What Blink’s Magic Quadrant debut means for the market

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.  

You can take a look at the full report here: The 2024 ClearBox Intranet Report

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.”

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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.

The first days in a new job are always a little stressful. There are faces and names to remember, new systems to learn, and a ton of information to process.

A good onboarding program alleviates some of that stress. It gives employees the information and support they need to quickly acclimatize to their new role.

But onboarding programs aren’t as good as employees would like them to be. According to a survey by payroll company Paychex, only 52% of employees say they’re satisfied with the onboarding experience at their current job.

The research also revealed that poor onboarding can lead to:

• Disorientation
• Feeling undervalued
• Losing trust in the organization
• Losing interest in the role

An employee’s first few months at your organization are crucial to employee retention. We know that up to 20% of new hires quit within the first 45 days of employment and that, by 90 days, almost a third of new employees have chosen to leave.   

To prevent your newly hired talent from going the same way, it may be time to rethink onboarding.  

Good onboarding goes beyond orientation. It’s a program of employee engagement that starts before an employee arrives for their first day and continues for up to a year.

At this point, it blends seamlessly with your employee engagement strategy to sustain engagement and retention over the entire employee lifecycle.

In this post, we’ll be looking in detail at what you can do to engage employees — from recruitment to an employee’s first day to their annual review and beyond.

Ready to engage new employees from day one? 

An overview of the employee lifecycle

We can break the employee lifecycle down into five key stages. These are:

Attraction — The employer branding, recruitment marketing, and job ads that introduce potential applicants to your organization.

Recruitment — The process of shortlisting, interviewing, and hiring employees.

Onboarding — Assimilating new hires into your organization through a comprehensive training and coaching program.

Development — Giving employees the training and development opportunities they need to progress in their careers.

Separation — Parting on good terms so that ex-employees will continue to act as employer brand advocates.

At every stage of the employee lifecycle, you need to incorporate employee engagement and retention strategies. These will help to ensure employee satisfaction long term.

Some things should come as standard. A positive workplace culture. Co-worker connection. Open company-wide communication. Employees should also get the training, resources, and tech tools they need to succeed in their work.

These engagement essentials apply to every employee, at every lifecycle stage. But you can also tailor strategies to the tenure of each individual. Engagement and retention success requires a blend of broad, ongoing initiatives and targeted interventions at key points in the employee lifecycle.

The importance of employee engagement through onboarding and beyond

To keep employees invested in their work and your company, you need an engagement strategy that starts and ends strong. It should begin before a new hire’s first day — where it sets the scene for the employee experience — and continue beyond their last.

Get it right and here’s what you can expect for your organization.

Better productivity and performance

Engaged employees are invested in their work and your company. This means they’re more likely to work hard. They’re happy to collaborate and innovate. They’re committed to quality and make fewer mistakes.

Improved employee retention rates

When you make a success of employee engagement throughout the employee lifecycle, workers are less likely to leave your organization. There are lots of benefits associated with employee retention. These include reduced recruitment costs, improved employee training, and improved customer relationships.

Stronger workplace culture

Engaged employees contribute to a strong workplace culture. They’re confident in their roles and resilient to stress. They demonstrate collaboration, trust, and motivation — helping to amplify workplace values.

Increased business profits

According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report for 2024, sustained employee engagement helps organizations achieve their goals. Benefits include:

• a 23% increase in profitability
• a 17% increase in productivity
• a 10% increase in customer loyalty

You also reduce costs associated with recruitment.

How to engage workers at every stage of the employee lifecycle

So we’ve covered the employee lifecycle — and why employee engagement is important for your business. Now, let’s look at what you can do to improve engagement and retention at every lifecycle stage. 

Attraction

At this first stage of the employee lifecycle, it’s all about employer branding. You need to get clear on your brand — then, create engaging content, job ads, and job descriptions that showcase it. 

Just be sure that your branding accurately reflects who you are as an organization. It should create realistic expectations for prospective employees so there’s no confusion when a new hire starts work.

