Checkr Content Style Guide - Checkr
2026-02-28 22:02 Diff
https://checkr.com/content-style-guide

This style guide was made to help Checkr’s writers create on-brand messages that sound clear and consistent across all teams and channels.

We encourage anyone communicating for Checkr to reference the elements in this guide, where we’ll cover writing for the Checkr brand, our preferred grammar and style, and our 4 key audiences.

The content of our guide was adapted from the Mailchimp Content Style Guide, which they have generously provided as an open source reference under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. For those outside of Checkr, we also invite you to use and adapt this style guide as you see fit, with the only requirement being crediting Mailchimp and Checkr.

Our brand is a strategic framework that helps us connect emotionally with our audience. It guides how we want to sound to people, and how we want them to feel about us in return.

We invite you to reference these brand tools when writing for Checkr.

We build a fairer future by designing technology to create opportunities.

Clear

It’s a single idea that serves as the foundation of all creative content for our brand.

As an adjective it means simple, transparent, unclouded. As a verb it means removing unwanted objects.

Everything we do is accessible, transparent, and open.

Our approach is to unlock potential and remove unwanted obstacles.

To us, it’s more than a word—it’s a philosophy—one that informs every decision we make, from how we look to how we speak and how we act.

We modernize

We invent what's next

Our industry needs rethinking. Background checks have traditionally been inefficient, biased, and overpriced for both u;'sers and candidates. We’re here to fix that.

We unlock

We lean into work

We remove obstacles and unlock potential. Our products help customers be more productive, and create new opportunities for people who’ve been unfairly or unjustly kept out of the workforce.

We advance

We’re about solutions, not problems

Our platform provides customers with the competitive advantage of knowing they’ll make fairer decisions, faster, and with more clarity.

Different situations call for different approaches to communication.

We use this spectrum to help us figure out who we’re talking to, where and when we’re talking to them, and what we’re talking about.

Expressive

When our goal is to engage with people’s emotions, we are more expressive—our style of communication is warmer and personal. It can even be inspiring and witty.

Functional

When our goal is to inform people or help them accomplish a task, we're more functional—our style of communication is clear, simple and direct.

Fair

We strongly believe in the principle of fairness, and we act accordingly. We believe we can contribute to making the world a fairer place.

Intelligent

We are built on intelligence. It powers our products, streamlines our customer’s work processes, gets them better results, allows them to make more informed hiring decisions, and guides us to acquire the knowledge necessary to create a fairer future of work.

Transparent

We seek clarity in everything we do. We’re transparent about why we exist, what we value, and what our goals are. The benefits of our products are clear and we are honest when we communicate.

Approachable

We are easy to talk to. Behind the innovative technology and software are the efforts of real people dedicated to disrupting and bringing a sense of humanity to an industry that is often impersonal.

What’s the difference between voice and tone?

When we speak, we always use the same voice. That’s who we are.

But our voice doesn’t always sound exactly the same: our tone changes depending on the situation.

For example, we might use a different tone of voice when chatting with a close friend than we would in a professional setting. We take people’s needs into account and adjust our tone to fit. When we speak with someone who’s happy we’ll likely use a different tone than if they were upset.

Our voice doesn’t change much, but our tone is always adapting to ensure our message is clear.

We speak with one voice. Everywhere we interact with people, at all touchpoints, our voice remains consistent.

It’s an integral part of our brand, and an accurate reflection of our brand values. Not just in how we speak, but what we speak about.

Checkr’s voice springs from our brand attributes. When we speak, these four foundational brand attributes should always be present—fair, intelligent, transparent, approachable.

We are:

The visionary leader

  • We set new industry standards, aspiring to be thought leaders in our field.
  • This voice has a genuine and optimistic tone.
  • Motivated by innovation, in the quest for order.

“This is who we are. This is what the future of work can be.”

Content buckets are how we organize the subjects that we talk about. Each bucket is an overarching idea, inspired by our attributes (how we want people to perceive us). We use these buckets to help us come up with ideas for content.

