Connected Payroll Software vs. Manual Employment Verification: A Comparison

Employment verification is one of the most critical steps in the tenant screening process—after all, 25% of fraudulently altered rental applications slip through the cracks. Yet many property managers still check employment records the old-fashioned way. 

It involves calling employers, collecting pay stubs, and hoping the information adds up. The process is time-consuming, inconsistent, and, most concerning, makes rental application fraud a very real threat. 

Today, many property managers use connected payroll software to streamline and automate employment verification. But does it really work better?

We’re comparing manual employment verification and connected payroll software side by side so you can decide which method best supports your tenant screening process, protects your properties, and saves valuable time.

Quick Insights

• 25% of fraudulent rental applicants go undetected when using manual employment verification methods, putting people and properties at serious risk.
• Manual checks are often slow and error-prone, typically requiring follow-ups with HR teams, leaving room for fake documents to slip through.
• Connected payroll software verifies income instantly by pulling real-time data directly from payroll providers, significantly reducing the threat of fraud.
• Other benefits of connected payroll software include simplifying workflows, reducing repetitive tasks, and improving the applicant experience.
• Manual verification can still be suitable for small portfolios or self-employed applicants, but it isn’t suitable for scaling or catching every red flag.

Why Employment Verification Matters in Tenant Screening 

Verifying employment fights against fraud and any other issues that could arise by confirming an applicant has a steady income to cover rent, which means fewer headaches later with potentially missed payments or costly evictions.

Employment verification also helps to spot altered or fraudulent documents. Done right, it keeps your tenant screening process fair, consistent, and fraud-resistant, so you can make confident decisions without second-guessing yourself or getting caught up in any employment verification scams.

What is Manual Employment Verification?

Manual employment verification is an old-school way of screening potential tenants—and for many property managers, it’s still the norm. Approximately 51% of small businesses still use spreadsheets, while 19% opt for outdated manual or paper processes within their payroll departments.

Manual employment verification usually involves:

• Calling or emailing an applicant’s employer
• Requesting documents like pay stubs, offer letters, or employment verification letters 

While manual employment verification can work, let’s be honest: it’s often time-consuming, inconsistent, and leaves room for error (or worse—fraud). 

Pros of Manual Employment Verification 

However, manual employment checks do have a couple of pros:

• Low or no cost
• Direct interaction with the employer

Manual employment verification checks are usually low-cost or even free if you handle them in-house. Plus, speaking directly with an applicant’s employer means you might get some helpful or extra context. 

For example, how long someone’s been at their job, if their workload has changed recently, or the answers to any other employment verification questions you might have.

Cons of Manual Employment Verification

There are plenty of cons of manual employment verification, too:

• Time-consuming and inconsistent
• High risk of human error or incomplete responses
• Easier for applicants to submit altered or fake pay stubs or other documents
• HR departments may respond slowly or refuse to provide information

Manual checks can be a significant time and energy drain. They often lead to chasing down employers who take weeks to respond, dealing with unfinished responses, and watching the clock, hoping HR teams get back to you—if they do at all. 

There’s also the higher risk of human error, especially when working with multiple applications. Plus, manual checking makes it harder to spot fraudulent applications.

What is Connected Payroll Software?

Connected payroll software is a secure, tech-powered method of verifying a tenant’s income and employment by linking directly to their payroll provider. Instead of requesting pay stubs or calling HR offices, you instantly gain real-time access to verified data.

It’s fast, accurate, and consistent, removing the tedious manual work from the tenant screening process. Because connected payroll software pulls information straight from the source, it significantly reduces the risk of errors, delays, and fraud. Businesses using payroll software see 31% fewer errors than those working manually.

For swamped property managers, opting for connected payroll software can be a smart, scalable move to confirm financial stability. With it, you can make more confident screening decisions without the stress and hassle of chasing down paperwork and busy HR staff. 

How Connected Payroll Software Works

Here’s how connected payroll software works:

1. Renter provides consent. The applicant authorizes access to their payroll data, typically by logging into their payroll provider through a secure portal.
   
2. System retrieves verified data. The software connects directly to the payroll provider and pulls verified employment and income information.
   
3. Receive a real-time report. Get a clear, trustworthy verification report in real time, including the data you need to make a decision.

There are several connected payroll software options available for employment verification, including:

• Plaid
• Argyle
• Pinwheel
• ADP SmartCompliance
• Paychex
• Gusto
• Finch

Or, instantly verify income and employment with Snappt for an even smoother process. Our platform is purpose-built for property managers and offers a streamlined user experience tailored to tenant screening workflows. Snappt links with various connected payroll providers and covers 90% of the U.S. workforce.

