Diligence Unpacked: Understanding Consent Collection Bottlenecks

Welcome to Diligence Unpacked, a series for professionals navigating modern due diligence. We break down complex topics into clear, practical insights. No jargon, just what you need to move forward with confidence.

In this edition, we’re breaking down one of the most persistent slowdowns in background checks and pre-investment workflows: getting consent.

Estimated reading time: 3-5 minutes

Consent: The Hidden Bottleneck Ask any compliance or operations professional what slows down background checks, and the answer is almost always the same: getting consent forms signed.

It’s not the screening itself that causes delays. It’s the emails, the follow-ups, the “which form do I need to sign?” questions, and the inevitable scramble when a form is incomplete or for the wrong jurisdiction. By the time proper consent is collected, the check you needed urgently is already running late.

The Traditional Consent Trap Conventional consent collection is surprisingly manual: 

• Identify which forms are required based on check type and jurisdiction.

• Download, fill, and email forms to the subject.

• Wait for the candidate to print, sign, and return forms, sometimes incomplete or incorrectly sent. 

• Review and forward to the background check provider. 

• Provider reviews and identifies errors, starting the cycle again.

Forms get lost. Signatures are missing. Sensitive information travels through insecure channels. And meanwhile, decision-making sits on hold.

Why Consent is Complicated  Consent requirements vary by:

Each step introduces friction, slows decisions, and increases risk.

The Ripple Effect of Small Delays  Even when requirements are clear, consent often hinges on details that don’t surface until the process is already underway. A form needs an extra disclosure. A jurisdiction has a unique signature rule. An executive is based in a region with different privacy expectations. These small, often invisible nuances stack up and turn what should be a quick administrative step into a moving target. The result is a workflow that looks straightforward on paper but becomes far more intricate in practice, long before any true “pain points” emerge.

Where Professionals Feel the Pain Most For most teams, the real frustration isn’t the legal requirement, it’s the operational drag. Collecting consent shouldn’t feel like project management, yet it often does with chasing signatures, clarifying requirements, and double-checking forms that should have been correct the first time. Every delay adds pressure to teams who are already balancing tight timelines, sensitive deals, and multiple stakeholders.

What diligence teams consistently say they want is simple: a way to capture consent without turning it into a bottleneck. A workflow that’s reliable, predictable, and free from the back-and-forth that derails momentum. That’s where modern tools make all the difference.

Modern Consent Workflows  Intelligo’s intuitive platform streamlines consent end-to-end, making it faster and more secure.

• Automatic form identification: The platform knows which documents are needed based on check type, jurisdiction, and use case.

• Direct subject communication: Subjects receive a secure portal link, not an email attachment. Instructions and reminders are automated.

• Secure submission to analysts: Completed forms go directly to the analysts, maintaining privacy and chain of custody.

• Real-time visibility: Tracks consent status from your dashboard without extra emails or calls.

For pre-investment diligence, this means rapid consent from executives or key stakeholders. For pre-hire vetting, approvals happen faster while respecting privacy requirements.

The Real Impact  When consent workflows are efficient, the entire diligence process moves faster. Teams spend less time wrangling paperwork and more time evaluating the insights that matter. Intelligo’s workflow also improves candidate and stakeholder experiences while reducing compliance risk.

Key Takeaway: Streamlined consent keeps diligence moving without unnecessary delays, letting teams focus on what matters most, making informed decisions.

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