Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
Excel's flexibility means that people of any skill level can use it, but some advanced features require expertise with the software to accomplish specific goals.
Advanced conditional formatting: To customize how a cell or group of cells is displayed and to highlight their values, users can use advanced conditional formatting. This gives the user the ability to add a layer for visual analysis to the data.
• VLOOKUP: This function enables users to look up values in a table and return data from a specific column in the same row. It is also known as Vertical Lookup.
• INDEX MATCH: As a combination of two functions, INDEX returns the value of a cell to a specific location, and MATCH returns the position of a cell. This function can be used on columns, rows, or both simultaneously, unlike VLOOKUP.
• Pivot tables: A pivot table can calculate, summarize, and analyze data. It is a tool used to summarize information and helps users see comparisons, patterns, and trends.
• Reporting: In Excel, reporting is when the person managing the data collects information and displays it in a single sheet that acts as a reference.
• Macros and VBA: A macro is a small automated task that performs one or multiple actions when turned on. Macros are programmed using the Visual Basic for Applications language (VBA).
• Data simulation: Creating a mathematical model that represents the properties of a system is called data simulation. Currently, there are software programs dedicated to simulation, but those with more advanced skills can use Excel tools for simulation.
However, when you're recruiting it may be difficult to determine how skilled prospective employees are in using advanced software functions. To help you assess their proficiency, you can use an advanced Excel skills test. Let's see how it works.
Recruiting with an advanced Excel skills test
Once you've determined that you need candidates with more advanced skills, you may wonder how you can evaluate their skills using an advanced Excel skills test.
With an advanced Excel skills test in your recruitment process, you can assess all your job applicants and catalog their results by performance. TestGorilla's advanced Excel skills test evaluates candidates’ abilities to organize data, use advanced formulas, and create reports and visualizations. It also assesses how well they can use other advanced software features.
Using the data gathered from their answers, you can identify the best candidates to move to the interview process. And the best part of using an advanced Excel skills test is that you don't have to look at a single CV.