During the webinar, Koen shared his insights on how HR professionals can create powerful visuals that not only present data but also tell a clear story. From avoiding unnecessary clutter to tailoring visualizations to the right audience, this webinar offered valuable lessons for anyone working with HR data. In this blog post, we take you through the key insights from the webinar and share practical tips that you can start applying immediately.

Do you ask yourself: “How can I turn all this data into a chart?” or “What is the best way to visualize this insight I want to communicate?” Be careful—there is only one approach that truly makes your data visualizations impactful.

A common mistake in data visualization is simply presenting data without a clear story or objective in mind. According to data visualization expert Koen Van den Eeckhout, it is essential to start with the story you want to tell. Instead of working “bottom-up” — starting with the available data and then visualizing it — it is far more effective to think “top-down”. First determine the problem you want to solve or the message you want to convey, and then let the visualization provide the answer. This not only makes it easier for your audience to interpret the visual, but also ensures that your visualization is immediately relevant and therefore impactful.

HR data example

Imagine you have invested time and effort in analyzing absenteeism data. You now want to compare long-term absenteeism over the past two years. If you work bottom-up, you will probably create a clear bar chart showing the sickness absence percentage per month, titled “Long-term absence rate.” But if you really want to create impact, it is better to highlight the difference between 2023 and 2024. For example, you could use a line chart that clearly shows the peaks, combined with a comparison of the annual averages. You could also add a dotted line to indicate organizational targets, allowing users to immediately see how the figures compare to the organization's objectives.

© Koen Van den Eeckhout

Once you have defined your story, it is crucial to make your visuals as clear and accessible as possible. Unnecessary details, such as busy backgrounds or redundant labels, can distract from the core message.

Koen emphasized that the best visuals are those that allow viewers to understand the information they need at a glance, without requiring any additional effort. A simple, clean chart with labels placed close to the data itself (rather than far away in a legend) and minimalist design elements can often be far more powerful than a complex visualization filled with details.

HR data example

Imagine you want to create a visualization of high employee turnover within your organization. Instead of showing all details in a single chart, you could choose to prominently display only the most important figures, such as total turnover per quarter.

Details such as the calculation of turnover can be hidden in a pop-up menu or tooltip. Other information, such as reasons for leaving or the departments with the highest turnover rates, can even be placed in a separate tab. This keeps each visualization clear and focused, while still allowing viewers to access additional information whenever needed.

Who will be viewing your visualization, and what do they want to do with it? These are questions you should always ask before you start creating a visualization.

The webinar made it clear that the context and needs of your audience determine how you should present your data. For a CEO who needs to quickly understand the most important figures, a concise and high-level visualization is essential. For a data analyst, on the other hand, a detailed chart with multiple layers of information may be more useful. Knowing your audience ensures that your visuals are not only attractive, but also functional and purposeful.

HR data example

Imagine you want to visualize absenteeism across different departments. Start with a simple chart showing the departments with the highest absence rates. This provides a clear overview of where the problem is occurring.

You can then add a second layer that explains the causes of the issue, for example by showing whether it is driven by long-term sickness absence or frequent short-term absences.

Finally, you can add a third layer that places the issue in an organizational context by comparing absenteeism figures with departments where absence rates are low. This allows you to provide your audience with the answers they are looking for without overwhelming them with unnecessary detail.

During the webinar, several practical questions were discussed that often arise when creating data visualizations yourself. Below are three important tips that can help you get started.

• Choosing colors
  Choose colors that are consistent with those already used within your organization. Then make sure they carry a logical meaning (for example, using red to signal something negative). Finally, consider the context of your data: use bright colors to make certain categories stand out, or opt for a subtle gradient from light to dark for continuous values.
• Choosing between a dashboard and a non-dashboard format
  Not every situation requires a dashboard. The more interaction you allow through filters and drill-down menus, the less control you have over which data end users see and which message they take away. If the goal is deeper analysis and exploration of the data, a dashboard can be useful. However, if your primary goal is to communicate insights, a report or blog post with static visualizations can often be more effective.
• Choosing the right tools
  There are many tools available. Some are easy to use (such as Canva), while others offer more advanced capabilities (such as RStudio). Some tools are ideal for creating data-driven visualizations (such as Excel), while others provide more design flexibility (such as PowerPoint). Consider versatile tools such as Datawrapper, Flourish, and RAWGraphs, or combine multiple tools to achieve the best possible result.

© Koen Van den Eeckhout

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