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


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


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


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


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


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


From “1973”to “73”

Second round


Step 1 - In Text to Columns, select Fixed Width


Step 2 - Click on any unwanted delimiter to delete it


Step 2 - Create delimiter between 19 and 73


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


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


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

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

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