Record Manager Interview Preparation Guide

A functional listing specifying different types of organizational records that must be retained and for how long. It is not the form in which the record exists that determined how long it must be retained, but the substance of that record’s content.

Vital records are those absolutely necessary for a unit, department, or the entire organization to operate. Given that most employees are creating and receiving records, some of which may qualify as vital, he or she should be able to recognize which records are vital and properly store and protect them.

Records are the outputs that detail each and every business and administrative transaction of the University and contain information about our students, members of staff and all our external contacts. They are the essential resource for the University's effective continuation. They also form the University's collective memory that must be available beyond the memory or working life of any single member of staff.

A document in itself is a type of record, but so is the information that describes the document when it forms a separate entity. For example, an entry in a library catalogue (whether on card or in a computer database) which records the author, title and location of the book, is as much a record as the book itself.

A records Retention & Disposal Schedule is an essential component of an efficient and effective records management system. Properly developed and consistently implemented, a Records Retention & Disposal Schedule protects the interests of the organisation and its stakeholders by ensuring that business records are kept for as long as they are needed to meet operational needs and to comply with legal requirements, and are then disposed of securely.

I strongly believe that managers have a responsibility to manage, to lead and to drive through the organisations goals and missions. They also have a responsibility to implement change within their team. A manager must be a positive role model and should always expect high standards from his or her staff. Although being a manager can be tough at times, it is also highly rewarding if done correctly. It is essential that a team believes in their manager manager’s aspirations and it is the manager’s responsibility to maintain levels of enthusiasm and motivation. This can be achieved by keeping regular contact with all team members and holding regular briefings and appraisals.

In its simplest and most straightforward form, a record is data, information, knowledge, and/or expertise recorded or received in any medium because there is a chance it will be needed in the future, the disposition of which is determined by the organization’s approved record schedule.

The person in the organization designated as the organization’s records manager should draft a records-sharing policy that is approved by the organization’s top management for sharing records with those outside the organization.

Yes. A great number of industries, such as banks, health care providers, pharmaceutical developers, manufactures, and many more, have their own record-keeping requirements.

The person in the organization designated as the organization’s records manager should be able to answer such questions; if not, seek the answer from a lawyer responsible for the legal matters of the organization.

Poor records management is not of itself a breach of the Act, but the Act did stress that good records management is essential to the process of responding to requests. The Act sets out strict timetables for compliance with a request, so it makes sense to have systems in place that help to ensure such timetables are adhered to with minimum effort.

If the University fails to satisfy an enquiry either in what it supplies or how it deals with the enquirer, then appeals can be made to the Information Commissioner who can impose requirements on the University. Good records management will assist in avoiding such circumstances arising.