Survey Questions to Get to Know Someone

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5 Must-Know Tips to Avoid Common Pitfalls in Your Get-to-Know Surveys

Tip 1: ditch the yes-or-no traps and swap them for story-driven prompts. Too many closed questions choke off curiosity and yield one-word replies. As Calm advises in 30 Good Questions to Ask to Get to Know Someone More Deeply, open-ended gems like "What childhood game do you still remember?" spark richer results. Use these to uncover genuine personality.

Tip 2: keep it concise. Surveys that stretch beyond ten questions often see drop-offs. A study by BetterUp notes that response rates plummet if you demand more than a few minutes. Aim for a tight list of five to eight prompts to respect participants' time and maintain energy.

Tip 3: mind the flow. Jumping from favorite foods to deepest fears feels jarring. Instead, group similar topics - warm-up fun queries, personal values, then aspirational dreams. For classrooms or team workshops, embed your set in an Icebreaker Survey that guides respondents through each theme smoothly.

Tip 4: pilot before you publish to catch awkward or vague items. Share your draft with a small test group and ask for feedback on clarity and tone. Finally, mix in lighthearted prompts - like "Which memory makes you smile?" - to balance depth with fun. You can layer these tips into our Fun Personal Survey framework for a polished final product.

Personal Background Questions

These questions help you learn foundational details about someone's background and personal history. They're ideal for establishing context and breaking the ice in a meaningful way. Check out our Get to Know You Survey for more ideas.

What's your hometown and what stands out about it?
Helps establish geographic and cultural context, fostering connection through shared or contrasting backgrounds. Knowing where someone grew up can spark follow-up questions about local traditions or experiences.
When is your birthday and how do you like to celebrate it?
Reveals personal preferences regarding celebrations and can lead to follow-up on traditions or yearly rituals. Understanding how someone marks their birthday offers insight into what matters most to them.
Can you describe your family in three words?
Encourages concise reflection and offers insight into family dynamics and values. Three words can be powerful in illustrating core relationships.
What's your earliest childhood memory?
Prompts nostalgic storytelling, building emotional bonds and deeper understanding. Childhood memories often reveal what truly mattered to someone early on.
Which high school or university did you attend?
Opens dialogue about education, possible shared alma maters, or interesting academic experiences. Discussing schools creates connections and shared histories.
Did you have any pets growing up?
Sharing pet stories can be sentimental and reveal compassion or responsibility traits. Pets often hold special places in people's hearts, making for warm conversation.
What was your first job, and what did you learn from it?
Discusses work ethic foundations and early life lessons that shaped attitudes. First jobs often provide memorable experiences that influence future choices.
Do you follow any family traditions or rituals?
Understanding traditions highlights cultural influences and personal priorities. Rituals can showcase values passed down within families or communities.
Have you ever lived abroad or in another city?
Reveals adaptability and exposure to diverse experiences or cultures. Living in different places often broadens perspective and conversation topics.
Who has been the most influential person in your life so far?
Identifies key mentors or role models, showing who shapes their worldview. Learning about influential people offers insight into someone's guiding principles.

Hobbies and Interests Questions

Diving into someone's hobbies and interests reveals passions and preferences beyond the basics. These prompts guide you through discovering what truly excites them. For a more playful spin, see our Fun Personal Survey .

What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
Opens focus to personal passions and guides discussion towards mutual interests. Free-time activities can reveal what someone truly enjoys doing.
Are there any sports or fitness activities you regularly participate in?
Reveals lifestyle and health priorities, leading to discussions about fitness preferences. Sports and activities can also uncover shared hobbies.
Which books, movies, or TV shows are you currently into?
Showcases entertainment tastes and introduces potential conversation topics. Books, movies, and shows are common ground for many connections.
Do you play any musical instruments or enjoy music?
Explores creative outlets and potential common musical tastes. Learning about instruments or genres can spark collaborative stories.
Have you tried any new hobbies recently?
Indicates willingness to explore and learn new skills, reflecting openness to experience. New hobbies often carry exciting anecdotes.
What was the last craft or DIY project you completed?
Highlights creativity and problem-solving abilities in a tangible way. DIY projects can reveal both patience and resourcefulness.
Do you prefer indoor or outdoor activities and why?
Gives insight into personality - introverted vs extroverted - and preferred settings. Indoor and outdoor preferences often align with comfort zones.
How do you usually spend weekends?
Offers a window into routine and leisure preferences outside work or study. Weekend plans can indicate energy levels and social tendencies.
Are you involved in any volunteer work or community groups?
Shows community engagement and values related to helping others. Volunteer experiences often highlight empathy and teamwork.
What's your go-to way to relax after a busy day?
Provides context for stress management and self-care habits. Relaxation methods can serve as conversation starters about wellbeing.

