Chris has been with Stagecoach since June 2014, making this year his 10th anniversary! Starting out as a driver, he is based on the Lincoln depot.
Chris consistently goes above and beyond in his role, adapting brilliantly to late changes to his working rota and the work contained in it. The nature of the transport industry and staffing needs means no two weeks are the same, as we have to meet demand.
Chris is ultra reliable all the time and never balks at extra work. If Chris says he can't do something for us, there is always a very good reason for that. I feel he deserves recognition for all he gives to both the Training Team, and the drivers he is responsible for.
What does he want to do next?
Anything we want him to do, he will turn his hand to it. The sky’s the limit!
Nominated by: David Earl, Delegated Driving Examiner
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“Dear Employee, your GTK forms are now Available in the YTG portal, Please fill them by Thu so they can be processed by MONDAY. Thank you!!!!”
Internal messages like these are liable to confuse your audience.
Grammar mistakes, inconsistent capitalization, and workplace jargon make internal communications confusing. A lack of personalization and an ill-defined tone of voice make it unengaging.
The result? Your audience doesn’t understand your message — or chooses to ignore it because it holds no interest.
We know that ineffective communication costs businesses up to $15,000 per employee per year. So consistent, effective, and engaging communication has to be the standard.
An internal communication style guide helps your communicators post content that ticks all these boxes. Let’s look at what a style guide is — and how to create one — so you can ensure clear employee communication and a positive employer brand image.
What is a business communication style guide?
A business communication style guide is a document that details the content and writing standards you want internal communicators to stick to.
It includes rules on things like grammar, formatting, writing style, word choice, and tone of voice. It offers guidance on how to make content more interesting, relevant, and easy to digest. It may also provide information on how to create and format multimedia content.
Your internal communicators can refer to these standards whenever they create content, ensuring that everything is kept consistent, no matter who is writing or posting.
This makes your internal messages easier for employees to understand. It also supports your internal communication strategy. Because when employees are used to receiving clear and relevant messages, they’re much less likely to switch off from employee communications.
A style guide keeps everyone on the same page at all times. And it embeds a shared understanding of internal content creation throughout your company.
How to write your internal communication style guide: a template
Internal messages should be as concise as possible. The same goes for your internal communication style guide.
Nobody in your company wants to spend hours reading through a list of rules before they publish an internal communication message. So don’t be tempted to write reams.
It may help to look at style guide examples and templates — like the one we’ve included here — as inspiration. There’s broad consensus on what good internal messaging looks like. So most style guides contain a lot of the same information.
However, you will need to add company-specific guidance relating to your brand personality, tone of voice, and any particular language you want to use or avoid.
With all that in mind, here are the basic components you’ll need to include in your workplace communication style guide, along with some tips.
Introduction
The first section of a style guide is the introduction. It explains the basics of the guide, like how to use it, why it’s important, and what it includes.
The VA.gov style guide hits on all these points. It provides a straightforward experience for everyone, regardless of whether they’re viewing the guide for the first or tenth time.
To ensure people can use your guide as a reference, create a list of contents and use linked subheadings. That way, users can jump straight to the information they need.
A few internal communication principles
A good business communication style guide doesn’t just cover specific rules for workers to follow. It also shares the underlying internal communication principles behind those rules.
With knowledge of these principles, content creators can make the right editorial call, even in situations the guidelines don’t cover.
Here are some of the golden rules to include for content creators in your internal communication style guide.
Stick to the four Cs: Internal communication should be correct, clear, concise, and conversational. So fact check each piece of content. Ensure your primary message shines through. Say what you want to say in as few words as possible. And write in a way that reflects how real people talk to one another — using everyday words and phrases.
Understand your audience: Plan your content before you start writing. As you form an outline, ask yourself:
What are the key things you want to convey?
Who is this message for?
What will the target audience want to know?
What is their likely state of mind when consuming the content?
This will help you write cohesive content that gets to the point and answers employee questions.
Be clear and helpful: Break down complex messages into simple, bite-size chunks. Put the most important piece of information at the start of your content. Also, break up paragraphs and sentences to make them more digestible for readers.
Make it human: It’s much easier to connect with individual people than with an inanimate organization. So use words like “we” instead of your company name. And use the word “you” to talk to employees directly.
X Blink is looking for employees who want to volunteer with a local charity.
✓ We’re looking for employees who want to volunteer with a local charity.
X Employees can get involved by clicking this link.
✓ You can get involved by clicking this link.
Write inclusively: Only refer to a person’s disability, age, race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation if it’s relevant to the context of your content.
Grammar and punctuation
The third part of your internal communication style guide is all about the mechanics of writing.
Of course, you can’t cover every single grammar rule here. But you can give guidance regarding the most common grammatical errors and inconsistencies. Here are some ideas.
Ampersands: Don’t use ampersands (&), whether in titles, subtitles or the body of a message. Use the full word “and”.