Work on employee engagement throughout the rest of the lifecycle and existing employees will do some of this hard work for you. If they feel engaged, they’re more likely to share their positive employee experience — in online employer reviews and via word of mouth. This makes it easier to attract talented candidates. 

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Clarify your employer brand
• Create content that showcases your employer brand
• Write detailed job descriptions

Recruitment

How you treat candidates during the recruitment process is important. It helps to establish your workplace culture in the minds of candidates. It also impacts employee engagement during this lifecycle phase and beyond.

So aim for a speedy recruitment process, punctuated with reliable and engaging communications. Show appreciation for the time candidates spend on their applications and try to reply to everyone who applies, even those who are unsuccessful.

Also, highlight your company values as often as possible. Make it clear what matters to your organization and how people achieve success there.  

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Streamline your recruitment process so candidates aren’t left waiting
• Highlight workplace culture in comms and interviews
• Use candidate communications to thank candidates for their time and effort

Pre-boarding

Once a candidate has accepted your job offer, you can start giving them the support and resources they need to hit the ground running.

So give them practical information, like where they should go and what they should wear on their first day. Send over a copy of the employee handbook and get them started on new hire paperwork.

Also, help them to build some early connections. Get their manager to send a friendly note and — if you have lots of new hires starting at the same time — put them in contact with each other via your company intranet or app. That way, they’ll know at least one familiar face.

You might like to send a small gift to your new hire, too. A welcome package, including items like cookies or a coffee mug, helps to create a sense of belonging before employees even step through the door.

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Send a gift
• Give employees access to useful information
• Introduce employees to at least one manager or employee

Day one

First impressions are difficult to change and we know that 44% of new hires regret their decision after the first week.

But we also know that 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for at least three years after a great onboarding experience. So start as you mean to go on. 

Before your new hire arrives, tell the relevant team to expect them and prep any essential devices, passwords, and resources. Set them up an account on the company intranet or app.

During the first day, give employees a clear point of contact. This could be a manager, buddy, or mentor — someone they can turn to with their questions or concerns. Also, give them clear information on their role and assign lots of time for relationship-building — with managers and co-workers.

The priorities for this first week are practicalities, culture, and connection. Focus on these areas and don’t overwhelm your new hires with too much information. 

Start by establishing the basics. For example, for frontline workers, you may like to begin by training them in essential health and safety protocols. You can then build on this foundation logically over the next weeks and months.

Also, make sure that new hires find it easy to access the information they need during these early days. In frontline organizations, a mobile-first digital solution — with all tools and resources available via one dashboard and one login — works best. 

That way, employees don’t have to track down a paper manual to read up on policies. Or go to a more experienced member of staff to get answers to their FAQs. They have essential onboarding resources at their fingertips. This speeds up their learning.  

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Ensure your new hire’s workstation, log in details, and passes are ready to go
• Introduce your employee to other members of the team
• Introduce your new hire to the employee app and its onboarding resources
  

Day 30

At this point in the employee lifecycle, your new hire is probably feeling more familiar with the basics of your organization. But onboarding is far from over. Employees are still learning the ropes and need ongoing support.  

So conduct regular check-ins. These meetings are an opportunity to find out what extra training your new hires might need. They’re a chance to highlight areas of achievement and to provide constructive criticism. 

Clear expectations are also important. Work together to set goals for the next couple of months and for the first year.   

Encourage employees to share their thoughts too, either in these face-to-face meetings or with the help of anonymous survey tools.

Find out what they think of the onboarding and employee experience so far. Ask about the quality of the information provided and the pace of delivery. Employee answers will help you improve your onboarding process for future hires.

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Send out a survey to assess the initial onboarding experience
• Conduct regular check-ins
• Set goals for 90 days and the first year

Day 90

Three months in, your employee should now feel like a productive member of their team. They’re contributing in a meaningful way towards company objectives.

So now’s the time for another review. This is another chance to discuss progress, celebrate achievements, and review any goals you set in previous meetings.

