Hello everyone,

I have been watching recent discussions with interest, and think it may help you to take a look back at my own career and some history:

I became a Records Manager in 1987, as Departmental Records Officer (DRO) for Department of Health & Social Security. Prior to that I had been a 'Career Civil Servant', a Manager with a good grasp of office administration and bureaucratic processes, but no training in Records Management. I had DRO counterparts in every other central government department. The only training we got was from the PRO, and there was not much of that.

DRO salary was (still is) dictated by pay grades that were linked to O and A Level, and Degree, but not to professional qualifications. But it compared well to the private sector equivalents. Up until about 1975 the separate Ministries of Health and Pensions DRO's were Executive Officer (EO) level; following merger they were upgraded circa 1976 to Higher Executive Officer (HEO) level. Working in Whitehall, with a team of "Paper-Keepers" (low-paid file storage 'archives' operatives).

But following a major Efficiency Review in 1986 that moved the DRO and team, and around 250,000 HQ Policy files, to Nelson in Lancashire, it was upgraded to Senior Executive Officer (SEO) level in 1987. I got the job based on my generalist and management skills; because I lived within travelling distance from the 'office' (a converted cotton mill); and because no-one else wanted the job! To show what low esteem we RMs had, I was told by the well-meaning recruiting officer to regard it as a "short-term" posting and then to "look for a real job"!! But the grade and salary matched it's perceived position as a senior management one - I was responsible for 140 less well-paid staff. My knowledge of records management aspects was secondary.

So 'records management' pay varied, from Paper Keeper (Administrative Assistant), to Executive Officer, to Principal (Grade 7), depending on the specific role; how strategically important it was; and how highly (or not!) the department regarded the job. Many people stuck in the same job for many years, as career progression normally meant a change to a different role entirely. Things changed as Ministers and the general public began to take more notice of the importance of government records - thanks to journalists like Peter Hennessy, and the Campaign for Freedom of Information led by Maurice Frankel. We even experimented with the "Open Government Initiative" that led to the FOI Act. They all added value.

I attended as many records management seminars and courses as I could find. I enrolled on the University of Northumbria's "Records Management by Distance Learning" course, and earned an MSc in RM in 1999. I used that course to raise my bosses awareness of what the the job involved, and to raise my own profile (take my word for it, no-one will do it for you!). Most senior RMs sought out additional responsibilities for Information & Knowledge Management, Data Protection, FOI, etc... and the IT aspects of RM.... EDRMS etc... En route my job was upgraded to Principal Officer (Grade Seven). That was mirrored in the four largest government departments, and reflected heightened awareness of the importance of the job.

Getting the MSc gave me new ambition, and I soon moved to the private sector, joining AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. I found similar RM pay and job structures there - for administrative staff, a few qualified Archivists, and specialist departmental Managers. But my own role was seen as strategic, because it covered the whole of UK, and required liaison with counterparts in USA and Sweden, and it therefore attracted a higher salary.

Three years later I was offered a job in Geneva, where I still work for a major international company. It too carried a worthwhile pay increase. The role is even more strategically important, thanks to litigation, regulatory demands, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, EDRMS projects, etc...

Over the years I have seen a gradual raising of awareness of the importance of records management, an evolution of the senior roles, and a steady increase in salaries. But the lower paid roles (those people working in file storage and retrieval, office administration etc) have not seen proportionate rises. It may be a question of demand and supply: Look at how highly-paid IT jobs have tended to be because of their perceived specialist skills - they have been successful in creating a demand for their services, and in driving-up salaries.

In the UK, as Local Government and the NHS et al have been made more accountable for their record-keeping, and for DP, FOI, e-Government etc. they have created many new RM jobs. That has created a new demand. Problem is that their (your) salary offers have not always matched the demanding roles to be filled. That has meant that they (you) only attract technically and professionally under-qualified people. And relatively low-paid people tend not to be prepared to move to equally low-paid jobs. Especially if that involves relocation. Or to move from another role to the RM one, and to accept additional responsibilities, without salary increase. Is it reasonable to expect people who have spent two or three years acquiring formal RM qualifications to be prepared to continue to work for the same lowish salary? I think not. If you are serious about the complexity and value of the job you need to fill, and want to attract well qualified people, you must be prepared to pay a premium to get them. If you are serious about the job you want them to do, you will be happy to do so.

Hope my ramblings help? Best regards, Mike.

Mike Marsh
Director of Enterprise Records Management
Corporate Compliance
JT International, SA, 12-14 Chemin Rieu, Geneva 17, CH-1211
Tel: +41 (0)22 703 0959  Mobile: +41 (0)79 217 1444


-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Society North of England Group
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Simon Pegg
Sent: Monday, 27 June, 2005 14:20
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RMS-NORTH] Are Skills Shortages Real?


Hi Colin,

I do wonder if you may be able to recruit people with suitable skills from affiliated industries such as ourselves or other Business Process Outsourcers. There may be people in these industries doing similar things but under a different guise.

Maybe people with experience of process re-engineering could also be suitable candidates.

Do you have a job description?
If you could forward that to me I have contacts at both Lancaster University and the University of Central Lancashire who may be able to make some useful suggestions. Alternatively there will be educational establishments in the Midlands who could offer suggestions if you know who they are.

If I can help I would be glad to.

Regards,

Simon Pegg

-----Original Message-----
From: Colin Tyc [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: 22 June 2005 15:59
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [RMS-NORTH] Are Skills Shortages Real?

Hi

Can anyone tell me where all the good record managers have gone or suggest
the best recruitment sources for competent records analysts?

We are used to reading reports of skills shortages in the IT press, but our
recent experience suggests this may be stopping rec mgt projects too.

We have recently been seeking staff for a 12 month records management
project about to kick off.  Main work here is carry out Information Survey
based on ISO15489 Part 2, compiling Fileplan Classifications broadly
mirroring LGCS, and preparing series of business based Retention Schedules.
Not really cutting edge, though do need people with some experience of RM
and the way government works.

Main problem thwarting progress has been lack of suitable candidates.
Roles needing filling are Assistant Records Manager (£22-25k) and Records
Analysts (£18-21k). Have had little response sourcing through agencies, now
considering press adverts and/or the RMS monthly envelope.

Have other list members had similar experience - or were you better able to
get the skilled people needed? If so, could you please share your recipe
for success. Any better suggestions or innovative approaches that have
worked for list members gratefully received.

What are we doing wrong or not doing? Are there other recruitment sources
we haven't tried that worked for list members? If so, which?
Would we do better seeking trainee or student placement input for part of
the work? If so, can anyone pass on tips for successfully managing such
placements.

All suggestions welcomed by isolated records manager in great danger of
becoming a 'team of one' with a sizable project load to drive forward.

Reply on list if relevant to general readership or off-list [address block
below]

Colin Tyc
Coventry City Council
Tel: 024 7683 3305
E-mail: [log in to unmask]

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