Commas: Don’t forget to add the serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma), in lists of three or more items.
X In his award speech, Tom Cruise mentioned his parents, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese.
✓ In his award speech, Tom Cruise mentioned his parents, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.
Contractions: Contractions make your writing feel less formal. So use them in all your internal communications.
X We will have more news for you soon.
✓ We’ll have more news for you soon.
Be careful with common contraction errors. Writers often confuse “its” with “it’s”.
“Its” is used to show possession:
The HR team has its away day on Monday.
“It’s” represents the phrase “it is”:
It’s the HR team away day on Monday.
Also, avoid non-standard contractions like “should’ve” and “would’ve”.
Exclamation marks: Some writers are prone to using lots of exclamation marks. This can come across as overly informal or a little aggressive. However, the occasional exclamation mark can make a message seem more friendly. Be clear on whether and where you want communicators to use them.
Accuracy and spelling: Ensure that your content is free from errors. Use a spell-checker to catch mistakes you might have overlooked. And proofread everything before submitting it for publication or distribution.
Style and formatting
Style and formatting are all about how you want communicators to use language — and how you want them to present their message on the page.
Acronyms and abbreviations: These can cause confusion, particularly for new employees. So try to avoid them. When absolutely necessary, write the full version of the acronym or abbreviation the first time it appears in a piece of text.
For example:
The customer experience (CX) team achieved their target this quarter.
Then use the acronym or abbreviation throughout the rest of the text.
In some cases, when an acronym or abbreviation is commonly used in the English language, you don’t need to spell the full word out.
Some examples: Mr, Ms, Ph.D
Capitalization: Use sentence case capitalization for page titles, subheadings, text links, and buttons.
X The Ultimate Internal Communication Style Guide
✓ The ultimate internal communication style guide
Remember that proper nouns (names of specific people, places, or organizations) are always capitalized, wherever they appear. And ALL CAPS should be avoided at all costs. They make a reader feel like you’re shouting at them.
Dates and times: Dates are displayed differently in different countries. To avoid any confusion, write dates in their full format.
X 11/12/2026
✓ November 12, 2026
Don’t abbreviate days of the week or months of the year. For example, write “Monday” not “Mon” and “January” not “Jan”. Also, write noon and midnight, rather than 12:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m.
Bullet lists: Bullet lists make content easier to scan and understand. If there are three or more concepts in a sentence, try putting them in a bullet list instead.
When writing bullet lists:
Capitalize the first letter of each bullet point
Keep each list item short (no more than one or two lines)
Use a parallel structure (start each point in the same way —for example, with a verb or a noun)
Links: The links you include in your content should feel natural and intuitive. They should show readers where to click and where the link will take them.
When creating links:
Use descriptive language
Hyperlink the most relevant text
Avoid making the hyperlinked text too long
Headings and subheadings: Use headers and subheads to organize your content. This breaks text up and makes it easier to read.
Paragraphs and sentences: Keep the majority of your sentences and paragraphs short. Long blocks of text can be overwhelming for a reader, particularly if they’re reading content on a small mobile device screen.
Here’s a quick rule of thumb:
No more than 25 words in a sentence
No more than three sentences in a paragraph
Numbers, weights, and measures: Write numbers one to nine as words. Write numbers 10, 11, 12, and so on as numerals. Write out fractions as words, using hyphens. For example, two-thirds or three-quarters.
Decide whether to write out or abbreviate weights, measures, and currencies. For example, decide between:
% and percent
kg and kilograms
€ and euros
Vocabulary: Highlight the correct form of commonly misspelled or incorrectly formatted words — particularly those your organization uses regularly. Ensure that your company name, company locations, and hyphenated words are written the same way across all content.
Context-specific formatting: Perhaps news feed posts shouldn’t exceed a specified word count. Or you don’t want communicators to use emojis in emails. Explain any style and formatting rules related to the internal communication channels you use.
Writing voice and tone
This is where your business communication style guide is likely to feature lots of unique content. It’s all about the brand personality you convey — and how you make employees feel.
Start by thinking about your brand personality and values. Then, imagine your brand as a person.
Ask yourself how that person would speak and the kind of words they’d use. Perhaps their speech is polished and motivational. Or maybe they prefer to talk informally, throwing in the odd joke.
In this part of your internal communication style guide, describe what your brand personality is and isn’t. Also, give written examples that show communicators how to convey this personality across internal communications.
But remember that — while brand voice is a fixed thing — your tone can vary.
You may like to adapt your tone according to each communication channel and message format — or for different audience segments. If this is the case, give examples of how to adjust the tone for different scenarios.
Beyond the specifics of your brand voice and tone, there are a few foundations of good internal communication to keep in mind.
Use active voice: Using active voice instead of passive voice makes your employee communication more engaging and energetic.
X The training day was delivered by Amy.
✓ Amy delivered the training day.
