Messaging guidelines

Our writing style is a culmination of our mission and values. It’s human and confident. And by creating a unified voice, we can make the greatest impact on the world.

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Overview

Our messages must be confident: insightful and candid, but also human and optimistic. We're experts in the field of hiring, but we never preach. We're proud of our mission and what we've achieved, but we never brag. Our outlook is optimistic, so we focus on the positive rather than the negative. Most of all, we are conversational and speak like people, not machines or advertisements.

Definitions

This is how we define ourselves: who we are, what we do and what we offer.

Who we are

Greenhouse is the hiring operating system for people-first companies. Our industry-leading software promotes more fair and equitable hiring. 

We are...
We are not...
A hiring operating system
Just an ATS
Hiring software
A hiring platform 
Worktech
Just HR tech
What we offer

Our software and structured hiring approach help companies get measurably better at hiring, while promoting more fair and equitable practices.

Our messaging hierarchy

When there is limited space, prioritize these Greenhouse talking points in this order:

1. We’re a hiring operating system and/or hiring software. 
2. We help people-first companies get measurably better at hiring.
3. Our structured hiring approach promotes more fair and equitable hiring practices.

Descriptions

Ever wondered how to tell people what Greenhouse is and does? You’re not alone. Here are three ways to do it (depending on how much time and space you have).  

Short: The one liner

Greenhouse is the hiring operating system for people-first companies.

Medium: The paragraph

Greenhouse is the hiring operating system for people-first companies. Our industry-leading software promotes more fair and equitable hiring. 

Long: The elevator pitch

Greenhouse is the hiring operating system for people-first companies. Our industry-leading software and structured hiring approach enable more fair and equitable hiring. A fast-growing ecosystem of more than 450 hiring worktech partners are seamlessly integrated with Greenhouse. We’ve helped over 7,500 companies turn talent into their competitive advantage – so they can hire for what’s next.

Putting it all together
The hiring software for people-first companies

Greenhouse powers every aspect of your hiring process, from sourcing through onboarding. Our software and structured hiring approach help companies get measurably better at hiring, while promoting more fair and equitable practices. With a fast-growing ecosystem of more than 450 hiring worktech partners, we make it easy for you to build a tech stack that works for your business at scale – all without ever leaving Greenhouse. That’s how we’ve helped over 7,500 companies become great at hiring.

Copy bank

Here are some copy-and-paste-ready headers and subheads you can use for events, sales collateral and more. There may be several headline options that can accompany specific body copy for you to choose from. 

Get better at hiring with Greenhouse
Discover the power of putting people first
Better hiring starts with Greenhouse

Greenhouse is the hiring operating system for people-first companies. Our industry-leading software and structured hiring approach help companies get measurably better at hiring, while promoting more fair and equitable hiring practices.
Brand forward
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Hire for what’s next
Fast and fair hiring. For everyone. 
Helping you hire talent, not just employees

Your company’s ability to hire great talent is as important as ever – so you’ll be ready for whatever’s ahead. Whether you need to scale your team quickly or improve your hiring process, Greenhouse gives you the right technology, know-how and support to take on what’s next.
People-first
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The hiring software for people-first companies
Discover the power of putting people first
Making hiring more human

Now more than ever, people want to work for an organization that not only recognizes their value as talent, but supports their journey as humans. Greenhouse is the hiring operating system that powers a people-first approach to hiring, from sourcing to onboarding. Our industry-leading software promotes more fair and equitable hiring so you can build a team that encourages everyone to unlock their true potential.

Our voice

Our message is what we say. Our voice is how we say it. Our voice stays constant regardless of who we’re talking to or what we’re saying.

