A pair of hands typing on a keyboard with a digital file system overlayThe U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has set an incredibly ambitious deadline for the federal government’s digitization effort: all records must be submitted in digital format by the end of 2022. And unfortunately, this mandate did not provide for a dedicated budget or other resources to meet this goal.

And yet, this situation may not even be the biggest challenge in modern recordkeeping! Records management is changing fast. The effort to go digital itself represents one of the ways in which the field is evolving. But are the skillsets for records managers and records management staff keeping up? Everyone involved in information and records management must have a broader skill set than ever.

Records management skills

This is a no-brainer, obviously. The core competency here isn’t changing, and everyone needs to have a macro level understanding of how records management works with a broad-based understanding of information management principles regardless of the individual’s specific job duties. Note that this includes domain-specific skills. Records management isn’t the same everywhere or in all applications or for all job roles.

Soft skills

So-called “soft skills” are the universal skills that every employee must possess, including communication, time management, listening, basic technical skills, ability to work in a team, problem-solving, etc. Don’t under-rate these skillsets for situations related to records management. They’re the skills that underly, for example, the ability to develop and make an effective business case for updating, changing, or otherwise improving information management at your organization.

Privacy and data protection skills

The Association for Intelligent Information Management (AIIM) writes, “If you don’t add anything else to your repertoire this year, add privacy and data protection.” They argue that the ever-increasing importance of data privacy, ever-evolving threats against it, and ever-developing regulations mean that this aspect of records management is going to keep becoming more and more important.

ERM-related skills

Electronic Records Management (ERM) systems themselves demand new skills out of their users and administrators, and as ERMs continue to evolve and improve, so too do the skills required to make the most of them. The best ERMs will NOT require their users to go back to school. That said, to get the most functionality out of them, it’s helpful to develop skills in areas like process automation and metadata management.

Emerging skills

Emerging and leading-edge technologies may be outlier requirements today, but they can easily become standard tomorrow. Blockchain, machine learning, and data analytics are likely to become important elements – if not cornerstones – of the records management processes of the future. Future-proofing your ability to navigate the changes in the information management field rests on an ability to master the emerging skills as needed.

About PSL

PSL is a global outsource provider whose mission is to provide solutions that facilitate the movement of business-critical information between and among government agencies, business enterprises, and their partners. For more information, please visit or email info@penielsolutions.com.