Be open and transparent: Transparent communication builds trust. This contributes to a positive company culture. So when creating internal communications, use a tone that is approachable and honest. Be as open as possible, particularly where mistakes have been made.
Also, invite employee feedback to respond to your communications. In doing so, you establish two-way communication, giving employees a voice and discovering useful perspectives.
Be respectful: As we mentioned earlier, inclusive language is essential for internal comms. Ensure you speak to all employees as equals. Don’t patronize and don’t highlight company hierarchy unnecessarily.
Be direct and to the point: Your employees want to learn the most important details of your message as quickly as possible. Keep your copy short without missing key information. Also, include a clear call to action so employees know what to do next.
Keep it positive: We’re not saying you should gloss over bad news. But where possible, use a positive tone when writing internal messages. Avoid cynicism and sarcasm.
Write with a conversational tone: Make text easy to understand by writing in Plain English. Pick short, simple words over long, complicated ones.
It can help to read your writing out loud. If you wouldn’t use particular words or sentence structures when talking to someone face-to-face, try editing your copy to make it more conversational.
For example:
X Blink is a software solution for frontline-centric organizations.
✓ Blink is an employee app for companies with a big frontline workforce.
Multimedia content
Text may be the foundation of internal communications. But multimedia content is incredibly engaging for employees.
If you regularly create content like videos, images, infographics, or audio, tell your team how this media should be presented. Here are some of the things you might like to cover.
Branding: If graphics and videos need to feature the company logo, company colors, or specific fonts, tell creators how you want them to incorporate your branding. Also, give guidance on whether stock photography is acceptable.
Quality and formats: Detail the minimum resolution of images, the maximum file size of multimedia content, the required quality of audio, and preferred file formats.
Accessibility: Give instructions on alt tags, contrasting color palettes, and any video caption requirements to ensure your multimedia content is accessible to all employees.
A final note on creating your internal communication style guide
An internal communication style guide acts as a reference. Your communicators can use it to improve your internal communication, making it more consistent, engaging, and effective.
Many of the guidelines in an internal communication style guide cover best practices. These can be applied to almost any organization. But you need to adapt your guide so it reflects your branding, your tone of voice, and the needs of your employees.
It can help to treat your guide as a work in progress. Once you have a guide in place, you can add to it. Any time you see an error or an inconsistency in your internal communications, update your style guide to prevent similar mistakes in the future.
We hope this template speeds up the creation of your internal communication guide. Good luck with your first draft!
McDonald's uses Blink as its employee app to keep crew members connected to restaurant-specific updates and to each other. The partnership was announced in 2025, with McDonald's adopting Blink to, in the words of the announcement, "accelerate the capabilities of its crew members" across its restaurants. For the full story, see McDonald's Chooses Blink for Crew Comms.
What the app actually does for McDonald's crew
Blink functions as a mobile-first employee app, built for people who don't sit at a desk during their shift. For McDonald's crew members, that means a single place to get restaurant-specific news and organizational updates, recognize and support each other, and stay connected to the wider team beyond whoever happens to be working the same shift.
Rather than relying on a printed notice board or a manager relaying updates by word of mouth, crew members get the same information at the same time, from an app built to work the way a social platform does: familiar, mobile-first, and easy to pick up without training.
Why McDonald's chose an employee app built for frontline teams
Quick-service restaurants share a specific challenge: a large, often young, frequently multilingual workforce, spread across thousands of locations, with high turnover and very little natural overlap in who's working at any given moment. Tools built for office employees, reliant on company email addresses and desk-based logins, don't reach that kind of workforce.
Blink's CEO and co-founder, Sean Nolan, described the company's mission as helping every business deliver a digital experience that reaches every employee, not just the ones sitting at a desk. That's the gap an employee app like Blink is built to close for a restaurant business the size of McDonald's: giving every crew member, at every location, a way to stay informed and connected regardless of shift pattern or tenure.
Frequently asked questions
Is Blink the only app McDonald's uses?
Restaurant operations at McDonald's, including scheduling, point-of-sale, and kitchen management, involve a number of different systems. Blink specifically covers employee communication, engagement, and connection, working alongside rather than replacing operational tools like scheduling or POS software.
When did McDonald's start using Blink?
The partnership was publicly announced in 2025. Specific rollout timelines and market coverage haven't been publicly detailed beyond the announcement itself.
Can other restaurant brands use the same kind of app?
Yes. Blink works with restaurant and hospitality brands of all sizes, from single-location operators to national franchise systems, alongside other QSR and hospitality brands including Domino's and Shake Shack.
Why workforce communication is more important than ever for bus and coach teams
Across Australia and New Zealand, bus and coach operators are under more pressure than they’ve been in years.
As operators work to deliver safe, reliable services every day, the industry is navigating workforce shortages, rising operational costs, accelerating technology change, and increasing pressure to do more with less. Traffic congestion, network disruptions, and unplanned service changes add to that load, and there’s very little margin for error.
