Calculating Employee Recruitment Difference: Analysts vs Testers

The question asks us to find the difference between the total number of Analysts recruited (M) and the total number of Testers recruited (N) in the company during the years 2017 to 2021. We need to carefully extract the relevant data from the provided table for the recruitment numbers (R) for both positions during this five-year period.

First, let's identify the recruitment numbers for Analysts (R) from 2017 to 2021:

• 2017: 136
• 2018: 120
• 2019: 118
• 2020: 128
• 2021: 144

Next, let's identify the recruitment numbers for Testers (R) from 2017 to 2021:

• 2017: 100
• 2018: 112
• 2019: 124
• 2020: 136
• 2021: 130

Let's summarize the relevant recruitment data in a table for clarity:

Calculating Total Recruited Analysts (M)

M is the total number of Analysts recruited from 2017 to 2021. We sum the recruitment numbers for Analysts for these years:

So, the total number of Analysts recruited is 646.

Calculating Total Recruited Testers (N)

N is the total number of Testers recruited from 2017 to 2021. We sum the recruitment numbers for Testers for these years:

So, the total number of Testers recruited is 602.

Calculating the Difference (M - N)

The question asks for the value of M - N. We subtract the total number of Testers recruited (N) from the total number of Analysts recruited (M):

The difference between the number of Analysts and the number of Testers recruited during the years 2017 to 2021 is 44.

Revision Table: Employee Recruitment Data Summary

Difference \(M - N = 646 - 602 = 44\).

Additional Information on Employee Data Analysis

Data interpretation questions often involve calculating totals, averages, percentages, or differences based on information presented in tables or charts. When dealing with employee data over several years, it's important to distinguish between recruitment (R) and employees leaving (L), as well as understand cumulative numbers or year-on-year changes.

• Recruitment (R): Represents new employees joining the company.
• Left (L): Represents employees who left the company (due to resignation, termination, etc.).
• Net Change: For a given year and position, Net Change = R - L.
• Total Employees: To find the total number of employees at the end of a year, you typically add the net change for that year to the total number of employees at the end of the previous year. The initial number (e.g., at the start of 2016 or end of 2015) is crucial for tracking total employee count over time. The table provides R and L data for 2016 as well, but the question specifically asks about recruitment from 2017 onwards.

Accurately reading the table headers (Position, Year, R, L) and row labels (Administrators, Analysts, Programmers, Testers, Peons, Years 2016-2021) is the first critical step in solving such data interpretation problems.