Insightful

Communicate confidence, awareness and expertise

Human

Talk like people because we believe in the power of people

Candid

Be frank and straightforward, but not unprofessional

Optimistic

Project curiosity and an openness to learning new things

Our voice in action
Instead of this
Try this
Why
Insightful
Staying a step ahead of the competition for talent requires company-wide engagement.
Hiring is a team sport. Everyone needs to play.
Uplevel functional ideas into magnetic points of gravity.
Human
This incident has been resolved.
Solved it.
Technical doesn’t have to be impersonal.
Candid
We’ll give you the keys to great hiring.
Being great at hiring isn’t a secret. It just takes practice.
Addressing things head on builds trust and authenticity.
Optimistic
Today’s businesses are in an all-out war for talent.
Hiring has never been more competitive.
Create a world people want to belong to, not reject.

Our tone

While our voice does not change, the tone of our voice should adapt to fit the context, content and our customers’ state of mind.

Bold not aggressive

Confident not boastful

Expert not arrogant

Smart not robotic

Purposeful not militant

Supportive not reliant

Conversational not casual

Curious not silly

Our tone in action
Instead of this
Try this
Why
Bold not aggressive
The war for talent has never been more intense. There are clear winners and losers.
Talent is our most valuable asset.
Overly aggressive sales messages can turn off prospective customers.
Confident not boastful
Only Greenhouse enables you to build a winning hiring culture.
Build a better hiring culture with Greenhouse.
No one likes a braggart. Even in business.
Purposeful not militant
We won’t stop until every company is great at hiring.
We believe every company can be great at hiring.
We have a set of beliefs but will also listen to others.
Expert not arrogant
There’s only one company that can help your business be great at hiring – and that’s Greenhouse.
We know how to help companies be great at hiring.
Focus less on a “been there done that” mentality. Think more like “we’ve got you.”
Smart not robotic
Improved hiring processes are a business-critical endeavor for every organization seeking successful scaling.
Your hiring is business-critical. Create a process that will help you scale successfully. 
We want to show our audience we know what we’re talking about – without making them afraid to talk to us.
Purposeful not militant
We won’t stop until every company is great at hiring.
We believe every company can be great at hiring.
We have a set of beliefs but will also listen to others.
Supportive not reliant
Need help processing new hires fast? Our new bulk onboarding feature will do it for you.
Our new bulk onboarding feature can help you process new hires faster.
Offer partnership – not doing the work for them.
Conversational not casual
Great onboarding = a refined process, fresh swag and flavorful activities that are heavy on inclusion.
Great onboarding starts with having a structured process that fosters a sense of belonging for new hires.
Being too casual connotes immaturity.  
Curious not silly
Sourcery: Adding a little magic to your sourcing strategy.
How to create a powerful sourcing strategy.
Connect to people through empathy, ambition and passion instead of jokes.

Our language

The words we use and the way we use them are a direct reflection of our brand.

Be clear and concise

Get to the point. Start with your key takeaway. Put the most important thing in the most noticeable spot. Make choices and next steps obvious. Don’t get in your own way.

Keep it simple

Simpler is always better. Break up and layer sentences. Use shorter sentences and fragments for easier scanning and readability. Prune excess words and thoughts.

Talk like a person

Use conversational language. Opt for short, everyday words. Contractions and sentence-style capitalization are your friends. Avoid jargon and acronyms as much as possible.

Make it inclusive

Acknowledge diversity, convey respect for all people, be sensitive to differences and promote equal opportunities in whatever you communicate.

Our language in action
Instead of this
Try this
Why
Be clear and concise
Harness the power of research-proven practices to reduce bias in your processes and create the most diverse team possible.
Reduce bias in your process and create diverse teams with proven practices.
Put the most important info first and then prune.
Keep it simple
Utilizes a platform that’s specifically built to be flexible for scale.
Built to flex for scale.
Fewer words = more powerful ideas.
Talk like a person
Drive consistent improvement by tracking insightful measurements over time to evaluate your process.
Keep improving and learning from insights over time.
Complexity does not equal competency.
Make it inclusive
The world doesn’t just need manpower. It needs brainpower.
The world doesn’t just need horsepower. It needs brainpower.
Avoid exclusive language.

Writing style guide

The active voice, where to put commas, formatting addresses – we created this guide to address everything you need to know to write on-brand, consistent copy.

View writing style guide