Study reveals skills RIM pros will need.

• Position: PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT - Records and information management

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

The records and information management (RIM) profession is becoming more technical and more closely aligned with data analysts and IT staff, according to the research report "What will it take to be a NextGen InfoPro?" from Iron Mountain and AIIM.

By 2020, the study revealed, employers expect their RIM professionals to be competent in risk management--with 50% of employers desiring them to have security and data privacy skills; 47% demanding content and information management skills across a wide range of formats and platforms; and 44% seeking data analytic skills.

Beyond that, the report suggests, employers want RIM professionals who can identify new opportunities for their organization's data and support colleagues during disruptive changes, such as mergers, acquisitions, or divestitures.

"It's no longer enough to be a competent records manager. It's time for them to evolve into next-generation information professionals with stronger technical, analytical, and management skills and the confidence to think, mediate, and guide," said Sue Trombley, managing director of thought leadership at Iron Mountain.

The study also revealed that over the next three to five years:

* The most sought-after professional RIM capabilities will be related to information accessibility, including the use of mobile devices (53% of organizations); data-quality management, data cleansing, and migration (49%); and information...