Does My Coworker Like Me?

Appreciate you a lot

Obviously there’s nothing wrong in passing a compliment to a coworker every once in a while. But if you guys aren’t even friends (just work acquaintances) and he makes it a point to compliment you, then be alert. Especially if he gives you superficial compliments like, "Looking good today." It indicates he’s interested in you physically. But compliments like "Loved how you answered the questions at the conference yesterday. Keep it up." show you that his attraction towards you is deeper and he may genuinely like you.

Find reasons to be near you

Being near you is alright, but if you feel like he’s constantly invading your privacy by standing too close or getting to physical with you, shut him down. However, if he stands near you while maintaining a respectful distance, that’s his body’s way of subtly hinting you that he likes you.

Interact more with you than other coworkers

Nothing wrong in it obviously. Lots of people form social circles within their offices and stick by people they feel most comfortable with. But if he is interested in knowing and seeing more of you, he will go out of his way to find different ways to be near you as well as communicate with you. Especially in a group setting. So if you get to see him frequently in the office cafeteria, more often than your other co-workers, then you know the answer to the question, "Does my coworker like me?"

Laugh at your jokes

He’s the one who’ll laugh out the hardest at the stupidest of things you say. So if you wonder about his feelings, test him. Tell him a lame joke and then see how he reacts.

Pay attention to what you say

And you know this for a fact because he’s able to recollect even the most insignificant things that you tell people. This is especially so if he goes out of his way to make you feel special, like gifting you that cute red umbrella on your birthday, the one that you casually mentioned was “the cutest things ever”.

Make eye contact

That’s a dead giveaway, but only if he’s a confident guy. Long gazes are normal from someone who likes you, most probably because he’s unable to express his feelings in words to you. Sometimes, these gazes happen when you have your back to them, so if you want to catch him in the act, you have to be careful.

He’s nervous around you

If the coworker isn’t a confident person, then prolonged eye contact will not be possible. Instead, he might try to avoid eye contact from you because he may fear you might be able to “see through his feelings” if you look at his eyes. His affections for you become more pronounced if he’s nervous, but only around you. Sweating, fumbling or stuttering – these are all signs that answer your question, "Does my coworker like me?"

Communication is on point

If you people do communicate via texts, he always responds to your messages. You will never see him online but ignore your messages. His replies are usually quick, and when he cannot respond, he will always apologise and give a genuine excuse for not replying to your message.

He always arrives before you

And leaves after you. Think about it. How many times have you seen him arrive after you or leave the office before you? Not many, I bet. That’s because he wants to spend as much time as he can in your vicinity, even if it means not talking to you. Your presence in the office is more than enough to make him feel happy. Also keep an eye out if he matches his overtime with yours. He’d want to get some time alone with you.

Call for you time and again

Now this can be for the smallest of things, like "Hey, what was it the boss told us about the quarterly increment in profits?" You might brush them off as forgetfulness, but no. He’s trying his best to have as much communication and contact with you without sounding like a creep.

Change in tone or behavior

If you’re wondering "Does my coworker like me?" then observe his behavior. Subconscious reactions are not completely in one's control, which can indicate one's real thoughts and emotions. Observe how he talks to everybody else in the office. How close does he stand to them? Does he smile or is he always stern? Does he sit down or stand when he speaks to those people?

Now go ahead and compare that information with how he interacts with you? Is he always happy/smiling when talking to you? Does he offer you a seat while he himself stands when talking to you? Such tiny details can easily give away.