Keeping our attributes in mind—fair, intelligent, transparent, approachable – here are some examples of content buckets for Checkr:

  • Building Work Culture
  • The Future of Work
  • Hiring Best Practices
  • Equity in the Workplace
  • Justice Reform and Second Chances

Building work culture

We want to seem: Approachable

Examples

  • Webinar: How to design and unify blended teams
  • Blog: 5 ways to show loyalty to your employees and job candidates
  • Webinar: Giving consistent feedback to remote employees

The future of work

We want to seem: Intelligent

Examples

  • Blog: Enduring lessons from remote and hybrid work
  • Webinar: Recruiting and onboarding strategies in a remote world
  • Webinar: Expanding your talent pool for the future of work

Hiring best practices

We want to seem: Intelligent, Transparent

Examples

  • Webinar: Adopting candidate-centric hiring practices
  • Guide: How small businesses can hire smarter in the great resignation
  • Webinar: Recruiting and appealing to Gen Z

Equity in the workplace

We want to seem: Fair, Transparent

Examples

  • Blog: The employer’s guide to medical marijuana and background checks
  • Webinar: The mark of inclusive leaders
  • Webinar: 10 steps to reduce bias and increase fairness

Justice reform and second chances

We want to seem: Fair, Approachable

Examples

  • Ebook: The diversity group you’re overlooking: How to be a fair chance employer
  • Blog: The state of post-incarceration employment
  • Webinar: Using individualized assessments in background checks to widen the candidate pool

We write and build products with a person-first perspective. Being aware of the impact of your language will help make Checkr a better place to work and a better steward of our values to the world.

  • We write in first and second person voice, addressing the reader directly with "you / your", and addressing ourselves as "we / us"."
  • Don’t reference age or disability unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing.
  • Avoid gendered language and use the singular “they.”
  • When writing about a person, use their preferred pronouns; if you don’t know those, just use their name.

Whether you’re writing for an internal or external audience, it's important to write for and about other people in a way that’s compassionate, inclusive, and respectful.

As part of an audience

  • Don’t capitalize “audience” unless grammatically necessary
  • Don’t refer to an audience as “it.” Audiences are made up of real people, so always use “they.”

Age

  • Don’t reference someone’s age unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing. If it is relevant, include their specific age. (ex: The candidate, 16, just got her driver’s license.)
  • Don’t refer to people using age-related descriptors like “young,” “old,” or “elderly.”

Disability

  • Don’t refer to a person’s disability unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing.
  • Avoid disability-related idioms like “lame” or “falling on deaf ears.”
  • If you need to mention it, ask whether your subject prefers person-first language (“they have a disability”) or identity-first language (“they are disabled”).
  • When writing about a person with disabilities, don’t use the words “suffer,” “victim,” or “handicapped.”

Gender and sexuality

  • When writing about a person, use their personal pronouns. When in doubt, just ask or use their name.
  • It’s OK to use “they” as a singular pronoun.
  • Avoid gendered terms in favor of neutral alternatives. Ex: “server” over “waitress”, or “businessperson” over “businessman.”
  • Don’t call groups of people “guys.” Don’t call women “girls.”
  • Don’t use “same-sex” marriage, unless the distinction is relevant to what you’re writing.
  • Use the following words as modifiers, but never as nouns:
    • lesbian
    • gay
    • bisexual
    • transgender (never "transgendered")
    • trans
    • queer
    • LGBTQ+
  • Don’t use these words in reference to LGBTQ+ people or communities:
    • homosexual
    • lifestyle
    • preference

Hearing

  • Use “deaf” as an adjective to describe a person with significant hearing loss. You can also use “partially deaf” or “hard of hearing.”

Heritage and nationality

  • Don't use hyphens when referring to someone with dual heritage or nationality. For example, use "Asian American" instead of "Asian-American."

Medical conditions

  • Don’t refer to a person’s medical condition unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing.
  • If a reference to a person’s medical condition is warranted, use the same rules as writing about people with physical disabilities and emphasize the person first.
  • Don’t call a person with a medical condition a “victim.”

Mental and cognitive conditions

  • Don’t refer to a person’s mental or cognitive condition unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing.
  • Never assume that someone has a medical, mental, or cognitive condition.
  • Don’t describe a person as “mentally ill.” If you need to mention a person's mental or cognitive condition, use the same rules as writing about people with physical disabilities or medical conditions. Emphasize the person first.

Race

  • When we write about a culture or ethnicity, we capitalize the name. For example, we capitalize Black as it refers to Americans in the African diaspora while we keep white lowercase since white refers to the color of a person’s skin and not a group of people.

Vision

  • Use the adjective “blind” to describe a person who is unable to see. Use “low vision” to describe a person with limited vision.

Adhering to certain rules of grammar and mechanics helps us keep our writing clear and consistent.

