Office romances can be tricky. If you are sensing something unusual, knowing the signs that a male coworker likes you can clarify. When someone has some feelings for you, they usually leave subtle clues for you to notice. But if that someone is a male colleague, it might add to the complexity in the office premises. For example, both of you are required to maintain a professional relationship and refrain from flirting or courting each other. However, if you are unsure of his true intentions and want to know more, reading our post can give you some cues to watch for.
25 Signs A Male Coworker Likes You
Instead of lending ears to the office gossip, figure out if your male coworker likes you by looking out for the signs.
1. He flirts with you
It is especially relevant because flirting is something that people avoid at a workplace to bypass unprofessional behavior. So if a male colleague is willing to risk and flirt with you, it means he likes you enough to not worry about the consequences. That being said, any workplace interactions must be appropriate and professional under all circumstances, even if they are expressing a romantic interest in you.
2. His tone changes around you
One of the most common subconscious giveaways that a person likes you is a change in their tone whenever they are around you. For example, you may see a male colleague extremely work-oriented and strict while talking to someone else, but he immediately changes his tone to something more genial and approachable when he interacts with you.
3. He shuffles his schedule to spend time with you
When someone likes you, they will often move their calendar around to make time to spend with you. When this person is a coworker, you can expect them to schedule their work to be with you. If your male coworker moves a meeting or call or even lunch to talk to you or spend more time with you, the odds are high that he likes you.
4. His body language gives it away
Several body language cues indicate a person’s feelings. For example, if their feet point towards you, there’s a good chance they have feelings for you. If they point towards a door, they probably want to make a quick exit. Body language is an important sign because it changes subconsciously, so even if your colleague is trying to hide his feelings for you, it will show in his body language.
5. He often sneaks glances at you
It is a no-brainer that when someone is attracted to or fond of, they keep looking at you. While this could occur casually between friends and not mean much, it takes on a whole different meaning with a coworker. If you catch him sneaking glances at you or looking at you even when you’re not speaking to him, he probably likes you. Depending on your workplace dynamic, he may try to avoid giving himself away by staring at you. So he will likely only glance when he’s confident that no one notices, which makes it all the more obvious.
6. He often needs your help with his work
It is prevalent for colleagues to ask for each other’s help or advice with their work. But if you find that he’s asking for help often or with simple things, it could mean that he wants to be around you more or make you feel important. It’s a common but effective way to spend time with you while still being in a professional setting. That way, if he knows that you don’t reciprocate the same feelings, he can always play it off as a work-related favor.
7. He’s your biggest cheerleader
When people have feelings for each other, it’s natural that they want them to be happy, healthy, and successful. In a workplace context, however, it has to take on a different form. A male coworker who likes you will cheer you in a professional sense. It could be anything from an excellent presentation to a project you led successfully. Over time he may even transition to encouraging and complimenting your personal milestones outside work like fitness or health. If a colleague goes out of his way to praise you often at a workplace, he has feelings for you. By framing it in a workplace context, he gets a chance to show his admiration for your qualities without openly admitting his feelings.
8. He’s there for you on a bad day
It’s completely normal to want our loved ones to feel happy and safe, and it can take a toll on us when they are upset or sad about something. If your male colleague is there for you on every bad day at work or after tough interactions with your boss, there’s a good chance he has feelings for you and wants to show he cares.
9. He’s invested in your love life
Trying to find out about your current love life and relationship status is logical if someone likes you. So if a male colleague is interested in your love life and asks if you’re dating someone or what your relationship is like, he likely has feelings for you. He may even try to learn from your other romantic interactions so he can position himself as an ideal candidate in the future.
10. He makes eye contact whenever you’re together
While making eye contact is considered common courtesy and good body language, it’s surprising how many people don’t follow it at times. Especially at a workplace with multiple distractions like printouts, computer monitors, and phones to distract you, it can be difficult to maintain contact with someone as they’re talking to you. If you find that a male coworker is making eye contact through all these distractions throughout and does it often, it’s a strong indicator that he is captivated by you.
11. He notices even tiny changes in your appearance
Plenty of people do this if they’re close enough to you. For example, family or your best friends notice changes in your appearance. But traditionally, it’s not common to see small changes in a coworker’s appearance and much less so between genders. If a male colleague notices a new outfit or something as subtle as new earrings or a phone case, then he spends a lot of time looking at you and seeing small things about you. It shows he’s attracted to you.
12. He follows you on social media
It may sound innocuous and relatively typical, but it is the common thing someone who likes you will do in the age of social media. If he likes or comments on many posts and engages a lot with your content online, it means he wants you to know he is paying attention to your social media. He may even bring up a concert or hangout you posted about the next day at work to talk about.
