Advisor / customer service
Confirm customer relationship, sales discipline, adherence to good advisory practice and complaint handling.
For finance and banking
Reference Checks for Finance and Banking
The finance industry is regulated by the Norwegian Financial Supervisory Authority, and Fit & Proper assessment of key personnel is a legal requirement. Reference checks are a central part of the documentation — particularly for roles with customer handling, investment advice or compliance responsibility.
Banks, insurance companies, fund managers and payment institutions must be able to document that staff are suitable for the tasks they perform. Reference checks for finance must cover integrity, adherence to internal controls, handling of customer confidentiality and the ability to flag irregularities. Referansio gives you structured questions covering both competence and behaviour, with an audit trail tailored to the Financial Supervisory Authority.
Challenges
What separates a great hire from a costly mistake
Fit & Proper assessment
Statutory for key personnel. You must be able to document that the assessment was actually performed — not just ticked off.
Integrity and conflicts of interest
Former managers are a central source for assessing integrity, openness about side activities and handling of conflicts of interest.
Compliance discipline
Does the candidate follow internal controls, KYC and reporting obligations? Or look for shortcuts under pressure?
Customer confidentiality
Banking and insurance data is sensitive. Former employers can confirm discretion and confidentiality discipline.
Use cases
Roles we cover in this industry
Compliance / risk officer
Verify independence, ability to push back against business pressure and documentation discipline on reporting.
Investment advisor / broker
Check qualification (authorisation), MiFID II discipline and how the candidate handles conflicts of interest.
Finance leader (branch manager, department head)
Confirm control culture, ability to handle internal audit and collaboration with compliance and risk.
Questions
Suggested questions for references
Industry-specific questions you can use as a starting point — customize in Referansio.
- How would you assess the candidate's integrity and openness about conflicts of interest?
- How does the candidate handle confidential customer information?
- Describe the candidate's adherence to internal controls and compliance routines.
- Has the candidate flagged irregularities or whistleblown? How?
- How does the candidate react under sales or cost pressure?
- Is there anything we should consider in a Fit & Proper assessment?
Regulations
Legal framework for the finance sector
The Norwegian Financial Undertakings Act and the Fit & Proper regulation require financial undertakings to assess the suitability of key personnel — including good repute, competence and honesty. Circular 9/2018 from the Financial Supervisory Authority elaborates the requirements. Reference checks are a recognised part of the documentation, alongside education, experience and police certificate. GDPR (especially art. 6 and 10) regulates how the information is processed. For investment firms, MiFID II requires competence and continuous follow-up. Referansio stores everything within the EU, has an audit trail and documentation suitable as an attachment to the Fit & Proper form toward the Financial Supervisory Authority.
Process
Three simple steps
From new candidate to finished report — without manual follow-up.
Add candidate
Enter the candidate's name, role and referees. Takes under two minutes.
Collect responses
Referees receive a simple questionnaire and respond securely on mobile.
Generate report
AI analyses the responses and delivers a complete report with scores and insights.
Frequently asked questions
Other industries
See how Referansio fits other sectors.