  • Checkr is one word, no apostrophe. Although our logo is all lowercase, we write our name with a capital C.
  • Some people will read every word you write. Others will just scan. Help everyone by grouping related ideas together and using descriptive headers and subheaders.
  • Focus your message, and create a hierarchy of information. Lead with the main point or the most important content.
  • A sentence should cover only one idea.
  • Use active voice and positive language.
  • Use short words and sentences.
  • Avoid unnecessary modifiers.
  • Use specific examples.
  • Avoid vague language.
  • Be consistent. Adhere to the copy patterns and style points outlined in this guide.
  • Feel free to use contractions.
  • Use the serial comma. Otherwise, use common sense.
  • When in doubt, read your writing out loud.

Abbreviations and acronyms

  • If your reader won’t recognize an abbreviation or acronym, spell it out the first time you mention it. Then use the short version for all other references.
    • First use: motor vehicle reports
    • Second use: MVR
  • If it’s a well- known abbreviation or acronym like API or HTML, you don’t need to spell it out.

Active voice

  • Use active voice. Avoid passive voice. In active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action. In passive voice, the subject of the sentence has the action done to it.
    • Yes: Marti logged in to the account.
    • No: The account was logged in to by Marti.
  • One exception is when you want to specifically emphasize the action over the subject. In some cases, this is fine.
    • Your request was completed by our support team.

Capitalization

We use a few different forms of capitalization.

  • All caps capitalizes the entire word. This treatment is reserved for qualifiers or tags.
  • Title case capitalizes the first letter of every word except articles, prepositions, and conjunctions.
  • Sentence case capitalizes the first letter of the first word.
  • When writing out an email address or website URL, use all lowercase.

Here are some words we never capitalize in a sentence:

  • website
  • internet
  • online
  • email

Contractions

They’re great! They give your writing an informal, friendly tone.

Emoji

A fun way to add humor and visual interest to your writing.

Consider the use case, tone, and audience. Emoji may be an appropriate addition to a social media post but never use them in more functional mediums like blog or website content. Use emoji only in our most expressive tone. Use them sparingly and deliberately to support the copy, not replace it.

Spell out a number when it begins a sentence. Otherwise, use the numeral. This includes ordinals.

When starting a sentence with a percentage, temperature, time, year, or address, you don’t need to spell out the number. This same exception applies to content titles and headlines where starting the sentence with a numeral makes more sense.

  • Ten new employees started on Monday, and 12 start next week.
  • Two weeks ago we hosted our 8th annual team offsite.
  • Checkr powers 95% of the gig economy.
  • 85% of background checks get completed within 24 hours.
  • 2021 saw the rise of remote work and hybrid work.
  • 5 ways to make hiring more inclusive.

Sometimes it feels weird to use the numeral. If it's an expression that typically uses spelled-out numbers, leave them that way.

  • Make a good first impression and build trust with your candidate.
  • We use third-party integrations.
  • We provide all-in-one background screening solutions.

Numbers over 3 digits get commas and are written in full. Abbreviate them if there are space restraints, as in a tweet or a chart:

  • 999
  • 1,000
  • 150,000
  • 1k
  • 150k

Dates

Generally, spell out the day of the week and the month. Abbreviate only if space is an issue.

  • Saturday, January 24
  • Sat., Jan. 24

When a date appears after a month, don't add st, nd, rd, th. Only use add-ons when they precede the month (the event is on the 12th of August.)

  • Yes: The event is September 12, 2022
  • No: September 12th, 2022

Fractions

Spell out fractions.

  • Yes: two-thirds
  • No: ⅔

Percentages

Use the % symbol instead of spelling out "percent."

Ranges and spans

Use a hyphen (-) to indicate a range or span of numbers.

  • It takes 20-30 days
  • The event is April 4-5, 2022

Money

When writing about currency, use the symbol before the amount. Include a decimal and number of cents if more than 0.

  • $20
  • $19.25
  • ¥1
  • €1

Telephone numbers

Use hyphens without spaces between numbers. Use a country code if your reader is in another country. Don't use the obsolete style with parentheses (555) 123-4567.

  • 555-123-4567
  • +1-555-123-4567

Temperature

Use the degree symbol and the capital F abbreviation for Fahrenheit, or the capital C abbreviation for Celsius.

  • 98°F
  • 23°C

Time

Use numerals and am or pm, with a space in between.

  • 7:00 am
  • 7:30 pm

Use a hyphen between times to indicate a time period.

  • 7:00 am-10:30 pm

Specify time zones when writing something people would need to schedule.

