Submitted by Irene DSilva
in

Hello everyone,

I am trying to put together a presentation on few interviews I've done. Part of the interview was gathering scores for each topic. Scores basically range from 1-10. I need to include the score in the presentation but not just put a number next to it. I want to creatively show the scores I gathered for each interview.

Can anyone think of a creative way to show the scores. I have been scratching my head over how to present this for few days now. Any help would be appreciated

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!

Submitted by Don Minter on Saturday May 11th, 2013 9:32 pm

You didn't say whether you are conducting the interviews or being interviewed. You also didn't say what the scores represent.
If you are the interviewee and the score represents your chance at getting a job, then you are "grabbing for a paycheck." You can have a hand reaching for a check, the closer the hand is, the "higher" score it represents. If you are trying to get a better job, then maybe the score can be represented by a pile of cash, the larger the pile, the better the chance at getting the job.
If you're the interviewer, and the score represents how well someone did, then the graphic should be related to the area you are evaluting. If it is technical skills you are evaluating, then a low score can be a panel with one operator and a high score can be a panel with a lot of operators. See this link for the idea: www.anvari.org/fun/Gender/A_Little_Difference_Between_Men_and_Women.html
As you can see, in both cases, what the number represents should be linked to the graphic you are using. So, what are your score categories, and what are you trying to show with the graphic?

Submitted by Jason Teckam on Tuesday June 4th, 2013 4:54 pm

Hi - I've had to put together a lot of data representations in my current role. One very helpful tip I've uncovered is searching for info graphics.
On the HBR sight, they had a full section on analytics. In this section there were a lot of great ideas.
I liken putting together this type of presentation to what my artist wife does: goes to museums, reads trade journals etc to come up with creative ideas.
Hope that helps,
Jason

Submitted by Jack Rumple on Wednesday June 19th, 2013 11:24 pm

Scorpio1782,
I usually shy away from clever when providing data to an audience in PowerPoint.
My first recommendation when starting any PowerPoint chart package is focus first on these two questions:
-Who's My Audience?
-What's My Message?
The data is the data. It can be presented in many ways. Your objective in the presentation is communicate to that audience. Remember that communication is what the listener does. The message may be different for different audiences, even though you're using the same data. Only after you identify the audience can you start to answer the second question.
Figuring out your message depends on the purpose of the presentation. It is informational? Are you just trying to status your boss on the fact that you've completed 60% of the interviews and so far candidates are grouped into different ranges of scores? Is it a decision briefing? Are you looking to the decision maker to choose one of the candidates to hire? (There is a great 'cast on preparing a Decision Briefing and using the SOCRR model.)
After you know the audience and know the message, that will guide the chart design. In some of the episodes that have covered presentations, the recommendation is Edit, Edit, Edit. Don't let anything distract the audience from the message. I've seen many presentations where clever confused the message and resulted in no action or a decision opposite the recommendation.
If you use a table to organize the list of candidates and their scores for different criteria, de-emphasize the structure of the table (borders and headings) and emphasize the data. Humans are very good at recognizing vertical columns in data. You don't need vertical borders. They aren't as good with horizontals. A light grey or light blue, 1/4 point horizontal border between rows is enough help for them to keep track of the row without taking away from the data and the message. Banded rows are tricky. They require more understanding of the color pallet of the chart deck and the interaction of different colors with each other. Avoid this until you've had training on color theory.
If the scores are for evaluating the candidates for a hire and are used to rank order the candidates, first sort the data with the best score on top. Then use a bar chart (not to be confused with a column chart). This was a recommendation in the 'cast on chosing the right presentation graphic. If you build the bar chart in Excel 2007 or 2010, you'll have to go to the Chart Tools-Layout ribbon. Select the Axes menu and change the Primary Vertical Axis to Show Right to Left Axis.
Keep the chart as a 2D chart. Humans see in terms of area and volume. A 3D chart distorts the data. Something that is twice as big is perceived in volume as four times as big.
If you've got multiple data series, I recommend a different chart for each series. If you go with all of the series on one chart, make sure you show the legend at the top. This is not Excel's default position for legends, so you'll have to change it from the Chart Tools-Layout ribbon as well. (I got that recommendation from either the Get-It-Done Guy Quick and Dirty Tips podcast or HBR Ideacast podcast. It falls right in line with MT guidance on BLUF.)
Next make the Title of the slide the recommendation. I've seen a lot of slides where the title is the topic of the chart. It doesn't tell me if the chart is good or bad. Lead off with the result, just as you would when answering an interview question. Open your presentation of the data by stating your hypothesis (e.g., "Bob is the Best Candidate," "There are four candidates that meet our minimum hiring threshold."). Now that you've made a bold statement, defend the claim with the details of the slide. Use the rest of your time on this slide explaining how the table or the chart supports your claim in the title. Before you click to the next slide, restate the hypothesis. You can do that in a summary (e.g., "As we can see, the scores Bob achieved during the interview process make him the best candidate." or "Bob scored the best in Interpersonal and Culture. He is average in Technical, and we have some in house training that can help him improve there. Bob is the best candidate.") The audience will re-read your slide title, their eyes will be there when you click to the next slide and they immediate see the recommendation of that slide.
There are hudreds of things to say and learn about building graphics for a chart deck. I want to close with something that goes without saying. The charts are not the presentation. You are the presentation. The charts are there to support and reinforce what you are saying to the audience. A great presenter with average charts is better than an average presenter with great charts. There are many great presentations that had no charts at all.
Jack
Alabama
7-1-1-7

Submitted by Glenn Ross on Thursday June 20th, 2013 8:56 am

Entire books, good ones too, have been written about this. Here's what I can add:
My subject line above can best be summed up as "Less Is More."

  1. Identify your top three objectives that you want your audience to retain. Prioritize them.
  2. If you are presenting a powerpoint in a room with your audience as opposed to a webinar where the audience views it on their computers, you must make sure your data is legible to your audience. After you create a table or other image of your data, step back from your computer at least six feet. If you can't read the font, neither can the audience in the back of the room. Result: They'll tune you out and start checking their smartphones.
  3. Who says you have to use graphs. If you're illustrating data in a  bar graph, consider using children of various heights to illustrate your points. Or skyscrapers of various heights. Using a pie chart? Why not use actual images of pie wedges? Result: This will make your presentation more memorable. Downside: It will take longer to find the right images.

Once you have created the first draft. Set it aside, take a break or work on something else. Then go back and ask yourself, "How can I kick this presentation up a notch?" Meaning how can I make it easier for the audience to retain my key points?" 
Watch this 4.25 video. It's hilarious, but extremely valid. http://www.davidairey.com/how-not-to-use-powerpoint/