How to Triple Your Pay with Excel

by Hiran de Silva

Would you like to be earning three times the average pay rate for Excel skills? If so, here’s how you can.

I’ve done this not once, but four times—across four different companies in four different industries. And now, I’m teaching you exactly how I did it and how you can achieve the same results.

To help illustrate this concept, we conducted a thought experiment called The Gordon Ramsay Experiment. It’s a simple scenario—one that’s incredibly common in the workplace. All you need to do is think about how you would respond to the situation in real life.

Then, we analyzed the range of answers, and here’s what we found:

• Half of the participants approached the task using basic Excel techniques—these were the beginners.
• Nearly half of the rest used advanced Excel power features—the kind that are heavily promoted on social media and YouTube.
• Just 1% approached it in a completely different way.

The Challenge

The task itself is simple:

• Gather some input from 100 employees.
• Look up related standing information.
• Summarize the data into a report.

It’s one of the most common real-world spreadsheet tasks in the workplace.

What Employers Had to Say

We took these results and showed them to employers. Typically, pay rates for Excel skills don’t vary much, whether someone is a beginner or an advanced user familiar with Excel’s latest features. That’s because the perception among employers is that all Excel users are more or less on the same level.

However, when employers saw the stark contrast between the different approaches and outcomes in this experiment, their response was unanimous:

• They would always prefer to hire from the 1% who approached the problem differently.
• If they found someone with this mindset and skill level, they would pay them above market rates to retain them.

We also asked the candidates themselves, and they came to the same conclusion. Seeing the results of the experiment made it clear why employers would choose from the 1%.

Are You in the 1%?

If you want to find out whether you’re among the 99% or the 1%, take The Gordon Ramsay Experiment. It’s free, takes less than five minutes, and will give you instant insight into why some Excel professionals earn significantly more than others.

You’ll find the link somewhere in this video (or below), and in just five minutes, you’ll have a clearer understanding of what Excel skills employers truly value.

So what are you waiting for? You have nothing to lose—and everything to gain.

See you in The Gordon Ramsay Experiment!

Podcast