You could also try to broaden an employee’s experience at this point. Perhaps there are new projects or responsibilities an employee could take on. Or useful connections they could build with other teams or departments.

It’s also helpful to outline what career paths are available within your organization. In frontline organizations, particularly. Here, it can be hard for new employees to visualize where they go from the shop floor or the warehouse.  

Mapping the opportunities available helps keep people engaged and invested in their work. It gets them thinking about a long-term future at your organization, too.  

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Review goals and progress toward them
• Recognize and praise success
• Discuss career paths along with learning and development needs

Day 180

Mid-way through an employee’s first year is another great point for engagement intervention. You should ensure that employees are getting training and development opportunities that align with their career goals.

Supporting employees to network is also important. Encourage them to take part in employee communities and company-wide committees. Keep planning social events that support team building and co-worker connection.

Also, remind employees of your open-door policy. They should know who to turn to — and feel comfortable raising their problems and questions.

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Enroll employees in learning and development programs
• Plan social activities that widen an employee’s network
• Remind employees of your open-door policy

Day 365

After a year in the job, it’s time for a celebration. Recognize your employee for all they’ve achieved in their first 365 days by posting a message of appreciation on the company news feed. That way, co-workers can add their own congratulations, too.  

Now is also a great time to give and gather employee feedback. In the annual performance review, highlight employee successes and areas for improvement. Set new goals for the coming year.

To get honest employee feedback, use a mix of surveys and 1:1 meetings. Get employee satisfaction scores. Then, use them alongside other employee engagement KPIs to find out how your organization has performed over the first year of the employee lifecycle.  

Drill down into the data to find particular teams, managers, or departments that aren’t producing the employee retention and engagement you’d hope for. Then use your findings to make data-backed improvements.

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Recognize this milestone!
• Conduct an annual performance review
• Look at surveys and analytics to assess your onboarding process

One year +

As we mentioned earlier, employee engagement and retention efforts don’t end after the first week, the first month, or even the first year of the employee lifecycle.  

A year in, you should strive to maintain a positive and inclusive workplace culture. You should prioritize clear and effective internal communication using dedicated employee communication tools. You should continue to recognize and reward good work.

Training is also still important. As well as offering learning and development opportunities, you may like to consider stretch assignments or lateral moves so employees continue to feel challenged and engaged in their work.

If an employee decides to leave, conduct timely exit interviews and surveys. Find out why employees are leaving and what would convince them to stay.

Supportive, two-way conversations at this point in the employee lifecycle can help you identify and rectify engagement issues, making your organization an even better place to work. They also increase your chance of ex-employees becoming loyal employer brand advocates.

Key employee engagement tasks:

• Continue to recognize and reward employee work
• Support employees to achieve their career goals
• When an employee leaves, conduct exit interviews and surveys

Using technology to boost engagement throughout the employee lifecycle

Improving employee engagement across the whole of the employee lifecycle improves retention, productivity, and business profits. But completing tasks in line with key lifecycle milestones inevitably adds to the workload of already stretched managers and HR teams. 

This is where the right technology — like a modern intranet or an employee app — makes things easier. By giving employees access to an intuitive, digital platform, you benefit from the following. 

Surveys. You can use an employee app or modern intranet to send surveys to employees. Because these surveys come in a user-friendly format, you get more responses and more useful data.

A centralized hub. You can give employees access to a digital hub. This contains useful onboarding information like policy documents, FAQs, and a people directory. It also provides easy access to other workplace tools, like learning and development software.

Recognition. With the help of an engaging company news feed, it’s easy to share recognition with employees and the wider company, too.

Automation. The right tech will send automated messages and surveys as employees reach each new milestone, taking the pressure off your managers and HR team.

Communication channels. Employee communication tools make it easier for you to conduct 1:1s and share company culture with all employees — including those who work remotely or at the frontlines of your organization.

Data. You can see how new and seasoned employees interact with your chosen platform, getting to know which content best engages your workers and spotting engagement issues early. 