Abbreviate time zones within the continental United States as follows:

  • Eastern time: ET
  • Central time: CT
  • Mountain time: MT
  • Pacific time: PT

Abbreviate decades when referring to those within the past 100 years. Use a lowercase s, and don’t use a comma.

  • the 00s
  • the 90s

When referring to decades more than 100 years ago, be more specific.

  • the 1900s
  • the 1890s

Apostrophe

The apostrophe’s most common use is making a word possessive. If the word already ends in an s and it’s singular, you also add an ’s. If the word ends in an s and is plural, just add an apostrophe.

  • The employer’s guide to background checks.
  • Chris’s background check was completed.
  • All the team managers’ candidates were screened.

Colons

Use a colon (rather than an ellipsis, em dash, or comma) to offset a list.

  • We’ve narrowed it down to 3 candidates: Jerry, Nellie, and Barney.

You can also use a colon to join 2 related phrases. If a complete sentence follows the colon, capitalize the 1st word.

  • Fair chance hiring: your guide to getting started

Commas

When writing a list, use the serial comma (also known as the Oxford comma).

  • Yes: Access to safety, community, and employment are essential.
  • No: Access to safety, community and employment are essential.

Otherwise, use common sense. If you’re unsure, read the sentence out loud. Where you find yourself taking a breath, use a comma.

Dashes and hyphens

Use a hyphen (-) without spaces on either side to link words into a single phrase, or to indicate a span or range.

  • End-to-end services
  • Monday-Friday

Use an em dash (—) without spaces on either side to offset an aside.

Use a true em dash, not hyphens (- or --).

  • No matter the stage of your fair chance journey—novice, expert, or somewhere in between—we have tools to help.
  • Austin thought no one would hire him, but he was wrong—fair chance hiring helped him succeed.

Ellipses

Ellipses (...) can be used to indicate that you’re trailing off before the end of a thought. Use them sparingly. Don’t use them for emphasis or drama, and don’t use them in titles or headers.

  • “Have we reviewed all the candidates?” Amalia asked. Jared said, “I’m not sure…”

Ellipses, in brackets, can also be used to show that you're omitting words in a quote.

  • Original: “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”
  • Using ellipses: “...go…where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Periods and exclamation marks go inside quotation marks. Question marks go inside quotation marks if they’re part of the quote.

All 3 go outside parentheses when the parenthetical is part of a larger sentence, and inside parentheses when the parenthetical stands alone.

  • Kevin said, “I finished my report!”
  • I finished my report (and I started a screening, too).
  • I finished my report and a screening. (I think the report was for Joshua?)

Leave a single space between sentences.

Use exclamation points sparingly, and never more than one at a time. Never use exclamation points in failure messages or alerts. When in doubt, avoid!

Quotation marks

Use quotes to refer to words and letters, titles of short works (like articles and poems), and direct quotations.

Periods and commas go within quotation marks. Question marks within quotes follow logic—if the question mark is part of the quotation, it goes within. If you’re asking a question that ends with a quote, it goes outside the quote.

Use single quotation marks for quotes within quotes.

  • Who was it that said, “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible”?
  • Layla said, “I saw a post that read, ‘Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.’”

Semicolons

Go easy on semicolons. They usually support long, complicated sentences that could easily be simplified. Try an em dash (—) instead, or simply start a new sentence.

Ampersands

Don't use ampersands as a substitute for "and." Use an ampersand only when it’s part of a company or product name, or when connecting two words that are always paired together and are meant to be read as one thing.

  • Ben and Dan
  • Ben & Jerry’s
  • Research and design
  • Research & Development

File extensions

When referring generally to a file extension type, use all uppercase without a period. Add a lowercase s to make it plural.

  • GIF
  • PDF
  • HTML
  • JPGs

When referring to a specific file, the filename should be lowercase:

  • approved.gif
  • guide-cx-blueprint.pdf
  • checkr-linkedin-profile.jpg

Names and titles

The first time you mention a person in writing, refer to them by their first and last names. On all other mentions, refer to them by their first name.

Capitalize the names of departments and teams (but not the word "team" or "department").

  • Volunteer team
  • Support department

Capitalize individual job titles when referring to a specific role. Don't capitalize when referring to the role in general terms.

  • Our new Marketing Manager starts today.
  • All the managers are offsite today.