Fun Icebreaker Questions

Lighthearted and playful prompts are perfect for breaking tension and encouraging laughter. These fun icebreakers can turn any gathering into a lively discussion. Incorporate elements from our Fun Survey Questions .

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
Encourages creative thinking and personal aspirations or fantasies. Imagining superpowers can uncover values and deep-seated wishes.
What's your favorite ice cream flavor and why?
A light question that can lead to fun anecdotes or preferences. Ice cream flavors often carry nostalgic or unique reasons.
Which fictional world would you most like to live in?
Shows imagination, favorite stories, and values projected into those worlds. Fictional worlds can reflect someone's ideals.
Would you rather time travel to the past or the future?
Sparks debate about risk-taking, curiosity, and historical interest. Choosing past or future indicates how they view progress.
If you could swap lives with anyone for a day, who would it be?
Reveals admiration, curiosity about others' experiences, and personal desires. Swapping lives can illustrate what they value in others.
What's the funniest word in the English language to you?
Encourages humor and language play, often generating laughs. Funny words can reveal what tickles someone's sense of humor.
If you were an animal, which one best describes you?
Offers insight through metaphor on personality traits and self-image. Animal choices often represent perceived characteristics.
What song always gets you dancing?
Connects through shared musical enjoyment and energy triggers. Dancing songs can reveal mood boosters.
Do you have a hidden talent or party trick?
Promotes playful sharing of unique or unexpected skills. Hidden talents often surprise and entertain groups.
If you had a time machine, what advice would you send to yourself?
Balances introspection with whimsy, revealing values and lessons learned. Advice to past self shows growth and perspective.

Aspirations and Goals Questions

Exploring goals and aspirations offers insight into someone's motivations and future direction. These questions encourage reflection on personal and professional ambitions. You can expand on these in the Five To Know Someone Better Survey .

What is one personal goal you hope to achieve this year?
Highlights current priorities and ambition levels. Personal goals convey what they're focused on now.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Encourages long-term planning and vision, offering insight into life trajectory. Five-year dreams show where someone aims their efforts.
What skill would you most like to master?
Reveals growth mindset and areas of passion or perceived need. Skills they want to master reflect interests.
Who inspires you in your career or personal life?
Identifies role models and underlying motivations. Inspirations can shed light on someone's values.
If money and time were no object, what passion project would you pursue?
Shows true interests unobstructed by constraints, illuminating core desires. Passion projects often reflect heartfelt commitments.
What milestone are you most proud of so far?
Allows sharing of achievements and self-perceived successes. Milestones tell personal stories of triumph.
How do you stay motivated when facing challenges?
Offers strategies for resilience and personal coping mechanisms. Understanding motivation methods can foster supportive dialogue.
Is there a book or resource that influenced your goals?
Demonstrates openness to learning and influences shaping aspirations. Resources that inspired goals can guide others.
What legacy do you want to leave behind?
Encourages deep reflection on values and long-term impact. Legacy questions show what someone hopes to leave behind.
How do you measure success in your life?
Reveals personal definitions of achievement and satisfaction. Success measures vary and highlight individual priorities.

Creative and Hypothetical Questions

Hypothetical scenarios and creative prompts unlock imaginative thinking and reveal personality quirks. This set is great for testing spontaneity and seeing how someone thinks outside the box. Consider pairing it with an Icebreaker Survey .

Imagine you could invent a new holiday - what would it celebrate?
Promotes imaginative thinking and values expressed through the holiday's theme. Inventing a holiday shows what someone celebrates most.
If you wrote a book, what genre and topic would you choose?
Explores creative interests and storytelling preferences. Book choices reveal genres and topics that resonate.
You find a portal to another dimension - what's the first thing you do?
Tests problem-solving under unusual scenarios and sense of adventure. Dimension-hopping shows someone's thrill tolerance.
If you had to design your dream house, what's the most important feature?
Reveals priorities in comfort, aesthetics, or functionality. Dream house features highlight personal tastes.
You're hosting a dinner party with any three people (dead or alive) - who are they?
Combines interests in history, culture, or personal influences. Dinner party guests show admiration and curiosity.
If you could speak any language fluently overnight, which would you pick?
Shows cultural interests and open-mindedness toward new experiences. Language choices can reflect travel or heritage goals.
What if animals could talk - what animal would you converse with first?
Encourages humor and perspective on animal personalities. Talking animals spark playful conversations.
If creativity were a currency, how would you spend it?
Invites abstract thinking and self-perception of creativity's value. Spending creativity shows how much someone values innovation.
You're given a spaceship for a week - what's your mission?
Explores curiosity about space and adventure preferences. Space missions reveal exploration spirit.
If you could swap two major cities for a year, which would they be?
Combines travel desires with comparative city insights and adaptability. Swapping cities highlights openness to change.