Side-by-Side Comparison: Manual vs. Connected Payroll Software 

To help you decide what’s right for your tenant screening process, here’s a side-by-side view of how manual employment verification stacks up against connected payroll software.

Feature	Manual Verification	Connected Payroll Software
Speed	Slow (days)	Instant or near-instant
Accuracy	Variable	High (direct from source)
Fraud Risk	High (fake docs possible)	Very low (data comes from payroll)
Tenant Experience	Frustrating and slow	Streamlined and simple
Effort for PMs	High manual effort	Low–automated
Cost	Low/no upfront costs	Moderate, but offset by time savings
Scalability	Hard to scale with volume	Easily scales with portfolio growth

6 Benefits of Connected Payroll Software

Switching to connected payroll software often makes your screening process faster, safer, and more reliable. Here’s how it simplifies your workflow while protecting your properties and improving the screening process for your team and applicants.

1. Fraud Detection

Let’s start with the big one. Connected payroll software does an excellent job of fraud detection—spotting fake or altered income documents, which are more likely to sneak past manual reviews. By extracting verified data straight from the source, you can dramatically reduce the risk of fraud and protect your units from bad tenants.

2. Faster Processing

Say goodbye to chasing down documents or waiting for HR to respond. Connected payroll software gives you near-instant access to employment and income data, so you can turn around applications faster and manage leases more efficiently.

3. Fewer Delays

Manual verification checks often lead to getting stuck in limbo—waiting around for callbacks, missing information, or incomplete references. But connected payroll software cuts through all of that. Systems connect directly to payroll providers, so the data you need shows up in a few clicks.

4. Audit-Ready Documentation

It’s always best to have a clear, consistent paper trail. Connected payroll software creates one automatically. That means you’ve got the records ready to go if you’re ever asked to discuss or prove your decision-making process (or simply want the information to refer back to).

5. Improved Applicant Experience

Renters want a fast, secure, and straightforward screening process, too. With easy-to-use connected payroll software, you can save applicants from digging up old documents or waiting on their HR team—and everyone wins. 

6. Better Use of Your Staff’s Time

Your team probably didn’t envision chasing down employment documents or making constant follow-up calls. Connected payroll automates the tedious work, so your staff can focus on what they do best—managing properties, rather than dealing with paperwork.

When Manual Verification Might Still Make Sense 

In some cases, manual verification checks still have their place. If your applicants often include self-employed individuals, freelancers, and gig workers, their income may not show up in standard payroll systems. In these cases, requesting bank statements or tax return records and checking them manually might be the best option.

Manual checks might also be more attractive and manageable for smaller properties with fewer applications and no urgent desire to scale. If budgets or resources are right, investing in new tech might not be the best idea.

And if relying on personal relationships is important to your approach, talking directly with employers might be a better match for your process. For example, if your organization runs in a small community or prides itself on being small and family-run.

The key is choosing a method that best fits your property management company’s needs and capacity while ensuring fraud risk is in check. In some cases, that might mean verifying employment the old-fashioned way.

Final Considerations for Making the Switch to Connected Payroll Software 

Before switching to connected payroll software, take some time to make a few final considerations.

Benefits vs. cost. First, it is essential to weigh the benefits against the costs. If your team currently spends hours each week manually verifying employment, that precious time could be used to lease units faster or manage resident needs.

Number of verifications. Think about how many applications you process each month. Is manual verification slowing you down? Or do you have a couple of monthly employment checks, which don’t take up much time?

Potential scalability. Think about your future plans. If your property portfolio is growing, you’ll likely need a scalable solution to keep up with demand. Connected payroll software is a must for streamlining your tenant screening process as you expand.

Tool choice. Picking the right solution is also important. Look for software that integrates directly with your existing property management system. That way, you can keep everything connected, reduce duplicate work, and make the whole screening process smoother for both your team and applicants.

Leave Manual Verification Behind With Snappt

Both manual and connected payroll verification methods certainly have their place. But for most mid-to-large property managers, connected payroll software provides a quicker, more accurate, and more fraud-resistant tenant screening process. It saves time, reduces risk, and simplifies the tenant screening process for everyone involved.

If you want to scale your screening process without sacrificing quality, switching to connected payroll software is the smart move. Want to cut through fraud and paperwork? Tools like Snappt can integrate ID and income verification directly into your workflow. Learn how Snappt helps verify documents and spot fraud before it becomes a costly problem here.