For many bus and coach operators, the question is no longer whether new technology is required. It’s whether legacy ways of communicating (paper noticeboards, depot briefings, email, and word of mouth) are now making things harder, not easier.
Blink is the platform bus and coach operators use to reach their entire frontline workforce in real time. Trusted today by nearly 30,000 drivers and depot-based employees across ANZ, it replaces paper noticeboards and fragmented messaging with a single hub for communication, safety, and operational updates.
As a platform used by operators around the world, Blink brings ANZ operators proven approaches from some of the most complex transit environments globally, and feeds what works locally back into how the platform develops.
The operational reality facing bus and coach operators
The challenges are well understood. What gets talked about less is what they actually cost to manage day to day.
The cost of driver churn
When a driver leaves, the loss is not just a vacancy. It’s the sunk cost of route familiarisation, safety accreditation, and network geography training, and an increased risk of cancelled services, reduced reliability, and financial penalties when contractual KPIs are not met.
The zero-emission transition
As fleet technology continues to evolve, the knowledge gap grows. Engineering and operational teams need practical, real-time access to new maintenance protocols and safety procedures. How well operators bring their frontline through that transition will determine whether the rollout goes smoothly or creates new risk.
The “shadow IT” risk
Without a dedicated communication platform, many operators still rely on paper noticeboards, depot briefings, or informal messaging apps that lead to unmonitored conversations, unverifiable safety updates, and corporate data sitting outside company control.
Communication sits at the heart of each of these challenges. The question is whether operators have the right communication tools to effectively address each one.
Closing the frontline communication gap
Many operators already have systems for payroll, rostering, and compliance. What’s often missing is a reliable way to reach the frontline in real time, with confidence that critical messages have actually landed.
In an environment where services change by the minute, from route diversions and special events to breakdowns and severe weather, that gap carries real risk. Right now, most operators have no reliable way to know whether a message was seen, understood, or acted on.
Blink closes that gap. Operators are using it today to streamline communications across operations, safety, and corporate updates, replacing paper noticeboards and depot-only briefings with a platform that validates messages have been received and actions completed. Native live streaming takes this further, giving operators a way to bring multiple depots together in real time for safety briefings, operational updates and company-wide announcements.
It’s also accelerating staff onboarding, keeping the whole workforce aligned on network and fleet changes, and consolidating near-miss and safety reporting in one place.
For operators running complex depots and rosters, Blink also integrates directly with rostering and workforce platforms like Trapeze, Workday, and ServiceNow, ensuring updates reach the right people automatically.
Up and running in weeks
Blink doesn’t require a large-scale rollout to deliver value.
Large multi-state operators use Blink alongside established HR, operations and payroll platforms. But many small and mid-sized bus and coach businesses adopt it precisely because it delivers immediate value without needing centralised enterprise systems already in place.
Out of the box, operators can:
Digitise paper-based processes such as pre-departure checks, incident reports and leave requests
Issue polls and surveys to capture workforce sentiment, training compliance and safety confirmations
Deliver targeted communications through feed posts and short video updates, covering everything from onboarding journeys and road closures to service disruptions and company-wide announcements
Deploy simple self-service tools (custom micro-apps) for things like roster visibility, digital payslips, HR and payroll queries, uniform orders and shift swaps, particularly where access to existing systems is limited
Recognise and reward frontline employees in the moment, whether that’s acknowledging safe driving, years of service, or going above and beyond, keeping morale high and making people feel seen, no matter where they’re located
Nobody has time for a drawn-out rollout. Blink is designed so operators can be up and running in weeks, not months.
Ready to test this in your depot?
Every depot has its own rhythms, constraints and safety requirements. The most practical way to evaluate frontline communication is to test it locally, under real operating conditions.
To help Bus Industry Confederation members assess this in practice, Blink is offering a no-obligation trial for a single depot or region, so you can validate whether clearer updates, better reach and confirmed acknowledgements translate into smoother day-to-day running before committing to a wider rollout.
Get started:Start for free and get your first operational group live
Onboarding support:Book a short call with our ANZ team to align setup with your business priorities
Member benefit: BIC members can access an exclusive introductory discount
Vehicles and infrastructure will keep evolving. But the operators who pull ahead will be the ones who’ve worked out how to keep their people informed and ready.
Digital signage for frontline workers: what actually works
Walk into any warehouse or factory break room and you'll find a screen on the wall, cycling through safety alerts, shift schedules, or a slide deck frozen since 2019. Screens solve one real problem: they reach workers who aren't at desks and can't check a phone on the floor. But they create another. There's no way to know who actually saw the message, and that gap is measurable.
This guide covers how digital signage works in frontline environments, where it genuinely earns its place in the channel mix, and where mobile-first communication fills the gaps it can't.
What is digital signage for frontline workers?
Digital signage for frontline workers refers to screen-based displays deployed in physical work environments to communicate operational information to employees who don't use desk computers or company email. Common locations include break rooms, production floors, warehouse loading bays, locker rooms, and staff entrances.