States, cities, and countries

Spell out all city and state names. Don’t abbreviate city names. On first mention, write out United States. On subsequent mentions, US is fine. The same rule applies to any other country or federation with a common abbreviation (European Union, EU; United Kingdom, UK).

URLs and websites

Capitalize the names of websites and web publications. Don’t italicize.

Avoid spelling out URLs, but when you need to, leave off the http://www.

Writing about other companies

Honor companies’ own names for themselves. Go by what’s used on their official website. Refer to a company or product as “it” (not “they”).

  • iPad
  • YouTube
  • Yahoo!

Slang and jargon

Write in plain English so your message is clear. If you need to use a technical term, briefly define it so everyone can understand.

  • What are expungements? An expungement removes or “seals” prior criminal records from public access. Individuals with expunged records have low subsequent crime rates and huge increases in wage and employment trajectories.

Text formatting

Use italics to indicate the title of a long work (like a book, movie, or album) or to emphasize a word.

  • The Lord of the Rings
  • Emanuel is really excited about his new job.

Use italics when citing an example of an in-product Checkr element, or referencing button and navigation labels in step-by-step instructions:

  • When you're all done, click Send.
  • The familiar screening criteria—MVR Checks, Drug and health screenings, and Criminal background checks—are all found under our Products tab.

Don’t use underline formatting, and don’t use any combination of italic, bold, caps, and underline.

Write positively

Use positive language rather than negative language. One way to detect negative language is to look for words like “can’t,” “don’t,” etc.

  • Yes: To start your background check, you’ll need the right documents.
  • No: You won’t be able to start your background check without the right documents.

Every piece of content we publish has multiple supporting pieces. This section lays out our style for these web elements.

  • Organize your page around one topic.
  • Use clear, descriptive terms that relate to the topic in titles and headings.
  • Give every image descriptive alt text.
  • CTAs (buttons) should always contain actions. The language should be clear and concise. Use sentence case.
  • Use sentence case for checkboxes and radio buttons.
  • Use title case for drop-down menu names and sentence case for menu items.
  • Use title case for form titles and sentence case for form fields. Only request information that we need and intend to use. Don’t ask for irrelevant personal information, like gender.
  • Use title case for main navigation. Use sentence case for subnavigation.
  • Use title case for headings and sentence case for subheadings.
  • Organize headings and subheadings in a hierarchy, with heading first, followed by subheadings in order. For example, don't skip from heading 2 to heading 4 with no heading 3.
  • Include the most relevant keywords in your headings and subheadings.
  • Provide a link whenever you’re referring to a website, relevant content, and trusted external resources.
  • Avoid saying things like “Click here!” or “Click for more information” or “Read this.” Instead, link relevant keywords.
  • Use lists to present steps, groups, or sets of info. Set up your list with a brief introduction. Number lists when the order of information is important.

Alt text

Alt text is a way to label images, and it's especially important for people who can’t see the images on our site. Alt text should describe the image in a brief sentence or two.

CTAs

CTA (button) copy should always include verbs. Keep things clear and concise, and use sentence case. Brevity is important.

Standard website buttons include:

  • Log in
  • Get started
  • Contact sales

Checkboxes

Use sentence case for checkboxes.

Drop-down menus

Use title case for menu names and sentence case for menu items. Use all caps sparingly for qualifiers or tags where applicable.

Forms

  • Form titles should clearly and quickly explain the purpose of the form.
  • Use title case for form titles and sentence case for form fields.
  • Keep forms as short as possible.
  • Only request information that we need and intend to use.
  • Don’t ask for information that could be considered private or personal, including gender. If you need to ask for gender, provide a field the user can fill in on their own, not a drop-down menu.

Heading and subheading

Headings and subheadings organize content for readers. They should include the most relevant keywords and cover/highlight the main point(s) of the page.

  • Headings and subheadings are written in sentence case.
  • Avoid using end punctuation except for question marks or when a heading is two or more sentences.
  • Organize headings and subheadings hierarchically, with headings first, followed by subheadings in order. (An H2 will nestle under H1, an H3 under H2, and on down.)
  • Headings (H1) give people a taste of what they’re about to read. Use them for page and blog titles, limited to only one per page.
  • Subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) break articles into smaller, more specific sections. They give readers avenues into your content and make it more scannable.

Links

Provide a link whenever you’re referring to something on an external website. Use links to point users to relevant content and trusted external resources.

Don’t include preceding articles (a, an, the, our) when you link text. For example:

If a link comes at the end of a sentence or before a comma, don’t link the punctuation mark.

