[Infographic] What Your Office Desk Says About You

Your desk at work is an incredibly personal place. It might not seem like it, but it’s true. The average office worker spends around 5 hours 41 minutes at their desk each day, so it’s not surprising that it almost becomes an extension of their personality.

With that in mind, there’s actually a great deal you can glean from a person’s desk space in terms of their personality and their working habits. And conversely, there’s almost certainly a fair bit other people can learn from your desk as well!

One of the most common desk types you’re going to find in offices is a cluttered and messy desk – there’s always at least one person whose desk is an absolute state. It’ll be covered in mess, which may well even include last week’s lunch! But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Messy people are said t0 be more extroverted, welcoming and creative, which are all pretty positive traits – and Steve Jobs enjoyed a messy desk at work and he turned out alright, and as Einstein once said: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what are we to make of an empty desk?”

On the other hand, you have those who have to be as tidy and minimalist as possible. They won’t have a speck of dust on their desk and will only have the absolute minimum of items on there – a mouse, keyboard and maybe a notepad, but that’s it. These people are apparently more conscientious, cautious and disciplined, as well as more hardworking and reliable. However, managers might assume the lack of personality on your desk means you don’t plan on staying long in the job!

What about those people at the other end of the spectrum who add every ounce of their being to their desk and personalise it to within an inch of its life? Those people who have photos of their family, a garden centre’s worth of plants, movie merchandise, inspirational quotes, and all sorts of other knick knacks – these people are also extroverts and are open to trying new things. They’re curious but also might be a little neurotic, but who isn’t?

For a little more insight into what your office desk says about you, plus what your colleagues might think as well, have a look at this infographic. And maybe if you have a look around the office, you might learn a thing or two about the people you work with.