These are the 29 signs you are the ‘office geek’ – And many feel proud of the title
Loving spreadsheets, owning highlighters in three colours and getting enjoyment from labelling things are among the signs you’re an ‘office geek’, according to a study.
Researchers polled 2,000 office workers and found half consider themselves to be someone who takes pride in having nice stationery and a tidy desk.
Other indicators include loving a pen which writes well, having a Pinterest board dedicated to stationery and owning a desk tidy.
Getting the hump when other staff use your desk is a sign too, along with never chewing your pens and possessing blue, black AND red ballpoint pens.
Commissioned by Lyreco, distributor of office supplies and workplace products, the research found 84 per cent of self-confessed office geeks are proud to be so.
Spokeswoman Helen Moran said: “The term ‘office geek’ might be new to some people but as the results show it’s something many people identify themselves as.
“In fact, it’s a badge of honour with so many people admitting to feeling proud of this title.
“Trying to have a tidy desk and owning an impressive selection of stationery is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.”
The research also found having a to-do list, having your own mug and finding colour-coding therapeutic are signs of being office geek.
Owning cleaning products specifically for your desk at work, being possessive of your stationery and writing in different colour pens depending on your mood are indicators too.
Having post-it-notes in at least three different colours are also signifiers, along with never chewing your pens and loving the smell of new stationery.
It also emerged, 58 per cent of those polled admit they take pride in having ‘nice’ pens, notepads, rulers and other stationery.
Amid this, 62 per cent always make sure they get their stationery items back when they lend it – however 40 per cent don’t like to loan it out at all.
Pens and staplers are the items most likely to go ‘walkabout’ in an office.
For 61 per cent, their love of stationery stems from fond childhood memories of getting new items especially for school.
Carried out through OnePoll.com, the research also found more than one fifth get excited when they get new stationery.
And six in 10 said they find highlighting things or using a pen which writes well actually improves their mood if they are having a bad day – and almost half find this calming and therapeutic.
One in 10 have stationery items they actually look forward to using – the most popular items are pens, followed by notebooks, staplers and sticky notes.
Helen Moran added: “We have loved delving into the lives of office workers with our latest study.
“There’s definitely a true love for stationery and we’ve been fascinated to discover the geeky traits being displayed in British offices.
“Whilst in the past the term ‘geek’ may have been seen as uncool, these days people are proud to be described in this way as it is linked to productivity, organisation and calmness.”
* Over the coming weeks, Lyreco will be sharing lots of advice as part of their ‘confessions of an office geek’ campaign along with giveaways, blogs and special offers.
Check out #LyrecoOfficeGeek on social media.
29 SIGNS YOU’RE AN ‘OFFICE GEEK’:
1. You enjoy labelling things
2. You love the feel of a pen that writes well
3. New stationery makes you happy
4. You have a colour-coding system
5. You own highlighter pens in at least three different colours
6. You tidy your desk every day
7. You feel out of control if items aren’t filed properly
8. You have a to-do list
9. You own black, blue AND red ballpoint pens
10. You hate it when someone uses your desk
11. You hate it when colleagues steal your stationery
12. You own a desk tidy
13. You love shopping for new stationery
14. You love spreadsheets
15. You have your own mug
16. You find colour-coding therapeutic
17. Your desk chair has to be ‘just so’ – and you can tell when someone has been sitting in it
18. You have at least three different colours of sticky notes
19. You feel envious when you see other people’s fancy new stationery
20. You think stationery is the best thing about working in an office
21. You own cleaning products specifically for your desk at work
22. You used to love getting a new pencil case at the start of a new school year
23. You feel completely lost without your beloved stationery
24. You have favourite items of stationery that you look forward to using
25. You never chew your pens
26. You don’t think there is any such thing as too much stationery
27. You love the smell of new stationery
28. You have a Pinterest board dedicated to stationery
29. You write in different colour pens depending on your mood