Analytics. Analytics and reporting features help you understand survey responses and identify gaps in your engagement strategy.

Here at Blink, our employee super-app provides all of the above to every employee’s smartphone.

You can use Employee Journeys — along with features like surveys, recognition, and a content hub — to deliver a personalized content path for employees.

With our app, you can automate need-to-know messages and milestones from day one of the employee lifecycle, supporting a comprehensive and consistent onboarding, training, and feedback experience.

If you’d like to learn more about Blink and what it can do for employee engagement throughout the employee lifecycle, schedule a personalized demo today.

Why look for a Yoobic alternative?

Yoobic delivers mobile tools for task management, learning, and communication—especially in frontline industries like retail and hospitality. But as organizations grow or diversify, they often find Yoobic limiting in flexibility, integration depth, or user experience. Whether you need stronger communication tools, richer analytics, or a more intuitive interface, there are compelling alternatives worth exploring.

What to look for in a Yoobic alternative

When considering a switch, prioritize platforms that offer:

• A mobile-first, intuitive experience for every employee
  
• Unified communication, scheduling, and task tools
  
• Engagement and feedback features to boost retention
  
• Integration with your existing HR, LMS, and ops systems
  
• Scalability across distributed teams and locations

Top 12 Yoobic alternatives for 2025

#1. Blink — Best all-in-one Yoobic alternative

Blink is the employee experience platform built to unify communication, tools, and culture—seamlessly. Where Yoobic leans operational, Blink elevates the full employee experience with a mobile-first interface that actually gets used. From personalized news feeds and embedded forms to secure messaging, digital workflows, and pulse surveys, Blink replaces scattered tools with a single hub for everything your teams need.

Trusted by global brands like McDonald's, Shake Shack, and easyJet, Blink empowers organizations to simplify their tech stack while increasing engagement, compliance, and visibility. It’s designed for both frontline and HQ teams — making it the go-to alternative for organizations seeking more than just task tracking.

Pros: Unified hub for comms, operations, engagement, and integrations
Cons: No built-in LMS (but integrates with existing systems)
Gartner Rating: 4.7/5

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#2. Axonify

Axonify specializes in frontline learning through microlearning and gamified content. It helps reinforce knowledge retention with bite-sized daily training and works well in retail, grocery, and manufacturing. While it doesn’t replace broader communication or task platforms, it’s an ideal learning companion.

Pros: Engaging training, gamification, strong knowledge retention
Cons: Limited communication or task capabilities
Pricing: Custom
Gartner Rating: 4.5/5

#3. Connecteam

Connecteam offers a mobile-first workforce management suite with scheduling, task tracking, and team communication. It’s ideal for operations-heavy sectors like logistics, retail, and construction. The app is easy to deploy, though its focus is more functional than culture- or engagement-driven.

Pros: All-in-one mobile app for scheduling, tasks, and time tracking
Cons: Less tailored for engagement and internal brand-building
Pricing: Free for up to 10 users; paid plans start at $29/month for 30 users
Gartner Rating: 4.5/5

#4. Nudge

Nudge is built for frontline employee engagement, combining surveys, communications, and recognition tools. It helps managers gather feedback and drive adoption of key initiatives. However, it may lack the operational features organizations need for broader workforce execution.

Pros: Great for surveys, recognition, and team feedback
Cons: Limited task or scheduling functionality
Pricing: Custom
Gartner Rating: 4.5/5

#5. WorkJam

WorkJam unifies task management, training, scheduling, and messaging in one platform. Designed specifically for the frontline workforce, it’s widely used in retail and food service environments. It’s highly configurable, though it may require a steeper onboarding curve.

Pros: Feature-rich for scheduling, training, and communication
Cons: More complex setup compared to lighter-weight tools
Pricing: Custom
Gartner Rating: 4.6/5

#6. Flip

Flip focuses on internal communication for large, distributed workforces, particularly in sectors like retail and manufacturing. It’s known for secure updates, mobile alerts, and simplicity. While not a full operations platform, it works well as a centralized comms tool.

