Voting questions for work (40 things to put to a vote)

The best voting questions for work are real decisions with low stakes. The result actually happens, nobody loses anything if their pick does not win, and people like being asked. Below are 40 voting poll questions with their answer options: team decisions first, then lighter office votes, then how to run the vote in Slack with Simple Poll so the result is fair and final.

When to use it
When the team has a small decision that nobody minds handing over, like a lunch spot, a playlist or a party theme, and you want everyone to have a say.
How often
As needed
Category
Decisions

Example polls

Paste any of these into the message box in Slack.

/poll "Which snack should we add to the kitchen order?" "Dark chocolate" :chocolate_bar: "Salted pretzels" :pretzel: "Fresh fruit" :apple: "Popcorn" :popcorn: limit 1 close after 1 day

Choice poll. A real decision with one vote each and a fixed end (Premium for both).

/poll "Which snack should we add to the kitchen order?" "Dark chocolate" :chocolate_bar: "Salted pretzels" :pretzel: "Fresh fruit" :apple: "Popcorn" :popcorn: limit 1 close after 1 day

Premium: vote limits, closing automatically

Limit votes: 1 per personClose automatically: after 1 day

/poll "What should we call the new support bot? Pick one, or add your own." "Sorter" "Triage Tim" "Ticketbot" limit 1 allow-options close after 2 days

Choice poll. Naming vote. People can add a name the others then vote on.

/poll "What should we call the new support bot? Pick one, or add your own." "Sorter" "Triage Tim" "Ticketbot" limit 1 allow-options close after 2 days

Premium: vote limits, closing automatically

Limit votes: 1 per personAllow optionsClose automatically: after 2 days

/poll "Which book should we read next?" "The Overstory, Richard Powers" "Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir" "Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman" "Piranesi, Susanna Clarke" ranked close after 3 days

Ranked poll. A ranked vote when several options are good.

/poll "Which book should we read next?" "The Overstory, Richard Powers" "Project Hail Mary, Andy Weir" "Thinking, Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman" "Piranesi, Susanna Clarke" ranked close after 3 days

Premium: closing automatically

Close automatically: after 3 days

/poll "What is the worst sound in the office?" "Keyboard clatter" :keyboard: "Loud chewing" :yum: "The printer" :printer: "Speakerphone calls" :phone:

Choice poll. A fun vote with no decision attached. Free.

/poll "What is the worst sound in the office?" "Keyboard clatter" :keyboard: "Loud chewing" :yum: "The printer" :printer: "Speakerphone calls" :phone:

Free

Food and the kitchen

  • Where should we go for team lunch on Friday? Pizza, tacos, sushi, ramen.
  • Which snack should we add to the kitchen order? Chocolate, pretzels, fruit, popcorn.
  • Which coffee next month? Light roast, dark roast, decaf.
  • What should the Friday treat be? Pastries, ice cream, cheese board.
  • Which cuisine for the team dinner? Indian, Mexican, Thai, Italian.
  • Which team mug design? Three mockups.
  • Weekly fridge clear-out day? Friday, Monday, no.

Team identity

  • What should our team channel be called? Add your own.
  • Which name for the support bot? Sorter, Triage Tim, Ticketbot.
  • What should our mascot be? Owl, otter, octopus, fox.
  • Our official "done" emoji? Check mark, rocket, party, raised hands.
  • Which motto goes on the team page? Three shortlisted lines.
  • What do we call the Friday demo? Show and tell, Demo hour, Shipping News.
  • Hoodie colour? Navy, forest green, grey, burgundy.

Events and socials

  • What should the holiday party be? Dinner, an activity, long lunch, online games.
  • Holiday party theme? Decades, board games, winter cabin, none.
  • This month's Friday activity? Quiz, games, show and tell, early finish.
  • Which volunteering day should we do? Park clean-up, food bank, charity run, none.
  • Where for the summer social? Picnic, bowling, boat trip, rooftop.
  • Which book should the book club read next? Rank four.
  • Which film for movie afternoon? Rank four.
  • New end-of-year award category? Best save, best newcomer, best question.

Around the office

  • Meeting room names? Planets, rivers, cities, add your own.
  • Name the office plant? Ferngus, Leaf Erikson, Planty McPlantface.
  • Office playlist this week? Lo-fi, indie, classical, 90s.
  • Which board game should we buy? Codenames, Ticket to Ride, Wavelength.
  • Which print for the kitchen wall? Three options.
  • Where does the new sofa go? Kitchen, quiet corner, by the window.

Fun voting questions

Votes people enjoy arguing about. None of them names or ranks a colleague.

  • Best day of the work week? Monday to Friday.
  • Worst office sound? Keyboard clatter, loud chewing, the printer, speakerphone.
  • Best office snack ever? Biscuits, crisps, chocolate, fruit.
  • When should meetings end? On time, five minutes early, ten minutes early.
  • Best Slack status emoji? Palm tree, coffee, headphones, sloth.
  • Worst fridge discovery? Unlabelled container, sour milk, your lunch half eaten.
  • Best Monday start? Coffee, inbox, to-do list.
  • Best reply to "any questions?" Silence, one more question, "thanks everyone".
  • Best name for the team group chat? Add your own.
  • Pineapple on the team pizza? Yes, no.
  • Best cake for a team birthday? Chocolate, lemon drizzle, carrot, victoria sponge.
  • Best time for a coffee break? 10am, after lunch, 3pm.

For pure jokes, see funny poll questions for work.

How to run a fair vote in Slack

  • One vote each. Add limit 1 (Premium) to any vote with a single winner; otherwise people can pick every option.
  • A closing time. close after 1 day (Premium) ends it on its own, so the result is final. Put the deadline in the question too.
  • Anonymous when it is about people. Add anonymous; for recognition, use team awards.
  • Ranked when there are many good options. With ranked, voters put the options in order, and they see the results once the poll closes.
  • Let people add options. For names and themes, allow-options runs nominations and voting in one poll.

Announcing the result

Post the winner in the poll thread with what happens next: "Tacos won, booking Friday at 12:30." If it was close, say the runner-up goes first next time. Then do it. A vote whose result never happens is the last one people answer.

Questions

What are good questions to vote on at work?

Small decisions where every option is fine and the result actually happens: the lunch spot, the snack order, a team name, the party theme. Post what happens next, so people see their vote mattered.

Should a work vote be anonymous?

Not for food, names or themes; named votes are part of the fun. Make it anonymous when the vote is about people or when someone might feel judged for their pick.

How do I stop people voting for every option?

Add limit 1 (Premium). Each person can then pick one option. Premium has a 14-day free trial, started with /simplepoll trial (card required).

Can I keep the count hidden until the vote ends?

Yes. Add hide results and voters do not see the count while the poll is open. On Free, closing the poll in Slack reveals it. On Premium, you see the results while it is open; a poll that closes on its own with close after keeps them hidden, so close it yourself in Slack when you want to reveal them.

From the help centre

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