Typical content includes shift schedules, safety briefings, KPI dashboards, policy updates, training reminders, and HR announcements. Screens are centrally managed through a content management system (CMS), so communications teams or IT administrators can push updates across every screen in every location from a single dashboard.
The core appeal is reach without requiring a personal device. In environments where smartphones are prohibited, clean rooms, food production, heavy machinery operations, a wall-mounted screen is often the only scalable way to put information in front of workers during their shift.
Where digital signage genuinely earns its place
Not every deployment of digital signage is washing its face. But in specific operational contexts, the case is strong.
Factory floors and production environments are the clearest fit. When workers are operating equipment that demands full attention, and when personal device use is either prohibited or impractical, screens mounted at eye level near workstations or break areas are one of the few viable ways to deliver operational messaging. Safety alerts, shift targets, downtime notifications, and quality metrics all belong here.
Warehouse and distribution environments have a similar profile. Loading bay screens showing today's dispatch priorities, attendance boards, or compliance reminders reduce the relay of information through supervisors, which means fewer distortions and faster response to changing conditions.
Break rooms deserve separate consideration. A screen in a shared rest space reaches workers at the precise moment they have headspace to absorb information. Pre-shift briefings, HR policy updates, benefit enrollment reminders, and company news all perform better in a break room context than they would on a production floor, where attention is split.
Healthcare and public-facing environments use digital signage primarily for wayfinding and patient-facing communication, but staff-facing screens in nurse stations and staff rooms serve a genuine internal communications function, particularly for shift handover information and policy updates that supervisors can't always relay in person.
The real limitations, and why IT directors need to plan around them
None of this means digital signage solves the frontline communication problem on its own. There are four structural limitations that any IT or Operations leader evaluating a digital signage investment needs to account for.
No read receipts, no compliance trail. Digital signage is broadcast communication. You can verify a screen was on. You cannot verify that a specific employee saw a specific message. For regulated industries, healthcare, food production, financial services, where you need to prove that a policy update or safety briefing was acknowledged by named individuals, a screen on a wall doesn't give you that. You need a channel that generates a paper trail.
No two-way communication. Screens push information. They don't enable responses, questions, or acknowledgment. When a policy changes and a worker has a question, that question either goes unanswered until they find a manager, or it goes up through a chain that introduces delays and inconsistencies. In high-regulation environments, unanswered questions about safety procedures have real consequences.
No reach outside the building. Workers who are on their commute, at home reviewing a shift change, or working a split shift across two sites can't see a break room screen. For any communication that needs to land before the shift starts, schedule changes, emergency alerts, pre-shift safety reminders, digital signage arrives too late or not at all.
No data on individual engagement. You can measure screen uptime, content loop completion, and scheduled broadcasts. You cannot tell your CHRO which employees haven't acknowledged the new safety protocol, or show your compliance team a timestamped record of individual engagement. When you need that data, and in most regulated environments, you will, digital signage can't provide it.
Why frontline workers need more than a screen
The communication gap isn't about technology, it's about verification. Research consistently shows that organizations with high frontline turnover cite poor communication as a top driver. Screens don't close that gap on their own because they don't create the conditions for two-way trust.
The pattern shows up in adoption data. When organisations add a mobile-first communication layer alongside physical signage, engagement metrics change substantially. According to Blink's customer data (2024), at easyJet 88% of over 20,000 employees became active users of a single platform. At JD Sports, 87% adoption was reached in 10 days. At Dollar Tree, 96% adoption across a workforce that was never going to be reached through break room screens alone. At Stagecoach, adding a direct mobile channel contributed to a 26% reduction in driver turnover.
That's not an argument against digital signage. It's an argument that signage works best as part of a layered channel strategy, where screens handle broadcast operational messaging in physical spaces, and a mobile-first platform like Blink handles everything that requires reach, verification, and response. Blink's frontline communication solutions are built specifically for the workforce that screens can't fully reach.
Getting your channel strategy right
For IT and Operations leaders evaluating digital signage as part of a broader frontline communication infrastructure, the decision framework matters more than the technology choice.
Step 1: Audit your content types. Not all communications belong on a screen. Separate broadcast operational content (shift schedules, safety KPIs, downtime alerts) from compliance-sensitive content (policy acknowledgments, training completions, HR updates) and personal content (payslips, individual schedule changes, direct manager communication). The first category suits digital signage. The second and third require a channel with verification.
Step 2: Map your compliance requirements. If you're in a regulated industry, establish exactly which communications require individual acknowledgment and a timestamped audit trail. This determines which parts of your channel mix need a verification layer, and where digital signage alone creates regulatory exposure.
Step 3: Establish your integration requirements. A digital signage CMS that pulls shift data from your workforce management system (Workday, Kronos, SAP) reduces manual content updates and keeps screens accurate. Your IT security model, SSO, GDPR compliance, role-based access control, and audit trails for who published what, needs to be defined before procurement, not after.
