Noticing signs a male coworker likes you? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one experiencing this. According to a survey, 54% of American workers have had a crush on a coworker, 41% have been asked on a date by a coworker and 23% have asked a coworker on a date. Depending on how you feel about this person, these statistics can either be encouraging or fill you up with a restlessness of an uncomfortable conversation in the offing.
Assuming you do like this person and have been toying with the idea of asking out a coworker or waiting for him to make a move, you still need to be sure of his feelings for you. To that end, we present you a lowdown on the clear signs a male coworker has a crush on you.
15 Signs Your Male Coworker Likes You
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Is your coworker flirting or friendly? A work crush can be truly hard to decode. Speaking of the struggle of initiating workplace romances, a Reddit user wrote, “This sort of situation can be hard for guys. Due to concerns over sexual harassment policies, we can’t safely be very direct.” According to studies, almost half (41%) of employees don’t know their company’s policy regarding office romances.
So may, your instincts are right and this coworker really does like you but doesn’t know how to make a move. Maybe, he is giving you hints. Or maybe you’re overanalyzing the little things in your work environment. Are you his romantic crush or just lost in your own head? What are the signs a coworker likes you but is hiding it? Let’s find out.
Related Reading: 15 Signs A Commitment-Phobe Loves You
1. He cannot take his eyes off you
How to tell if a male coworker is interested in you? A Reddit user wrote, “If you catch him staring at you and/or acting different around you compared to how he acts around other people.” You may notice a hint of eye contact attraction, which may manifest as him constantly looking at you from across the hall or during meetings. The fact that he can’t take his eyes off you is a telling indicator of how he feels about you.
2. He finds ways to bump into you/work with you
How to tell if a guy is interested or just being friendly, especially in a professional setting? Yes, this can be a tough nut to crack. But you can find some clarity by paying attention to these subconscious signs a man likes you:
- He finds excuses to work with you on the same projects
- He keeps bumping into you, in the cafeteria or when you’re around some other colleagues
- He tries becoming friends with the closest of your office pals
- He often stops by your desk for a quick chat
3. Signs a male coworker likes you — He is always eager to help you
How to tell if a coworker is flirting or has feelings for you? His hero instinct would naturally be triggered whenever he is around you. A Reddit user says, “He would be willing to help out in any way possible with you.” So, if he’s going the extra mile to help you, it’s one of the sure signs he enjoys your company and wants a deeper connection. We’re not talking about a simple text/email/5-minute favor. But if he’s staying late with you to help you out with a project that will benefit him in no way, you should know he’s going to think about you on the drive back home as well.
4. He notices every little detail about you
One of the signs a male coworker is attracted to you is that he is extremely good at noticing things like:
- When you wore a dress that really brings out your eyes
- The footwear/bracelet that you’re obsessed with
- The energy drink you love having during breaks
Think about it, he’s a little too attentive for just a colleague, right? One of our readers, who is now married to her coworker, said that while her now-husband was trying to win her over, he remembered small details about her like the fact that she only drinks black coffee in the morning and needs a minimum of five pens and a highlighter at her desk to get work done. This is not something that the average person in your life would care to remember about you.
5. He’s curious about you
Are you wondering, “Is my coworker flirting with me?” Well, if he tries to get to know you better, he is more than just flirting. You can be fairly certain he likes you a lot if he is genuinely interested in you as a person and wants to know you better by asking you:
- Personal questions that evoke an emotional response
- Deep questions about your childhood, interests, hobbies and future plans
- Names of your closest friends and family members
Imagine one day you tell him you’re into books, and the next day he comes to work with a novel by your favorite author in his hand, making sure you can see the book on his desk. The effort he makes to connect with you is one of the clear signs a male coworker is attracted to you.
6. He pampers you/treats you better than anyone else
He seems to be well-acquainted with other coworkers as well, but you do not see him making an effort to please them. But when it comes to you, the game changes entirely. He brings you the best relaxation gifts like coffee/chocolates/pastries and says, “I was just walking past your favorite bakery, so I thought I’d bring you a treat!” If you’re smart, then you know that he definitely took a detour to get you those goodies to impress you.
7. He pays you compliments
What are the signs he finds you irresistible? If your coworker pays you compliments all the time, it could be one of the signs a coworker likes you but is hiding it. Don’t dismiss these as casual comments from a flirty coworker, if he says things like (for these are signs he has feelings for you):
- “You look great today, this color looks wonderful on you”
- “I noticed you’re wearing your hair differently, it’s nice”
- “Are you donning a new perfume? Smells great”
- “Good work on the presentation yesterday. Nobody could have done it better than you”
8. He wants to spend time with you after office
What are the signs he enjoys your company? A Reddit user wrote, “Tries to get you to hang out with outside work, tries to stay in contact.” If this guy asks you about your plans after work and swoops in to make a suggestion if your evening is wide open, he clearly wants one-on-one time with you.