Pros: Effective communication and updates at scale
Cons: Lacks scheduling, forms, or deep tasking features
Pricing: Custom
Gartner Rating: 4.5/5

#7. Zipline

Zipline is a go-to platform for retail operations, helping brands streamline execution and communication from HQ to frontline. It ensures that every associate receives the right message with the right task—on time. Zipline’s specialty is bridging strategy and store-level action.

Pros: Excellent for retail execution and compliance
Cons: More tailored to retail; less flexible outside that use case
Pricing: Custom
Gartner Rating: 4.7/5

#8. Beekeeper

Beekeeper is a communication and productivity platform built for frontline teams. It enables messaging, announcements, and workflow automation with easy integration into existing HR tools. While it’s strong on communication, some organizations find its analytics and personalization features limited.

Pros: Simple to use, mobile-first, great for large teams
Cons: Limited customization and reporting options
Pricing: Custom
Gartner Rating: 4.6/5

#9. Jostle

Jostle is a cloud-based intranet designed to organize company news, documents, and people in one place. It’s more effective for desk-based or hybrid teams, and less suited for field-heavy operations. Jostle focuses on making communication clearer and more accessible.

Pros: Clean design, great for company-wide announcements and directories
Cons: Not mobile-first; lacks task or shift features
Pricing: Starts at ~$6/user/month
Gartner Rating: 4.3/5

#10. Sociabble

Sociabble combines employee communication with advocacy and content-sharing features. It’s especially effective for marketing-driven organizations looking to engage employees while expanding brand reach externally. However, it’s not built for scheduling or operational workflows.

Pros: Strong for engagement, content sharing, and brand advocacy
Cons: Not designed for internal task execution
Pricing: Custom
Gartner Rating: 4.4/5

#11. Workvivo

Workvivo offers a modern intranet experience focused on employee connection and engagement. It brings together social feeds, shout-outs, pulse surveys, and communication tools. While it doesn't replace operational platforms, it’s strong in building culture and visibility.

Pros: Engaging UI, social features, great for internal comms
Cons: Lacks operational tools like scheduling and workflows
Pricing: Custom
Gartner Rating: 4.6/5

#12. Microsoft Teams (with Tasks & Shifts)

Microsoft Teams, when paired with add-ons like Shifts and Planner, can be extended to serve frontline teams. It’s best suited for organizations already embedded in the Microsoft ecosystem. However, it often requires extra setup and training to deliver the same out-of-the-box experience as dedicated platforms.

Pros: Secure, widely adopted, deeply integrated in Microsoft 365
Cons: Requires customization and third-party add-ons
Pricing: Starts at $4/user/month (Microsoft 365 Business Basic)
Gartner Rating: 4.3/5

Final thoughts: Choose a platform that moves you forward

Yoobic helped push frontline platforms forward—but it’s no longer the only player. Whether your team needs deeper engagement, simpler execution, or better integration, there are powerful alternatives available.

Blink stands out for its ability to unify communication, culture, and tools in one platform. It’s modern, mobile-first, and proven across industries. If you’re ready for a simpler, smarter employee experience, Blink is your best next step.

 Book a demo with Blink to see it in action.

“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!

Read more: 11 engaging ideas for your internal communication plan

What makes them awesome?

Project Hydra was initially a short-term project commencing early September 2023. It was expected to last initially for 8 weeks (on Saturdays) — however, it has continued until June 2024. The necessary upgrades to water pipes at the VHK affected access to the renal unit, impacting on patients attending their scheduled dialysis. The Project Hydra Volunteering Team supported patients to access the alternative route to the unit to ensure patients were supported, and their stress minimized.

The Volunteers assisted patients on arrival in a meet-and-greet / escort role. This involved welcoming patients in the designated reception area and escorting them to the clinic area. Our volunteers were more than happy to help, and worked a rota system over the Saturdays on a shift basis, starting at 6:45am and finishing at 6:00pm. During September 2023–June 2024, eight volunteers assisted with Project Hydra, supporting — on some days — 30+ patients.