Step 4: Define the mobile complement. For workers who do carry smartphones, even in environments where phones are restricted during shifts, a mobile-first platform extends your communication reach beyond the building, enables two-way messaging, and provides the individual engagement data that screens can't. This is the layer that turns your signage investment from a broadcast tool into a complete communication infrastructure.
Step 5: Measure what matters. Screen uptime and content loop metrics tell you the technology is working. They don't tell you communication is working. Layer in mobile engagement rates, acknowledgment completion rates for compliance content, and frontline feedback response rates. These are the metrics that connect communication investment to operational and retention outcomes.
How Blink complements digital signage for frontline teams
If you're evaluating the mobile layer of your frontline communication stack, Blink is built specifically for the 80% of workers who don't sit at desks. It handles everything digital signage can't: individual reach, compliance acknowledgment trails, two-way communication, and a personal communication feed that workers actually check.
Pizza Pilgrims reached 96% adoption. JD Sports hit 87% in 10 days. easyJet has 88% active users across 20,000+ employees. The platform integrates with Workday, ServiceNow, and SharePoint, supports SSO and GDPR compliance, and provides the role-based access control and audit trails that IT Directors need before they can sign off on a new communication layer.
Blink wins ClearBox Choice award for the second year running
Blink has been named one of the top intranet platforms by ClearBox in the latest update of the 2024 Intranet and Employee Experience Platforms report. Every year, the intranet consultancy takes an in-depth look at the intranet market, comparing available solutions and awarding the best intranet providers.
Here’s a snippet of what ClearBox had to say about Blink:
“The focus Blink places on the deskless audience is among the best we’ve seen in this report and makes a compelling choice for organizations with a frontline-heavy workforce.” — ClearBox Consulting
Let’s take a closer look at the ClearBox report and its review of Blink.
About ClearBox
ClearBox Consulting is an independent intranet consultancy that helps organizations find intranet solutions that meet their needs. It’s a vendor-neutral company that prides itself on giving honest, impartial advice. Previous clients include big names like Unilever, PlayStation, GlaxoSmithKline, and Bayer.
About the report
Every year, ClearBox compares 20 leading intranet vendors and their products, scoring them on eight criteria. It then releases a report to detail its findings. As part of the report, ClearBox highlights standout intranet vendors, giving them a ClearBox Choice Award. In 2024, Blink was among the award-winners for the second year running.
What does the report assess?
ClearBox evaluates every product against eight criteria. Criteria include user experience and visual appeal, community and engagement, publishing and communications management, and mobile and frontline support.
The organization also seeks customer opinions on the product and customer support from the vendor. It looks at information on pricing and each vendor’s development roadmap too.
Blink’s mobile-first intranet: The ClearBox review
ClearBox describes Blink as “a frontline-focused, mobile-first product that understands its target audience perfectly.”
The report praises Blink’s community and engagement features, its approach to integrations, and its ability to support two-way employee communications. ClearBox gives Blink particularly high scores in the following areas:
Mobile and frontline support
User experience and visual appeal
Community and engagement
Here, we look at each of these criteria in more detail.
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Mobile and frontline support
Blink was the only software provider in the ClearBox report to score maximum points for this criterion. Staffbase comes close. But achieving the same mobile and frontline support as Blink comes at an additional fee for Staffbase customers.
Blink was built with the frontline workforce front of mind. We wanted to create a tool that leveled the playing field, giving deskless workers equal access to internal communications and company resources.
Employees can log onto our mobile-first platform via smartphone — they don’t need a desktop computer or a company email address. Via a user-friendly interface, they can then access everything they need to thrive in their roles. This boosts employee engagement and the frontline employee experience.
User experience and visual appeal
For user experience and visual appeal, Blink gets a near perfect score — and ties with Omnia and Staffbase for its out-of-the-box offering.
ClearBox highlights Blink’s highly effective mobile user experience and straightforward navigation. The report also references Blink’s excellent branding and design options, along with the social-media-style experience it provides for users.
We know that social media provides an excellent user experience. So, with Blink, you get a comprehensive company news feed that you can fill with interactive, multimedia content. Organizations can also share real-time updates and employee-generated content across Blink Stories.
Community and engagement
ClearBox highlights Blink’s focus on community and people. It also praises the wide range of engaging features Blink includes as standard. These include employee surveys, a range of communication channels, and employee recognition tools.
The ClearBox report also talks about Blink Journeys. Admins can create tailored content pathways for employees, triggering the right content at the right time in the employee lifecycle. This ensures relevant and engaging content that is personalized to every user.
Employees can also join Communities — spaces where workers can unite around shared interests — to find like-minded co-workers and develop a deeper sense of belonging.
Some more highlights from the ClearBox report
Here’s what else ClearBox had to say about Blink:
“Blink was designed with the frontline in mind and the focus on a mobile-first experience is clear throughout. Blink is an excellent app product and one of the best we’ve reviewed in this report.”