13. He starts to groom himself
If a male colleague suddenly starts taking care of his appearance a lot more, then he’s trying to catch someone’s eye. If there are other indicators that he is interested in you romantically, that someone is likely you. Common examples include a new hairstyle, colorful shirts, or he may try to improve his fitness or skincare regime to get your attention.
14. He often creates situations where you are alone together
Do you find yourself and the male colleague in a meeting without others? Or does he ask if you want to attend a seminar with him? Or he may need help with something after most people have left the office. These might indicate that he is engineering situations to spend time alone with you.
15. He tries to make you laugh
Humor brings people together, whether friends, family, or even a passing encounter with a stranger. When it comes to romance, however, humor helps to woo the person you like. For example, if a colleague is constantly trying to keep you in good spirits and is investing in trying to make you laugh, he probably has feelings for you beyond the workplace. Over time, you may even have inside jokes shared only between you two. It helps you to have a unique bond with a person that no one or few others share in the office.
16. He compliments you often
A compliment can mean several things—a courtesy, an icebreaker, or a change in pace in the conversation. When you receive frequent compliments from a male coworker, it means that he’s openly expressing his admiration for you and probably wants you to know he’s interested in a relationship on some level. Try to notice how often and what compliments he gives you. If he goes beyond workplace-related things and talks about your appearance and personality, it means he’s interested in you.
17. He tries to sit near you whenever possible
Whether it is a company seminar, a training session, or just a team lunch, your male colleague will try to to grab a chair next to you. It could be a habit, or he is polite, but if it’s frequently happening and with the same person, it’s an indicator that he likes you and wants to spend time with you in any way possible. Next time, try sitting a bit further away and see if he responds by moving closer to you.
18. He often acts awkward around you
No matter how cool he seems, the genuine emotions will come out at some point. He could seem awkward when you’re together, or when you ask him for a ride home from work, or in any situation he is not mentally prepared for. If you see that he gets a bit fiddly around you, he might be having difficulty expressing how he feels about you.
19. He tries to connect outside of work
Coworkers socializing outside of work is common and even encouraged by some work cultures, as teams that bond on an interpersonal level will work better together. When a male coworker frequently tries to spend time outside the workplace and only with you, it’s a good sign that he has feelings for you. It could be offering to pick and drop or asking for drinks after work.
20. He tries working directly with you
If he asks to be transferred to your team or work on a project with you, it shows that being with or around you is a priority. Even something as simple as moving his workstation closer to yours or something drastic as requesting a change in team, role, or division reflects his liking towards you.
21. He initiates physical contact often
As long as it is appropriate and not unprofessional, physical contact between coworkers is not immoral or wrong. But if the male colleague gives you hugs, high fives, or even a friendly pat on the back repeatedly when you do a good job, there could be more to it than you think. Check out if this is a habit with everyone or just you. If he only does this with you, then you can safely conclude he likes you.
22. He asks about your personal life
It’s natural to see people as more than coworkers and to bond with them on a personal level. But if he goes to great lengths to get to know you well, it may be because he genuinely is interested in getting closer to you, indicating a romantic interest. If he cares about your interests, your family, your hopes and dreams, and what you’re worried about, then it means he sees you as much more than a coworker.
23. He tries to be the perfect guy for you
You may have mentioned what you like or dislike about men in a romantic context at some point in your interactions. Things you find attractive, turn-offs, and cheesy things you dislike are all essential information for him. If he is trying to be more like your ideal guy, he’s paying attention and is interested in you.
24. He shows signs of jealousy
No matter how secretive a coworker might be about their feelings, at some point, they might give away their true intent. If he feels like someone else is interested in you or that you are interested in someone else, you might likely see him reacting differently. He may try to get closer to you and be at his best constantly to “compete” with the other person, or he may try to create distance between you and his supposed competitor. If he is hurt and jealous, he may occasionally lash out at you with a sarcastic comment about the other person.
25. Coworkers treat you both differently
Often, we end up being the last people to realize that someone else likes us romantically. What we may realize after endless clues may end up being something the entire office has known or noticed for weeks. If you see that your coworkers treat you differently when he’s around, or they try to give you both space or tease you now and then, it shows that they’ve realized something that you haven’t yet. Some relationships start at the workplace. It is legal and appropriate to have a workplace relationship as long as it is not unprofessional or unethical. That being said, it is likely that you may have male admirers at your workplace as you spend most of your week there and are usually at your best. If you notice these signs in a male colleague, you will be able to gauge his level of interest and then take action on it based on your feelings towards him.
