internal communications, people teams, chiefs of staff
All-hands breakout group generator
Create all-hands breakout groups that mix departments, locations, tenure, and leadership levels for better participation and learning transfer.
Direct answer: All-hands breakouts should cut across the org chart. TeamCreator can spread departments, locations, and familiarity so the session creates cross-company learning instead of departmental repetition.
Balanced
5 to 8 people per group
Use these attendee columns
A name column is enough to start. These columns make the grouping smarter for this use case; extra spreadsheet columns become custom sliders automatically.
For all-hands breakout groups, start with name, department, location, tenure. Add level, topic_interest, known_connections when the session needs better matching, more diverse groups, or cleaner follow-up.
Recommended TeamCreator setup
Use the preset as a starting point, then move only the sliders that express the room design. Similar sliders cluster people who share a field; diverse sliders spread that field across teams. Positive ask-and-offer fit helps when participants submitted what they need and what they can contribute.
Set department and location diverse.
Set tenure diverse when onboarding and institutional memory should meet.
Use topic interest similar when breakouts have separate discussion tracks.
Constraints to review
Constraints are the manual safety layer. Add keep-together rules for hosts, accessibility needs, or required pairs, and keep-apart rules for reporting lines, conflicts, competitors, or pairs that would reduce candor.
- Keep direct reporting lines apart for candid discussion.
- Distribute executives if they are listening hosts.
How to create the teams
- Export or copy the attendee list with the columns needed for the grouping decision.
- Open TeamCreator and paste the rows or load the CSV file.
- Choose Balanced and set the team size to 5 to 8 people per group.
- Tune the similar-or-diverse sliders: Set department and location diverse. Set tenure diverse when onboarding and institutional memory should meet.
- Add keep-together or keep-apart constraints, then create and review the teams.
- Download the assignment CSV and use it inside the room plan.
After the groups are formed
The assignment is only useful if the room knows what to do with it. Put the group number into the agenda, open with a prompt that matches the relationship goal, and make the follow-through visible before people leave.
- Give each group one question and one output.
- Capture recurring themes.
- Publish what leadership heard and what happens next.
Before and after example
The manual version usually starts with a spreadsheet sort, a last-minute shuffle, or a randomizer. That can be fast, but it tends to over-seat colleagues together, miss useful ask-and-offer matches, and leave sensitive keep-apart rules to memory.
The TeamCreator version starts from the outcome: all-hands breakouts should cut across the org chart. teamcreator can spread departments, locations, and familiarity so the session creates cross-company learning instead of departmental repetition. The organizer uses Balanced, sets the group size to 5 to 8 people per group, checks constraints, and exports assignments that fit the room plan.
Export and room-plan examples
Useful exports for all-hands breakout groups include a facilitator copy with every assignment, a participant-facing list with only names and table numbers, a CSV for badge or check-in systems, and a follow-up version that includes the next prompt or owner.
Want a second set of eyes? Send the use case, not the attendee list: the event goal, group size, available columns, and the rules that matter. We can suggest a TeamCreator setup and a short room plan without touching private participant data.
Common questions
What columns does TeamCreator need for all-hands breakout groups?
A name column is enough to start, but useful columns include name, department, location, tenure, level, topic_interest.
Does attendee data leave the browser?
No. TeamCreator parses, scores, and forms teams in the browser. United We Transform does not receive, store, or inspect the attendee list.
What is the best preset for this use case?
Start with Balanced, then adjust the sliders to match the session goal and any keep-together or keep-apart rules.
What constraints should I check manually?
Review constraints such as Keep direct reporting lines apart for candid discussion.; Distribute executives if they are listening hosts.