Is a Messy Office Desk the Sign of a Good or Bad Employee?
February 8, 2012 
20 Comments
Office desks and the employees that use them come in all shapes and sizes.
Some employees have a spotless desk; others have a typical desk with some stuff here and there, while still others are lucky to be able to find their keyboards and the top of their desks in general on a daily basis.
So, does a sparkling, average or really cluttered desk mean anything in today’s workplace?
Having been employed now for 23 years, I’ve seen all kinds of desks, from the type that would pass the white glove test to others that were harboring biology projects with day’s old food. That being said, I like to think of the desks that I’ve had at the half-dozen or so places I’ve worked either full or part-time at as orderly.
During this time, I’ve come to gather that the majority of places I’ve been employed at had a casual approach to the desk and how you used other office furniture. While things such as offensive imagery or sayings have been prohibited on desks, the places I have worked at have generally been okay with letting employees ‘police’ their own workspaces.
In some cases, I’ve come across online studies that took the time (maybe too much free time on their hands) to record and analyze what a worker’s desk truly signifies about them. Okay, the guy or gal that has pictures of weaponry on their desk is someone you might want to keep an eye on.
On a more serious note, certain conditions of one’s desk can tell something about the employee:
- Workers with lots of data spreadsheets, charts and more on their desks are oftentimes those who set goals for themselves and their team. They tend to be more fixated on meeting certain criteria on a regular basis;
- Workers who have photos of loved ones are oftentimes perceived to be more personable, though the employee with no photos on his or her desk and who speaks little during the day, can in fact be one of the nicest people once you get to know them;
- Workers with lots of clutter on their desks are often looked at as those who are unorganized and trying to do too much at once. They can possibly become distracted at a moment’s notice, having trouble focusing on their missions, let alone one at a time;
- Workers who try and “barricade” themselves from other workers minus cubicle partitions tend to want to be in a zone where they can either focus on their work and/or avoid contact with co-workers. I can say that I once did this with several big plans on one side of me years ago due to the fact the next door co-worker was always distracting me with her personal conversations, endless questions and overall irritable habits;
- Workers with a nearly spotless desk may be perceived as those who are very organized, do not waste time and cringe at the idea of clutter. They may also be those who view work as just that, work. They don’t want to make the office environment anything other than that, so they do not display any photos, personal items like coffee mugs, snacks, etc.
In one part-time job I had years back, my desk was situated so that my supervisor was right literally over top of me.
Granted, I wasn’t viewing things on my computer I should not have been while working, but it just felt like ‘Big Brother’ was watching over you during the day. It was also uncomfortable because having my back to her all the time; I had to constantly turn around to talk to her regarding the job or just chit-chat in general.
Well, I would eventually swing my desk around to where I could see her face-to-face. So, you think she would have been happy no longer having to talk to someone’s back half the time, yes?
As it turns out, she was flabbergasted that I took all of a minute or two to swing the desk around to where I could face her. I guess she liked the back side of me better when all was said and done.
When all is said and done, you occupy your work desk a variety of hours each week, given whether or not you are part or full-time.
Take the time to set it up accordingly to how you will be the most operational without disturbing others.
If you can work through the clutter and your job performance is none the worst for it, then don’t feel ashamed to have so much on your desk. If you are having trouble doing your job because your desk looks like a bomb hit it, then take the time to get organized.
At the end of the day, take pride in the appearance of your desk and how others around you perceive you.
Remember, the last thing you want is for that desk to become the property of someone else that replaced you because you didn’t get your job done.
Dave Thomas writes extensively for Business.com, an online resource destination for businesses of all sizes to research, find, and compare the products and services they need to run their businesses.
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I agree it all depends on the productivity of the employee. Different personalities have different methods of madness…lol.
Chris,
So true. At the end of the day, productivity is the key. As long as the desk is not a fire hazard or potential lawsuit…. employers should not be worried.
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A first impression that messy desk may give is that of not being organized.
I’ve had messy desks all my life. Without them I would have nothing to do on Friday afternoons from 4:00 to 4:55 p.m. — if you get my drift. Oh, and I’ve been quite productive for the other 59 hours and 5 minutes.
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How messy a desk is, is not necessarily a sign of productivity. They say Einstein had a messy desk.
My desk probably seems like a disaster area to everyone else – but, I’ve discovered I’m much more productive when I have the papers needed for current projects spread around right there where I can see them, rather than hidden away in stacks or in a file drawer where I’m likely to forget about them. Fortunately, my coworkers realize a messy desk means I’m organized and productive. A clean desk means I don’t have anything to do. So, forget what others might think and let the state your desktop be whatever works best for you.
Good question and I don’t know the answer. I have more clutter than I like, but how come every time I tidy things up I can’t seem to find that elusive bit of information I need to get the job done? Disorganised, maybe. There are probably better ways of assessing people’s success than the looks of their desk:)
As to Montessori Early Years education (my own specialism), good intentions for a tidy , safe, well-organised and attractive classroom are important, but peppered with a large degree of tolerance for messiness & creativity and laughter:)
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That picture looks like my desk at home. Yikes. Eye-opener!
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Good article Dave, and I agree with Chris, whereas productivity will outweigh aesthetics. However, as the article points out, there are limitations in regards to function of productivity, “fire hazard.” Moreover, as you astutely reference, we are all unique in our approach. Thanks for the insight on a topic that is not often discussed.
My entire office looks a bit like that desk. But I know where everything is and I get my work done. Usually. Well, I know where most things are. Some….things.
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I start each January with all files ready for the accountant and tax people. By February, my desk is a shambles with open files, loose papers and a big mess. Now I ordered one of those NEAT scanner to get rid of the paper mess. It just arrived so now I have to figure out how to use it. Another file and mess on my desk. Oh well.
I have battled with this many times and over time keep having to fight the good fight. I am winning though as I stay mindful that everything has its place.;
I have battled with this many times and over time keep having to fight the good fight. I am winning though as I stay mindful that everything has its place.
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Interesting. That being said, I think it makes sense that there are different “desk styles” considering people are all so unique and have different personalities.
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I agree with the writer, the people who did the studies had much too much time on their hands.
We are all different and work in different ways. As long as we get our work done in good form our supervisors/bosses /company should be satisfied.
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It also depends on the job function. An Art Director could be expected to have a messier desk than Operations Manager.
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A clean desk to me is a sign of a person that thinks order takes precedence over the actual work. A moderately cluttered desk is a sign of a busy person focused on doing things and a really messy office is someone that is doing too much and has no care for order.
I have a messy desk so I would argue that it is a good indication of a productive employee. In all honesty though I think there is a balance, some people use getting organised as a form of procrastination. You’ve got measure a person success by the KPI’s you’ve agreed to.
My desk and area look like a tornado hit it. But there is structure in the madness. Certain areas are occupied by specific things, one area might be the to-do items, another area finished items and another for approved items.
I am a developer, so my focus is always on the computer and often time things are handed to me and I set them down without looking.
I don’t devote a lot of time to cleaning and organizing because I am working on things that need to be done.
My wife says it make me look lazy when in fact just the opposite is true, I am busy
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@ Bobbi, it’s funny you would mention Einstein because my first thought when I think of a messy desk is ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), which Einstein did suffer from.
I would judge the desk and the person separately. If the desk is a mess and they are personally messy, then they might just be a messy person. If the desk is messy and they are productive, I might chalk it up to ADD.
If the desk is clean and they aren’t productive… perhaps they need to have more stuff on their desk (as in working on stuff.)
My desk is usually messy, but I usually know where things are in my “system.”
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