# survey data cleanup
## Metadata

- Canonical URL: https://6ducklearn.com/skills/survey-data-cleanup/
- Markdown URL: https://6ducklearn.com/skills/survey-data-cleanup/index.md
- Product: skills
- Category: collaboration
- Tags: curated, google-workspace, hr, onboarding, engagement, surveys
- Updated: 2026-07-14T03:00:00.357428+00:00
## Summary
Clean and standardise an employee survey spreadsheet (fill blanks, normalise labels, remove empty rows) by uploading to the Gemini app.
## Content
> **Attribution:** Prepared by 6DuckLearn. Inspired by [Google Workspace with Gemini Prompting Guide 101 (2025)](https://workspace.google.com).

## When to use this

You've exported your employee survey responses into a spreadsheet and the data is messy — blank names, inconsistent region labels, and rows with no satisfaction score. You need a clean file before you can analyse or report on results.

## What you'll get

A cleaned copy of your survey spreadsheet with: blank names replaced by "Anonymous", normalised region/location labels, blank satisfaction rows removed, and a new file generated — leaving the original untouched.

## Prompt template

Use this in the **Gemini app** (upload your survey spreadsheet first):

```
Help me clean my employee survey spreadsheet. Apply these rules:
1. Fill any blank values in the [name column] with "Anonymous"
2. Replace "[original label]" in the [region column] with "[standardised label]" (apply this to all variants: "[variant 1]", "[variant 2]")
3. Remove any rows where the [satisfaction column] is blank
Generate a new cleaned file and summarise how many changes were made in each category.
```

**Fill in the variables:**
- `[name column]` — the exact column header for respondent names (e.g. "Name", "Respondent")
- `[region column]` — the column containing location/region labels (e.g. "Region", "Office")
- `[original label]` / `[standardised label]` — e.g. replace "Headquarters" with "HQ"; add more replacement rules as needed
- `[variant 1]`, `[variant 2]` — other non-standard spellings to catch (e.g. "HQ Office", "Head Office")
- `[satisfaction column]` — the column that must have a value to keep the row (e.g. "Satisfaction Score", "Rating")

## Customisation tips

- Add more normalisation rules: *"Replace 'N/A' and '-' with blank in the department column"*
- Ask for a change log: *"Create a second sheet listing every row that was modified and what changed"*
- Validate score ranges: *"Flag any satisfaction score outside 1–5 in a new 'Flagged' column"*
- Request deduplication: *"Remove duplicate rows where email address matches"*

## Iteration suggestions

After Gemini produces the clean file:
1. **Summarise for leadership** → use `survey-results-leadership-summary` to draft the executive email with findings from the cleaned data
2. **Build charts** → ask Gemini in Sheets to create summary charts from the cleaned spreadsheet

## Related skills in this workflow

| Step | Skill | What it does |
|------|-------|--------------|
| 1 | `employee-engagement-survey` | Generate the survey question bank |
| 2 | `anonymous-satisfaction-survey` | Draft the anonymous survey |
| 3 → You are here | `survey-data-cleanup` | Clean and standardise the response data |
| 4 | `survey-results-leadership-summary` | Summarise findings for senior leadership |

## Related Skills

- [anonymous satisfaction survey](https://6ducklearn.com/skills/anonymous-satisfaction-survey/index.md): Draft a complete anonymous employee satisfaction survey with answer options covering workload, WLB, compensation and career growth in Gemini in Docs.
- [employee engagement survey](https://6ducklearn.com/skills/employee-engagement-survey/index.md): Generate enterprise-wide employee engagement and satisfaction survey questions using the Gemini app.
- [learning development plan](https://6ducklearn.com/skills/learning-development-plan/index.md): Build a personalised day-by-day learning & development plan for a new hire on a specific topic using Gemini in Drive.
- [new hire first week schedule](https://6ducklearn.com/skills/new-hire-first-week-schedule/index.md): Create a first-week schedule table for a new hire in Gemini in Sheets, with meetings, training, key contacts, and priority levels.
- [new hire team bonding activity](https://6ducklearn.com/skills/new-hire-team-bonding-activity/index.md): Design a collaborative team-bonding activity (e.g. scavenger hunt) for a new hire's first team meeting in Gemini in Docs.
- [onboarding presentation script](https://6ducklearn.com/skills/onboarding-presentation-script/index.md): Draft talking points/script for new hire onboarding presentation using company mission & values doc as context in Gemini in Docs.