“[Blink is] easy to use and quick to navigate, making communications, reference materials, and tools easy to find.
“Blink offers organizations alternatives to shadow technology like WhatsApp, while also providing easy access to business tools without the need for employees to download multiple apps.”
And here’s what customers interviewed by ClearBox said about their experience with Blink:
“Blink has drastically improved the way we communicate with our team members. In a recent survey, [employees] already feel more listened to and this is all down to Blink.”
“[Blink] is amazing. They partner with us to complete projects or work through any desired improvements as they are able. Great partner to work with!”
Why choose Blink?
Blink is the leading mobile-first employee experience platform. It gives admins all the tools they need to share critical messages and build a strong company culture. It allows frontline and desk-based workers to join the conversation, build workplace relationships, and find the information they need to do their jobs well.
Extroverts get a lot of attention and recognition because they’re the squeaky wheels at your company. The valuable contributions of introverts, on the other hand, may get overlooked.
Because those employees are less likely to fight to get noticed. Sound familiar? Then you may have an employee engagement problem on your hands. And that could cost you a lot of money in the long run.
We tend to value extroversion in the workplace because it looks a lot like passion and dedication. Quiet, thoughtful introverts can look less dedicated at first glance, but are often more productive, better risk-takers, and make great leaders.
It can mean unintentionally alienating a big portion of your workforce.
That’s an expensive mistake to make when you consider the average cost to rehire is equal to 33% of the annual compensation.
It makes more sense to look at employee engagement strategies that can help introverted employees feel more comfortable, more satisfied, and as a result, more loyal to your company.
Below, we’ve put together a big list of employee engagement strategies designed just for introverts in the workplace. But first, we want to talk about what sets your introverted employees apart and why engaging them matters so much.
What makes introverts in the workplace different?
Instead of talking about ‘energy’, let’s look at the science behind introverts and extroverts. Introverts and extroverts quite literally have different brains. When you look at scans of introverts and extroverts, you’ll see a difference in concentrations of gray matter.
And where there’s more gray matter, there are more of certain kinds of skills. Your classic hand-raising, go-getter extrovert will have more gray matter in the medial orbito-frontal cortex area of the brain. Deep-thinking introverts have more gray matter in the prefrontal cortex.
On top of that, introvert brains and extrovert brains respond differently to dopamine. The chemical that motivates us, makes us more talkative, and keeps us alert, among other functions.
Extroverts have more active dopamine receptors. Introverts respond more readily to a chemical called acetylcholine that makes people feel good when they turn inward.
All of this technical stuff means that your introverted employees have great problem-solving skills, amazing memories, and a knack for planning and then following through on long-term projects. They are energized by thinking, reflecting, and mapping out the future.
By common metrics of employee engagement, they can seem unengaged. But if you shift your employee engagement strategies and corporate communications strategies to include activities and tech tools they’ll like? They will become some of your most engaged employees.
Why is employee engagement important for introverts?
The short answer is that engaged employees stick around. Researchers commonly find that 50% would accept another job offer on the spot if the benefits were right.
What’s surprising isn’t that those employees would be willing to go. But rather than the other half are willing to stay even when given the promise of greater pay somewhere else. That’s employee engagement.
When your workforce (introverts and extroverts alike) feel a connection both to the work they are doing and to your company’s larger goals, they’ll be more likely to stick around through thick and thin. That will save you time and money. They’ll also work harder, be more productive, and more likely to go above and beyond the call of duty.
Here’s how to make sure your introverted employees are just as engaged as the extroverts at your company:
Employee engagement strategies for introverted employees
1. Change your interview process
When your goal is to boost employee engagement in introverts, why not start from day one? In job interviews, many extroverts shine because they’re born to pitch.
Introverts will often perform best in job interviews that feel more like one-on-one conversations. Panel-style interviews, where they feel like a product on display, can be stressful. Unless you’re hiring for a high-stress position, you may end up with a broader pool of great candidates this way.
2. Limit team sizes on group projects
Working with huge teams can be extremely stressful for introverts for a variety of reasons. Two heads may be better than one, but once teams get too large productivity can suffer because there is more back and forth happening than actual work.
Introverts tend to prefer less chaotic work environments, and you can cut down on chaos by following Jeff Bezos’ two pizza rule. If you can’t feed a team with two pizzas, it’s probably too big.
3. Make work more flexible
Extroverts may love the hustle and bustle of your busy workspace, but that same energy can drive your introverts crazy.
Create space for uninterrupted work time by instituting flex work and other policies that allow employees to come in earlier or leave later to take advantage of an emptier office.
Allowing employees to work from home when the mood strikes or to disconnect from the company intranet when they’re heads down on a big project can also boost employee engagement in the long run.
4. Have meeting-free days
Regular meeting-free days also cut down on the kinds of interruptions that can leave introverts feeling disconnected from their work.
