How to Make a Flowchart in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide for Process Mapping?

Creating a flowchart in Excel is a practical way to visually map and analyze business processes, such as recruitment workflows or candidate screening procedures. While not a dedicated diagramming tool, Excel's grid structure and shapes feature provide a familiar environment for building clear, professional flowcharts, especially when working with existing data. This guide provides a step-by-step method to create an effective flowchart, enhancing your ability to document and communicate complex processes.

What is a Process Flowchart and Why is it Useful in Recruitment?

A process flowchart is a visual diagram that illustrates the sequence of steps in a workflow. In a recruitment context, this is an invaluable tool for process mapping, used to standardize hiring stages—from job requisition to offer letter. Charting the candidate journey helps identify bottlenecks, ensures consistency, and aids in training new recruiters. For example, a well-defined flowchart can clarify the stages of a structured interview process, outlining each step from phone screen to final decision.

How to Format Your Excel Sheet for a Flowchart?

Before adding shapes, prepare the Excel canvas for accuracy and ease of use. This foundational step ensures your flowchart elements align correctly.

1. Format a Grid (Optional but Recommended): Adjust the column width to match the default row height, creating uniform cells. This makes placing and sizing shapes more precise. To do this, select the entire sheet by clicking the corner cell, right-click a column, choose 'Column Width,' and enter a value (e.g., 2.14 for the default Calibri font). This creates a consistent background grid.

2. Enable 'Snap to Grid': Navigate to the 'Page Layout' tab, click 'Align,' and select 'Snap to Grid.' This feature automatically aligns shapes to the gridlines, ensuring they are evenly spaced and sized, which is critical for a professional appearance.

3. Adjust Page Layout: Set the page orientation (Portrait or Landscape) and margins via the 'Page Layout' tab to ensure your entire flowchart fits neatly when printed or saved as a PDF, a key step for formal documentation.

What are the Steps to Build the Flowchart in Excel?

With the sheet prepared, you can now construct the flowchart using Excel's drawing tools.

4. Add Shapes: Go to the 'Insert' tab, click 'Shapes,' and select from the flowchart symbols. Standard shapes include ovals for start/end points, rectangles for process steps, and diamonds for decision points. SmartArt Graphics offer pre-built diagrams but provide less flexibility for custom process mapping than individual shapes.

5. Add Text: Click on each shape to add descriptive text. For a recruitment flowchart, this could be "Resume Screening," "Phone Interview," or "Salary Negotiation." Ensure the text is concise. If using individual shapes, you may need to manually adjust the text size or shape dimensions.

6. Connect Shapes with Lines: Return to 'Shapes' under the 'Insert' tab and choose connector lines (e.g., elbow arrows). Drag lines from one shape to another to show the process flow. It's best to add text to all shapes before connecting them to avoid misalignment.

7. Customize for Clarity: Use color coding to differentiate process stages—for instance, green for completed steps and yellow for pending approvals. Format line weights and arrow styles to enhance readability. This customization is vital for creating an accessible and easily understood visual tool.

What are the Pros and Cons of Using Excel for Flowcharts?

Based on our assessment experience, using Excel has distinct advantages and limitations.

Benefits: The primary advantage is integration. If your process data (like candidate tracking numbers) is already in a spreadsheet, building the flowchart in the same file keeps information centralized. It's a cost-effective solution for teams already using Microsoft Office.

Limitations: Excel can become cumbersome for complex processes. Making changes often requires manually repositioning multiple shapes and connectors, which is less efficient than in dedicated diagramming software like Visio or Lucidchart. For simple, internal process maps, Excel is sufficient, but for intricate, frequently updated recruitment workflows, specialized tools may be more effective.

To create a clear and effective flowchart:

• Start with a grid for precision.
• Use standardized shapes for universal understanding.
• Connect steps logically to map the true workflow.
• Customize with color to improve visual communication.