Chapter 4
Creating HR Dashboards Using MS Excel
Learning Objectives
• To refresh few Excel basics
• Explore possibility of using MS Excel for creating HR
dashboards
• A brief orientation of pivot tables and pivot charts
Refreshing Excel Basics
• Cell Range: An array of cells; a group of adjacent cells
• Example: (B3:C12) includes all of the cells from B3 through
C12
• Cell ranges can be fixed by typing $ (F4)
Name Range
• A shortcut to reduce the issue of selecting cell ranges again
and again
Steps:
1. Select data
2. Go to FORMULAS tab
3. Click on create from selection
4. Select top row (deselect everything else)
5. Check name manager to see whether name ranges have
been created
Functions
Built+in formulas
Formulas and Functions begin with =
Use the Formulas menu, fx on the formulas bar, or
AUTOSUM arrow
Example of a function:
◦ =AVERAGE(B13:D13)
◦ Use a range of cells (B13:D13)
◦ Colon means Excel will average cells B13 through D13
Some Common Functions
• SUM
‒ Calculates the sum of a range of cells
• COUNT
‒ Calculates the number of values in a range of cells
• AVERAGE
‒ Calculates the average of values in a range of cells
The SUMIF Function
• SUMIF function is used to sum the values in a range that
meet criteria that you specify.
• Syntax:
SUMIF(range, criteria, [sum_range])
where range = array for which the sum is calculated,
• criteria = the if condition which is to be followed while
selecting cases from the specified array
• Sum_range = the array corresponding to the range array
whose values need to be summed up
The COUNTIF Function
• Calculates the number of cells in a range that match
specified criteria.
• Sometimes referred to as a conditional count
• Syntax:
where range = array for which the counting is to be
done
• Criteria = the if condition which is to be followed
while selecting cases from the specified array
The AVERAGEIF Function
• Similar to SUMIF function
• Calculates the average of values in a range that meet
criteria you specify
• Syntax:
Form Controls
• Enable DEVELOPER tab
• Click on DEVELOPER tab
• Click insert
• Select list box/combo box
• Draw the box
• Right click on the box
• Click format control
• Provide input range using any name range of interest
• Provide cell link to connect master data with new
spreadsheet
INDEX: Applications for form controls
• The INDEX function returns a value or the reference to a
value from within a form control box
• Syntax: INDEX(name range, cell link)
• Where name range = same name range selected for list
box/combo box
• Cell link = same cell link selected for list box/combo box
LOOKUP Functions
‒ Allow you to use tables of data to ‘lookup’ values and
insert them in another worksheet location.
• Lookup tables
‒ Store data and organize it into categories (compare
values)
‒ Can be constructed as either exact match or
approximate match lookups
Using the VLOOKUP Function to Find an Exact
Match
• Searches vertically down the first column of the lookup
table.
• Syntax:
VLOOKUP (lookup_value, table_array, col_ index_ num, [range lookup])
where
• Lookup value: starting point of data search
• Table array: Range of data from where the search happens
• Column index no. : Relative order of column in the data
range from where data is looked up
• (Range lookup): true/false—signifies whether the lookup
search type is exact or approximate
Looking Up Values Using the HLOOKUP
Function
• Searches horizontally across top row of lookup table and
retrieves the value in the column you specify.
• Use when comparison values are located in the first row of
the lookup table and you want to look down a specified
number of rows to find the data to enter in another cell.
• Syntax:
A Sample Dashboard Made in Excel
THANK YOU