How has Blink helped in their role?

Communications updated Blink with relevant information about the ongoing works and its impact. This allowed the Volunteer service to communicate effectively with the Project Hydra Volunteer Team to inform them how long they were still needed to provide this service for.

What do they want to do next?

Our volunteers continue to support the hospital, both staff and patients, and maintain their drive and passion to give back and provide support to the NHS and the people who use it.

Nominated by: Elizabeth Fallas, Volunteer Service Support Officer

Most communication tools were built for someone sitting at a desk with a company laptop and a company email. That's not deskless work.

Deskless workers (drivers, nurses, retail associates, warehouse operatives, care workers, construction crews) need something different. Mobile-first, fast, intuitive enough to onboard without a training manual, and built to work even when connectivity isn't perfect. This guide ranks the 9 best team communication tools for deskless teams in 2026, with honest notes on what each does well, where it falls short, and who it's right for.

The short answer

The top three for most deskless teams in 2026:

1. Blink. — mobile-first employee app built specifically for frontline and deskless workers. 90%+ adoption across customers. Best for organizations where the frontline is the priority, not an afterthought.
2. Connecteam — strong all-in-one for SMB workforce management. Good if scheduling and task management matter as much as communication.
3. Staffbase — enterprise-grade with multilingual reach and digital signage. Right for large global frontline workforces in manufacturing and logistics.

Microsoft Teams, Beekeeper (now part of LumApps), Pebb, Yourco, HubEngage, and Simpplr round out the list with specific strengths. The right pick depends on workforce size, connectivity, and whether you need communication-first or workforce-management-first.

Quick comparison

What is a deskless team communication tool?

A deskless team communication tool is a mobile-first software platform designed to connect, inform, and engage workers who don't sit at a desk. That includes frontline employees in retail, healthcare, logistics, manufacturing, hospitality, transport, and construction.

Unlike a traditional intranet or office chat tool, deskless tools are built for:

• Smartphone use without a corporate email address or company-issued device
• Low-bandwidth and offline environments
• High-turnover workforces that need fast, frictionless onboarding
• Shift-based, distributed, and physically mobile teams

For a wider view of what these systems should do, see our guide to deskless worker communication and our breakdown of internal communication tools.

Why standard tools fail deskless teams

SharePoint wasn't built for the frontline. Neither was Slack. Neither was email.

A 2023 Microsoft Work Trend Index found that 60% of frontline workers feel they aren't heard by leadership (Microsoft Work Trend Index, 2023). Multiple frontline studies consistently show that the majority of deskless workers don't have a regular work computer or company email. The communication gap isn't a culture problem. It's a tooling problem.

The good news: in 2026 there are real options purpose-built for the job.

The 9 best team communication tools for deskless teams

1. Blink.

‍

Best for: Organizations where frontline workers are core, not peripheral. Strong fit in retail, healthcare, transport, logistics, and hospitality.

Blink. is a mobile-first employee experience platform built specifically for deskless and frontline workforces. It brings internal communications, a searchable knowledge hub, chat, digital forms, recognition, and analytics into a single app on a worker's personal phone, with no corporate email required.

Key features:

• Real-time chat with voice notes, read receipts, and rich media
• Personalized news feed by role, location, and team
• Unified Hub for policies, SOPs, training, and forms (searchable)
• Recognition, surveys, and short-form video
• Integrations with Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and major scheduling and HR systems (Blink. integrations)
• Offline access for low-connectivity environments
• AI assistant on Pro tier for content drafting and translation

Pricing: $3.75/user/month on Core annual, $5.00/user/month on Pro, Enterprise custom. Free trial across all tiers. (Blink. pricing)

Adoption: Blink. customers consistently hit 90%+ workforce adoption. JD Sports reached 87% in 10 days. easyJet runs Blink. across 20,000+ employees. McDonald's, the NHS, Domino's, Stagecoach, and Chick-fil-A are on the platform (Blink. customer stories).