Don’t say things like “Click here!” or “Click for more information” or “Read this.” Write the sentence as you normally would, and link relevant keywords.

Links should look different than regular copy, strong text, or emphasis text. They should have a hover state that communicates they’re interactive, and should have a distinct active and visited state. When setting the hover state of links, be sure to include focus state as well, to help readers using assistive technologies and touch devices.

Lists

Use lists to present steps, groups, or sets of information. Give context for the list with a brief introduction. Number lists when the order is important, like when you’re describing steps of a process. Don’t use numbers when the list’s order doesn’t matter.

If one of the list items is a complete sentence, use proper punctuation and capitalization on all of the items. If list items are not complete sentences, don’t use punctuation, but do capitalize the first word of each item.

Navigation

Use title case for main or global navigation. Use sentence case for subnavigation. Navigation links should be clear and concise.

Titles

Titles organize pages and guide readers. A title appears at the beginning of a page or section and briefly describes the content that follows. Titles also tell search engines what a page is about, and show up in search results.

Titles are written in title case. Don’t use end punctuation in a title unless it is a question, or it consists of two or more sentences.

We’re always working to make our content more accessible and usable to the widest possible audience.

  • Create a hierarchy, with the most important information first.
  • Avoid directional instructions or language that requires the reader to see the layout or design of the page.
  • Place similar topics in the same paragraph, and clearly separate different topics with headings.
  • Use plain language. Write short sentences and familiar words.
  • Links should provide information on the associated action or destination. Avoid saying “click here” or “learn more.”
  • Avoid using images when descriptive text will do.
  • Label inputs on forms with clear names and use appropriate tags. Think carefully about what fields are necessary, and especially which ones you mark as required.

Writing for accessibility goes way beyond making everything on the page available as text. It also affects the way you organize content and guide readers through a page. Accessibility includes users of all mental and physical capacities, whether situational (broken glasses!) or more permanent.

Basics

We write for a diverse audience of readers who all interact with our content in different ways. We aim to make our content accessible to anyone using a screen reader, keyboard navigation, or Braille interface, and to users of all cognitive capabilities.

As you write, consider the following:

  • Would this language make sense to someone who doesn’t work here?
  • Could someone quickly scan this document and understand the material?
  • If someone can’t see the colors, images or video, is the message still clear?
  • Mobile devices with accessibility features are increasingly becoming core communication tools, does this work well on them?

Many of the best practices for writing for accessibility echo those for writing educational content, with the added complexity of markup, syntax, and structure.

Guidelines

Avoid directional language

Avoid directional instructions and any language that requires the reader to see the layout or design of the page. This is helpful for many reasons, including layout changes on mobile.

  • Yes: “Select from these options,” (with the steps listed after the title)
  • No: “Select from the options in the right sidebar.”

Use headers

Headers should always be nested and consecutive. To help group sections, be sure the page title is H1, top-level sections are H2s, and subsequent inside those are H3 and beyond. Avoid excessive nesting.

Employ a hierarchy

Put the most important information first. Place similar topics in the same paragraph, and clearly separate different topics with headings.

Starting with a simple outline that includes key messages can help you create a hierarchy and organize your ideas in a logical way. This improves scannability and encourages better understanding.

Make true lists instead of using a paragraph or line breaks.

Label forms

Label inputs with clear names, and use appropriate tags. Think carefully about what fields are necessary, and especially which ones you mark as required. Label required fields clearly. The shorter the form, the better.

Use descriptive links

Links should provide information on the associated action or destination. Try to avoid “click here” or “learn more.”

Use plain language

Write short sentences and use familiar words. Avoid jargon and slang. If you need to use an abbreviation or acronym that people may not understand, explain what it means on first reference.

Use alt text

The alt tag is the most basic form of image description, and it should be included on all images. The language will depend on the purpose of the image:

  • If it’s a creative photo or supports a story, describe the image in detail in a brief caption.
  • If the image is serving a specific function, describe what’s inside the image in detail. People who don’t see the image should come away with the same information as if they had.
  • If you’re sharing a chart or graph, include the data in the alt text so people have all the important information.

Each browser handles alt tags differently. Supplement images with standard captions when possible.

Make sure closed captioning is available

Closed captioning or transcripts should be available for all videos. The information presented in videos should also be available in other formats.

Be mindful of visual elements

Aim for high contrast between your font and background colors.

Images should not be the only method of communication, because images may not load or may not be seen. Avoid using images when the same information could be communicated in writing.