He will always want to go to a movie, a coffee date, or dinner with just you rather than a group of people from work. If you guys indulge in a little bit of romantic texting and you have phone conversations after work hours where he explicitly mentions “no shop talk”, you don’t really need to wonder about the signs a male coworker likes you.
9. He flirts a lot
Flirting with a coworker is not always about using pickup lines every day. “Witty banter” is also one of the signs of attraction between coworkers, according to a Reddit user. You both may even have inside jokes and cute nicknames for each other. Here are some other strong signs that may hint at his romantic interest in you:
- Teasing/roasting/irritating you
- Cracking jokes to make you laugh
- Passing cheesy compliments so you feel happy
Related Reading: Dating A Coworker? Here’s How To Handle Office Romance
10. Signs a male coworker likes you – He is protective of you
It’s a blessing or a curse to have coworkers who watch every move of yours. Blessing if they’ve always got your back. Curse if they’re watching your every move looking for an opportunity to sabotage your professional prospects. One of the signs a male coworker is attracted to you is that his attention on you will feel like a blessing because:
- He will vouch for you in front of others
- He will guide you when you’re wavering off-topic during a meeting
- He will motivate you to work harder but also be there for you even if you fail
Related Reading:12 Ways Office Affairs Can Spell Trouble For You
11. He gets terrified if you talk about switching jobs
My friend told me, “A guy at work flirts with me. He is not just my friend. He is my colleague too. That’s what makes it more complicated. I catch him looking at me at work. Also, whenever I talk about the toxic office environment and how badly I want to quit, pangs of separation anxiety hit him.” So, if you find him coaxing you to stay put in your current job and not switch, you’ve got an answer to “Does my coworker like me?”
12. He wants to know about your relationship status
Talking about romantic interests in the workplace, a Reddit user wrote, “Unnecessary visits to your workstation. Changing seats in the lunchroom to be closer. Asks if you’re single. Daily.” So, if he finds excuses to bring up your love life/wants to know if you are interested in someone outside of work, you’re definitely his romantic crush.
13. He gets jealous easily
How do you know if you are his work crush? Whenever you talk about your crushes with him, it freaks him out and he gets shifty. A possessive coworker would want to avoid this subject altogether or excuse himself whenever such topics come up. All this because he does not want to imagine you with someone else. That’s just classic male psychology. If nervous energy takes him over when another man tries to spend time with you or establishes physical contact, it’s a sure sign of his interest in you.
Related Reading: Six Reasons Why Men Become Jealous, Even If They Are Not Your Husband/Partner
14. Your colleagues can sense it too
When one is attracted to a coworker, it eventually becomes obvious to everyone around. So, paying attention to their reactions can help you pick up the subtle signs your male coworker likes. Notice if:
- Your teammates have noticed him blushing
- Everyone teases him indirectly with you
- People keep talking about the signs he wants to confess his feelings for you
15. You notice body language signs a male coworker likes you
Even if he is trying to rein in his feelings and act as nonchalant around you as possible, the body language signs a male coworker likes you will give him away – primarily because most of these are involuntary responses and reflexes. If he really does have romantic feelings for you, you may notice the following:
- His hand ‘accidentally’ grazing yours
- He may brush his body against yours ‘accidentally’ (even when there is enough space for you two to go past each other)
- He touches your shoulder/your upper arm while talking to you
- When you both are working together, he looks at you from the corner of his eyes
- He leans toward you when you talk
Now that you can spot the signs a man is falling in love with you, it is up to you to decide how you want this to play out. We will advise you to make this decision with some amount of pragmatism, and not based solely on emotions. Relationships in the workspace don’t just affect you emotionally, they affect your professional relationship and image in front of others as well. If the conclusion is affirmative, then you need to figure out your next move.
Do you want to ask him out or do you want to encourage him to initiate the confession? In either case, you need to talk to him. Effective communication can save you both time and energy. If you decide to get into a relationship, just come clean to the human resources department. Them finding it out from social media would be embarrassing!
FAQs
When a man has a crush on a coworker, he constantly finds excuses to strike up a conversation. Not just that, but he may pamper you with compliments throughout the day, find reasons to swing by your desk, and help you or make frequent eye contact during meetings.
Some of the signs a male coworker likes you go like this. He might go out of his way to help you, try to spend time talking about things other than work, and even try to get to know more about your love life. If you see him always finding ways to “casually” hang out with you, you’re right about the “a guy at work flirts with me” part.
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You know what, I agree with pint 4 and 5!