When there are regular days or times when no meetings can be scheduled, introverts can comfortably immerse themselves in projects at those times because they know their focus won’t be compromised by yet another meeting.
5. Make meetings introvert-friendly
Don’t spring meetings on your introverts who may benefit from time to prepare for each one.
Make sure introverts get a chance to prepare for each meeting in advance and to give their input after all the extroverts have had their say.
Also, be sure that your meetings are relevant to current projects and have structure. You can bet that it’s your introverted employees who are feeling the most annoyed and uncomfortable when a meeting goes off the rails.
6... (Or just have fewer meetings)
Before you schedule that next meeting, ask yourself whether you really need to pull that employee away from their vital tasks for some face-to-face time?
Could you accomplish the same thing with an employee app like Blink that lets you curate and disseminate information in ways that respect your introverted workforce’s valuable time?
7. Update your communications methods
Just because extroverts are the first ones to stand up to deliver project updates in front of the team doesn’t mean introverts have nothing to say.
An app like Blink can help the introverts at your company have more of a voice without forcing them too far outside of their comfort zones. You could use video as an update tool versus requiring all employees to give in-person presentations.
They can connect with their colleagues for collaboration and mentorship right in the app. And it’s a way to recognize and applaud the contributions of introverts without forcing them into the spotlight.
8. Invest in additional training
One of the biggest challenges deskless workers face is feeling like they don’t have the same resources available to them as employees in a traditional office setting do.
This can make them feel less confident in their work—especially if they are introverted and may not feel like they are able to reach out for help.
By offering ongoing training, you will not only help your introverted, deskless employees feel more confident in their work, but you’ll also show them that you are invested in their success.
9. Brainstorm better
Group brainstorming sessions can feel chaotic to a true introvert because there’s little structure and some voices will always drown out others. Brainstorming sessions are easier on introverts when groups are smaller and there is some structure in place guiding the sessions.
That might mean pre-planning when you’ll discuss what topics or asking people to prepare ideas in advance. That will give the introverts in your company time to reflect on what they want to say and as a result, they’ll be more likely to share their great ideas.
10. Give introverts opportunities to get social
The idea that introverts don’t like people or don’t like having fun is a pervasive myth that has unfortunately caused a lot of harm. Introverts are as friendly and as fun as extroverts—and can party just as hard when they want to.
Give your employees a platform like Blink where they can share social events with coworkers and encourage (but don’t require) people to get to know each other inside and outside of work.
11. Rethink the open office
If you’re in a position to contemplate an office redesign, keep in mind that open office spaces aren’t always the collaboration engines they were meant to be.
Between greetings, noisy colleagues, chit chat, and other interruptions, open offices can be very distracting—and not just for introverts who might not want to stop work to talk about last night’s big game.
If a redesign is out of the question, think about creating ‘quiet zones’ outside of communal areas where introverts can get a break from the noise.
12. Put introverts into leadership positions
You might assume that extroverts are more suited for leadership roles, but consider that many of the world’s most capable leaders (e.g., Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, or Warren Buffet) have been introverts.
Why do introverts make good leaders? They tend to be fiercely dedicated, thoughtful decision-makers, and surprisingly strong-willed. Plus, they’re good listeners.
13. Make space for communication
Be sure that you’re giving introverts space to share their ideas and concerns, whether that’s by asking for their opinions in meetings, holding regular open-door hours, or giving them an employee engagement platform like Blink where they can respond anonymously to company-wide polls.
If you get the sense that your introverted employees don’t feel like they’re being heard, ask them to share their thoughts or feelings in writing at their leisure.
14. The right praise and feedback go a long way
Often, deskless and frontline employees don’t have a supervisor observing their day-to-day performance and as a result, may receive little to no praise or feedback from their manager.
While it’s true that praise and feedback are good for all employees, how you deliver praise and feedback is important too — especially when it comes to your introverted employees.
Introverted employees want to be recognized when they do an outstanding job on something, but likely prefer a personal email from their manager, rather than a company-wide shout out.
15. Realize that introversion is a spectrum
Avoid stereotyping the introverts and the extroverts at your company by acknowledging that each individual will fall somewhere on a spectrum.
That way you avoid making the mistake of leaving introverted workers out of employee engagement activities or not giving extroverted employees time for quiet reflection or uninterrupted work.
Ideally, the employee engagement strategies you put in place should address the needs of all the people who work at your company.
There are so many diverse personality types at every company, and that’s a good thing. Everyone who works with you should feel like they have a role to play, whether it’s the thinker, the communicator, the analyzer, the risk-taker, or the seller.
When you make sure that introverts feel just as comfortable and fulfilled at your company as your extroverted employees, you’ll absolutely reap the benefits. Engaging employees across the board should be your ultimate goal.
Blink is an all-in-one employee engagement platform that can change the way your workforce feels about your company. Try it out today!
