Overview
Employment and income checks sit behind high-stakes and time-sensitive decisions. In these moments, speed, accuracy, and consistency matter. Verifications provide an instant, data-backed, structured solution that improves outcomes for both operational teams and end users.
Comparison
The table below summarises the most common reasons teams move from manual checks (e.g. referencing & document checks) to verifications.
Goal | Verifications | Referencing & Document Checks |
Speed Reduce time to value
| 2-5 minutes | Days to weeks |
Cost Keep operational costs low | Predictable unit cost | High staffing/contract costs |
Scale Simplify operations | Standardised format Automation-ready | Mixed formats Manual reviews |
Risk Reduce fraud, compliance risk | Automated, error-free Simplified GDPR role Clear consent capture Verified data sources | Human error possible Complex GDPR role Ad-hoc consent capture Unverified data sources |
User experience Maintain trust & engagement | Low Friction Digital process Complete in minutes | High friction Email/phone process Uncertain timeframes |
Insight Gain additional context | Data-backed insights | Subjective judgements |
Speed
Delays in verification can have real operational impact, including:
Lower conversion (through disengagement)
Dates pushed out (e.g. start dates, loan approval date)
SLAs breached
Whilst manual methods depend on third-party response times and often require rework, verifications take just 2-5 minutes, with results delivered instantly.
Cost
Verifications should not distract your organisation from its core operations. However, manual processes often end up creating a complex cost centres with:
Staffing and training
QA operations
Contractor or outsourced support costs
In contrast, verifications provide a simple, plug-and-play operation with predictable unit costs that reduce as you scale.
Scalability
Manual checks do not scale cleanly. As volume grows, teams typically experience:
Evidence arriving in inconsistent formats (emails, PDFs, screenshots)
Variation in reviewer decisions
Increased QA effort and rework
Verifications solve this by providing a structured result designed to be reviewed the same way every time, making it easier to integrate outcomes into downstream workflows - including via API.
Risk
When checks inform high-stakes decisions, manual processes introduce multiple risks:
Decision risk from incomplete or self-reported information
Fraud risk from altered documents or fake references
Operational risk from maintaining reviewer teams and knowledge
Compliance risk from handling sensitive data across emails and shared drives
Verifications reduce these risks by retrieving data directly from systems of record with applicant consent, returning results in a traceable and auditable structure.
Konfir is ISO 27001 certified, UKDIATF registered, and GDPR compliant. Learn more.
User experience
A poor verification experience leads to delays, higher support volume, and applicant drop-off. Verifications improve the user experience by providing:
Digital journey - applicants can complete the process on any device
Minimal effort - applicants consent to data sharing in a few clicks
Fast completion - most verifications are finished in minutes
Dedicated support - Konfir provides front-line applicant assistance
This reduces friction for applicants while improving completion rates and easing operational workload for your organisation's internal teams.
Insights
Beyond raw employment and income data, verifications can surface higher-order signals. Konfir’s Alerts & Insights layer can highlight:
Discrepancies or undeclared employment
Suspicious employer details
Income stability indicators
Forecast income signals
This helps teams route cases more intelligently, apply risk policies consistently, and make faster, more confident decisions.