USING TEXT-TO-COLUMNS IN EXCEL Http://CompensationInsider.com.

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USING TEXT-TO- COLUMNS IN EXCEL Http://CompensationInsider.com

Transcript of USING TEXT-TO-COLUMNS IN EXCEL Http://CompensationInsider.com.

USING TEXT-TO-COLUMNS IN EXCEL

Http://CompensationInsider.com

The problem

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

You want to participate to a compensation survey.

They want year of birth info for your employees, in the format YY (ie “73” if the employee was born in 1973).

Your HR system produces data in the form : “26/05/73”

The solution

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Use “Text to Columns” (found under “Data” in Excel 2010) to separate the data in 3 columns : 26, 05 and 1973.

Then use “Text to Columns” again to split 1973 into 2 columns : 19 and 73.

You’re done ! No manual entry of data, no risk of error.

From “26/05/1973” to “1973”

Round 1

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Step 1 – In Text to Columns, choose “delimited”

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Step 2 – Select “Other” and enter the delimiter in your cell (here : /)

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Step 3 - Select a column to skip (if this data is not needed)

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Step 3 - Repeat if necessary, choose format of each column then click Finish

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

From “1973”to “73”

Second round

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Step 1 - In Text to Columns, select Fixed Width

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Step 2 - Click on any unwanted delimiter to delete it

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Step 2 - Create delimiter between 19 and 73

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Step 3 - Skip columns and/or format them as needed then click Finish

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Our end result : one new column with “73” as required (see column D)

© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011

Want to know more ?

On my blog CompensationInsider.com, I share Excel, social media, presentation and other useful “technical” tips for Compensation & Benefits and HR professionals, every other Sunday. I also cover C&B topics and career advice the rest of the week. Feel free to check it out and subscribe by email or RSS.

Find out more about me and why I started this blog.© Sandrine Bardot and CompensationInsider.com 2011