustrating for everyone involved. Krisp’s noise cancellation ensures that all unwanted sounds, like keyboard clicks, barking dogs, or street noise, are blocked out. This allows team members to focus fully on the conversation without interruptions or the need to constantly mute and unmute themselves.

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