You’ll find the following terminology, abbreviations, and acronyms used often in our language. To make sure they’re used consistently, we’ve included our definitions and usage guidelines.

This section is organized into groups:

  • Checkr products
  • Checkr screenings
  • Checkr foundation
  • Candidate experience features
  • Industry abbreviations and acronyms

Below are the list of abbreviations and acronyms that are used within the background check industry. Except where noted, in most cases, we should spell out upon first use with abbreviation in parentheses, and then can use abbreviation or acronym in subsequent uses. If first use is in a headline and the abbreviation or acronym is well known (i.e. HR), we can use the shortened version).

  • AI: artificial intelligence
  • API: application programming interface*
  • ATS: applicant tracking system
  • EEOC: Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  • FCRA: Fair Credit Reporting Act
  • HR: human resources
  • PII: personally identifiable information

*Always use acronym
**For a full list of HR acronyms and definitions that might be used, please refer to https://www.liveabout.com/human-resources-acronyms-1918214.

We’ve provided a ton of detail in our “How to Write for Checkr” section, but we understand not everyone needs all that, so we’ve combined the summaries from each section here.

We realize not everyone needs the level of detail we’ve included in our “Using Brand for Writing” section, and some may even find it a bit confusing. So here are the most important things you need to know about using brand for writing for Checkr:

Be clear

Above all else, we are clear. Everything we say and do should be accessible, transparent, and open.

This is our core creative concept.

We aim to project qualities to our users that are:

  • Fair
  • Intelligent
  • Transparent
  • Approachable

These are our brand attributes.

When we talk, we should sound:

  • Genuine
  • Optimistic
  • Compassionate
  • Decisive

This is our tone.

The person we want to be for people is:

  • The visionary leader - setting new industry standards, aspiring to be thought leaders in our field

This is our brand voice.

And the core reason we exist is:

  • To build a fairer future by designing technology to create opportunities.

This is our brand purpose.

Rules for writing inclusively about people:

  • Don’t reference age or disability unless it’s relevant to what you’re writing.
  • Avoid gendered language and use the singular “they.”
  • When writing about a person, use their preferred pronouns; if you don’t know those, just use their name.

Rules for language and style. Our writing do’s and don'ts:

  • Checkr is one word, no apostrophe. Although our logo is all lowercase, we write our name with a capital C.
  • Some people will read every word you write. Others will just scan. Help everyone by grouping related ideas together and using descriptive headers and subheaders.
  • Focus your message, and create a hierarchy of information. Lead with the main point or the most important content.
  • Use active voice and positive language.
  • Use short words and sentences.
  • Avoid unnecessary modifiers.
  • Use specific examples.
  • Avoid vague language.
  • Be consistent. Adhere to the copy patterns and style points outlined in this guide.
  • Feel free to use contractions.
  • Use the serial comma. Otherwise, use common sense.
  • When in doubt, read your writing out loud.

Rules for writing digital content:

  • Organize your page around one topic.
  • Use clear, descriptive terms that relate to the topic in titles and headings.
  • Give every image descriptive alt text.
  • CTAs (buttons) should always contain actions. The language should be clear and concise. Use sentence case.
  • Use sentence case for checkboxes and radio buttons.
  • Use title case for drop-down menu names and sentence case for menu items.
  • Use title case for form titles and sentence case for form fields. Only request information that we need and intend to use. Don’t ask for irrelevant personal information, like gender.
  • Use title case for main navigation. Use sentence case for subnavigation.
  • Use title case for headings and sentence case for subheadings.
  • Organize headings and subheadings in a hierarchy, with heading first, followed by subheadings in order.
  • Include the most relevant keywords in your headings and subheadings.
  • Provide a link whenever you’re referring to a website, relevant content, and trusted external resources.
  • Avoid saying things like “Click here!” or “Click for more information” or “Read this.” Instead, link relevant keywords.
  • Use lists to present steps, groups, or sets of information. Set up your list with a brief introduction. Number lists when the order of information is important.

Rules for writing inclusively for and about accessibility:

  • Create a hierarchy, with the most important information first.
  • Avoid directional instructions or language that requires the reader to see the layout or design of the page.
  • Place similar topics in the same paragraph, and clearly separate different topics with headings.
  • Use plain language. Write short sentences and familiar words.
  • Links should provide information on the associated action or destination. Avoid saying “click here” or “learn more.”
  • Avoid using images when descriptive text will do.
  • Label inputs on forms with clear names and use appropriate tags. Think carefully about what fields are necessary, and especially which ones you mark as required.