Why it's different: Most platforms bolt frontline features onto office software. Blink. was built the other way around: starting from the frontline experience and building outward.

For a deeper comparison against the two most-searched alternatives, see Blink. vs Microsoft Teams and Beekeeper vs Blink..

2. Connecteam

‍

Best for: Small to mid-sized businesses in retail, hospitality, field services, and construction where scheduling and task management matter as much as communication.

Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management app that combines scheduling, time tracking, task management, forms, HR, and internal communication in one platform.

Key features:

• Team chat and direct messaging
• Shift scheduling with automated notifications
• Job dispatch and GPS tracking
• Digital checklists and forms
• Company news feed and announcements

Pricing: Free for up to 10 users. Paid plans start around $29/month for the Small Business plan (covers up to 30 users), with per-user pricing above that (Connecteam pricing).

Heads up: Connecteam is strong on workforce management but lighter on internal communications depth compared to platforms built around communication first. For a head-to-head, see Connecteam alternatives.

3. Staffbase

‍

Best for: Large enterprises managing global frontline workforces in manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.

Staffbase is an enterprise employee communications platform with strong frontline capabilities. Known for branded employee apps, multilingual reach, and integrations with the broader Microsoft and Workday stacks.

Key features:

• Fully branded employee app
• Multi-channel reach (app, email, digital signage, SMS)
• Automated translation across 100+ languages
• Offline content access
• Emergency alerts and voice messaging

Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing.

For alternatives that compete on price or specific verticals, see Staffbase alternatives.

4. Microsoft Teams (Frontline Worker tier)

‍

Best for: Organizations already deeply on Microsoft 365 where IT prefers to extend the existing stack rather than add another platform.

Microsoft Teams has evolved to serve frontline workers through its dedicated Frontline Worker license tier, adding Shifts (schedule management), Walkie Talkie (push-to-talk), and task management built for field work (Microsoft Teams for Frontline Workers).

Key features:

• Shifts for schedule management
• Walkie Talkie push-to-talk
• Task assignment and tracking
• Native Microsoft 365 integration
• Enterprise compliance and security controls

Pricing: F1 at $2.25/user/month (read-only Office, limited mailbox), F3 at $8.00/user/month (full features). Both rising July 2026 (Microsoft 365 frontline pricing).

Heads up: Teams was designed for desk-based knowledge workers, and frontline adoption tends to lag behind office adoption. F1's read-only Office and limited mailbox often force upgrades to F3, changing the cost picture. The most common play is to run Teams for HQ and a purpose-built tool for the frontline. For the full breakdown, see our Blink. vs Microsoft Teams comparison and Microsoft Teams alternatives.

5. Pebb

‍

Best for: Budget-conscious SMBs with frontline teams who want a free starting point.

Pebb is a mobile-first communication platform with one of the most accessible free tiers in the category. Familiar social interface designed to reduce onboarding friction.

Key features:

• Company news feed with polls and recognition
• Unlimited message history
• Offline access
• Group chat and direct messaging
• Peer recognition tools

Pricing: Free for up to 1,000 users. Premium plans from $4/user/month (Pebb pricing).

6. Yourco

‍

Best for: Organizations with workers who lack smartphones or reliable mobile data. Common in logistics, construction, and agriculture.

Yourco takes an SMS-first approach. Rather than requiring a smartphone app, it delivers messages via text, reaching workers on any phone with no download.

Key features:

• SMS-native communications (no app required)
• High open rates typical of SMS channels
• Works on basic phones
• Automated message scheduling and reminders

Pricing: Custom.

7. HubEngage

‍

Best for: Organizations that need to reach workers across multiple channels simultaneously (mobile app, SMS, email, WhatsApp, digital signage).

HubEngage combines communication, engagement, and analytics in one platform with multi-channel reach.

