Why Konfir awarded our certification team 10 out of 10!

Tell us a bit about Konfir – what do you do and why? Konfir was established to revolutionize the employment verification process by securely removing companies’ administrative burdens when requesting or completing employment and gaps in employment verifications. We achieve this by leveraging our certification under the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework (DIATF) and streamlining the process in a GDPR-compliant way. We aim to accelerate all corners of the modern UK economy, from those switching jobs to those renting a property or obtaining any type of credit.

Our unique focus is on protecting and enabling consumers by ensuring transparent and secure access to their own income and employment records. We’re dedicated to helping UK-based workers get approvals faster while controlling their data flow and helping relying parties verify employment faster. By offering instant results, improved candidate experience, and faster turnaround times, we make it a no-brainer for employment screening teams to choose Konfir.

What makes Konfir unique?
Konfir stands out from other providers in the employment and income verification space for several reasons. The antiquated and insecure solution of contacting previous employers takes days or weeks to process and only verifies what a candidate has said, not necessarily the reality. In contrast, Konfir provides instant employment data from authoritative sources using payroll integrations and open banking. This allows us to offer comprehensive results in a flash, which is especially helpful for employment verification and gap in employment validation checks that can often be time-consuming and cumbersome.

We also focus on improving the candidate experience, evidenced by our conversion rate of over 80%. Candidates appreciate the convenience, speed, and security of our service, which helps them complete what is sometimes a stressful and time-consuming experience so they can get to work quicker. As the only method of employment verification underpinned by certification, we’re continuously innovating to make the employment verification process even smoother and more efficient.

Team Konfir

What was the key driver for choosing certification under the UK DIATF?
The primary driver for choosing certification under the UK DIATF was to foster trust by providing evidence that Konfir operates to the highest security standards. The certification serves as a springboard to open conversations about employment verification with public bodies and the market given it is already understood by many following the Digital ID rollout. By establishing digital trust in the employment screening process, we can ensure that personal data is used responsibly and that individuals have control over how their data is used. This certification helps set the standard for employment and income verification in the UK; placing Konfir as a pioneer in the industry.

What made you choose Kantara Initiative (KI) as your certification body?
We selected Kantara Initiative as our chosen certification body due to their responsiveness, support from start to end, and their experience in this space in the UK and abroad. Furthermore, Kantara’s in-depth approach to ASP certification has complemented our ISO 27001 journey, ensuring a robust and comprehensive certification process that demonstrates our commitment to security and data protection.

What did you learn about your business as you went through the certification process?
Going through the certification process, one of the first major external full-company audit processes we’ve experienced, validated that we’re doing many things right. We also identified a few areas for improvement and learned a lot about how to standardise our rating of the identity and employment attributes we make available to our clients. The process emphasised the importance of digital trust and our commitment to protecting the privacy of individuals in the employment screening process.

What advice would you give to other start-up organisations considering certification?
Our advice to other start-ups considering certification is to start early and engage with organizations that have already gone through the process. Understand the requirements and benefits of certification, and ensure your business is well-prepared. Certification not only helps establish trust with your clients and partners but also strengthens your company’s internal processes and security standards.

How have you used certification to support your business development strategies?
Certification has been instrumental in enhancing our business development strategies. It has opened doors to partnership opportunities with key players in the trust framework, such as OSPs and IDSPs, as well as relying parties. As Konfir employs novel technologies like open banking and payroll integrations to complete verifications, the certification instills trust in the secure and responsible use of these technologies.

This certification not only establishes Konfir as a credible and viable business partner but also fosters trust in our processes among candidates. By operating in a secure, auditable, and compliant manner, candidates are more inclined to engage with our processes over non-certified competitors. Furthermore, our pioneering position in the industry, amplified by certification, boosts our visibility among employment screening companies and other stakeholders, contributing to the success of our business development efforts.

What feedback can you provide for the Kantara team? The auditors were highly skilled individuals possessing a wealth of knowledge. Their structured and approachable demeanor made the entire experience both smooth and enjoyable. Throughout each step, they clearly communicated the requirements, rationale, and methods, ensuring a seamless process. We truly appreciate the Kantara team’s dedication and support.