When writing for the Checkr brand, there are 4 audience groups your work could fall into. Each group has its own intended audience, tone, and messaging hierarchy.

Messaging for brand

  • Who uses this messaging: copywriters, marketers
  • What’s their main goal: introduce the brand and inspire people
  • Tone leads with: optimistic, genuine
  • Most expressive

Messaging for sales and marketing

  • Who uses this messaging: copy writers, marketers, sales team
  • What’s their main goal: inform people and convert them to customers
  • Tone leads with: compassionate, optimistic
  • Expressive, with some functionality

Messaging for help and support

  • Who uses this messaging: customer support
  • What’s their main goal: empower and guide users
  • Tone leads with: decisive, compassionate
  • Functional, with some expressiveness

Messaging for product

  • Who uses this messaging: product team, development
  • What’s their main goal: innovate the product and instruct users
  • Tone leads with: decisive, compassionate
  • Most functional

Messaging for brand could include writing for the hero headline on our website, or a billboard. These are attention catching messages that deliver emotion, introduce us to potential new customers, and strengthen our relationship with present ones.

Messaging for product

Who is writing?

  • Copywriters
  • Marketers

Audience overview

Who is being written to?

  • Prospects
  • Candidates

This audience is at the awareness stage of the brand journey.

Brand tone

How we should sound:

  • The goal is to introduce the brand and inspire people
  • Our tone of voice is optimistic and genuine
  • Focus on the dignity of work and building a fairer world
  • This voice is our most expressive

Typical use cases

  • Billboard
  • Hero headline of website
  • Trade show booth

Messaging for sales and marketing could be the general content on our website, one-pagers, or promotional posts. These are pieces of content that inspire as well as inform. This audience is primed to buy our service, and needs practical information and reassurance before converting.

Who uses this messaging?

Who is writing?

  • Copywriters
  • Content writers
  • Marketers
  • Sales team

Audience overview

Who is being written to?

  • Customers - companies looking to hire
  • Candidates - people who want to be hired

This audience is at the consideration and conversion stages of the brand journey.

Sales and marketing tone

How we should sound:

  • The goal is to inform people about the brand and convert them to customers
  • Our tone of voice is compassionate, and optimistic
  • Focus on user benefits, features, technology, pricing, and social proof
  • This voice is expressive, as well as functional

Typical use cases

  • One pager
  • General website content
  • eBook
  • Social media
  • Email newsletter

Messaging for help and support is to guide users through solving problems. It uses compassionate language, and can be found mostly in the help center, or learning center.

Who uses this messaging?

Who is writing?

  • Customer support
  • Product team

Audience overview

Who is being written to?

  • Checkr users - companies and candidates already in the Checkr ecosystem
  • Developers

This audience is at the nurturing stage of the brand journey.

Help and support tone

How we should sound:

  • The goal is to empower and guide users
  • Our tone of voice is decisive and compassionate
  • Focus on guiding users, solving their problems, and getting out of their way
  • This voice is mostly functional, with minimal expressiveness
  • Being clear is very important

Typical use cases

  • Help center
  • Learning center
  • Technical documentation (engineering release notes)

Messaging for product is how we communicate with people who’re already using our services. This includes content like in-product notifications, instructions, and transactional emails.

Who uses this messaging?

Who is writing?

  • Product designers
  • Content strategists and designers
  • In-product marketers
  • Developers

Audience overview

Who is being written to?

  • Checkr users - companies and candidates already in the Checkr ecosystem

This audience is at the nurturing stage of the brand journey.

Product tone

How we should sound:

  • The goal is to innovate the product and instruct users
  • Our tone of voice is decisive and compassionate
  • This voice is the most functional
  • Being clear is most important

Typical use cases

Customer-facing, in-product writing:

  • CTAs
  • Explanatory copy
  • Navigational menus
  • Help menus
  • Product deployed emails
  • Candidate onboarding emails

Our content guide was adapted from the Mailchimp Content Style Guide, which they have generously provided as an open source reference under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

We’d also like to acknowledge the resources Mailchimp found helpful when writing their own guide.

18F Content Guide

Buzzfeed Style Guide

A List Apart Style Guide

Accessibility Cheatsheet

18F Accessibility Guide

Designing for Screen Reader Compatibility

Accessible Color Combinations

WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool

The Conscious Style Guide

GLAAD Media Reference Guide