Key features:

• Multi-channel messaging (app, email, SMS, WhatsApp, digital signage)
• Recognition, rewards, and gamification
• Pulse surveys and analytics
• Content targeting by team, location, and role

Pricing: Custom.

8. Beekeeper (now part of LumApps)

‍

Best for: Existing Beekeeper customers, and operators in hospitality and manufacturing who want shift management and inline translation in the same app as communications. New buyers should weigh integration risk carefully.

Beekeeper was acquired by LumApps in July 2025 in a deal valuing the combined company at more than $1 billion, backed by Bridgepoint (LumApps press release). The combined "AI Employee Hub" is on a 12 to 24 month integration roadmap. LumApps has confirmed no short-term sunset plans for either platform.

Key features:

• Team messaging and broadcast announcements
• Native shift management
• Digital workflows and checklists
• HR system integrations
• Inline translation across 150+ languages

Pricing: Custom. Third-party trackers cite a range of roughly $5 to $15 per user per month (Capterra).

Heads up: Buyers signing new contracts in 2026 should understand they're buying into a multi-year platform integration. For an objective comparison and the right questions to ask, see Beekeeper vs Blink. and Beekeeper alternatives.

9. Simpplr

‍

Best for: Mid-to-large organizations that want a modern intranet with frontline reach and strong AI-assisted content delivery.

Simpplr is an AI-powered employee intranet that's increasingly targeting frontline and hybrid workforces.

Key features:

• AI-powered content recommendations
• Social intranet with news feed and recognition
• Analytics and engagement tracking
• Mobile app with frontline access

Pricing: Custom.

For competitive context, see Simpplr alternatives.

How to choose a team communication tool for deskless teams

Not every tool on this list is right for every team. Start here.

Four questions to shortlist

1. Do your workers have smartphones? If not, go SMS-first (Yourco). If yes, go app-first.‍
2. What's your workforce size? Blink. works across both SMB and enterprise. Under 100 workers, also consider Connecteam or Pebb if low cost is the lead constraint. Over 1,000 workers, the realistic shortlist is Blink., Staffbase, or Simpplr.‍
3. Are you already on Microsoft 365? Test Teams Frontline before adding another platform if your IT team is heavily Microsoft-aligned. Then evaluate whether it actually drives adoption on the frontline.‍
4. Is your priority communication, or workforce management? Communication-first: Blink., Staffbase. Workforce-management-first: Connecteam, Beekeeper.

Non-negotiables for any deskless team

• Works on personal smartphones without a corporate device
• Doesn't require a company email to sign in
• Intuitive enough to onboard in minutes, not days
• Works in low-connectivity environments
• Adoption above 80% should be the bar, not the aspiration

For more on the levers behind frontline adoption rates above 90%, see frontline digital inclusion.

How to roll one out without the chaos

Getting the right tool is half the job. The rollout determines whether your frontline actually uses it.

Four steps that work

1. Run focus groups first. Ask frontline workers what's broken today before selecting a tool. Their answers will surprise you.
2. Create a platform playbook. Define how the tool is used (channels, posting permissions, tone, governance) before launch.
3. Build a launch campaign, not a training deck. App ambassadors, incentives, and clear value messaging outperform mandatory PowerPoints.
4. Integrate before you launch. Connect the tool to scheduling, HR, and payroll systems upfront. Don't retrofit later.

Real results from deskless teams using Blink.

JD Sports and McDonald's use Blink. for mobile-first shop-floor communication, replacing physical shift huddles.

Children's of Alabama uses Blink. to share campaigns including flu shot drives and benefits enrollment, and to keep staff connected across departments.

Go North West (UK bus operator) reached 95% of employees with essential communications and a 26% reduction in employee turnover after switching to Blink. (Blink. customer stories).

Transform deskless team communication with Blink.

Blink. was built from the frontline up. A single app that connects every worker, whether they're on the shop floor, behind the wheel, or at the bedside, to their team, their schedule, and their company.

Book a demo → | See Blink. pricing →