Managing Personnel Records - International Records Management ...

a separate box marked for the purpose. In countries where the family name normally
precedes the given name, the names will naturally be recorded in that order.
In some countries, people may call themselves by a variety of names. They should be
asked to provide all the names by which they are known; all these names should be
recorded both on the file and in the index. Cross-references will need to be inserted in
the index for employees who change their name, such as upon marriage, as well as
those who are known by more than one name. In such instances a full index card
should be filed under the married or more usual name, with a brief cross-reference
card filed under the alternative name(s).
Spelling of Names
A decision will need to be made about the spelling of employees’ names. Where the
same name can be spelled in several ways, consistent handling of the names is
important. If employees are literate they can be asked to spell their name. In the case
of illiterate employees, clerks will have to spell names as they think fit, though it may
be helpful for them to be issued with guidance on names that can be spelled in more
than one way. A list of standard spellings can be helpful in these cases.
The handling of variant spellings of names in the index is important: the simplest
method is to insert cross-reference cards at each alternative place directing the clerk to
the chosen spelling of the name.
Similar issues arise where transliteration is needed from one alphabet into another. In
countries where this occurs frequently, procedures should be developed by the
organisation.
In most societies, the name of the employee’s father and the maiden name of his
mother are likely to be the most useful information for the purpose of distinguishing
one employee from another of exactly the same name. For this reason it is suggested
that when two or more cards in the master index bear identical names, they should be
filed following the alphabetical sequence of the mother’s maiden names.
Activity 16
What naming conventions are in place in your country? For example, do family
names come before first names or after? Is a different alphabet used in some
instances? Do people have long names or compound names? Identify as many
different naming conventions you can think of that might affect the organisation of
files by personal name. Then write at least four suggestions you would make to
handle these particular naming conventions.
MANAGING PERSONNEL RECORDS
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