How to Know a Coworker Likes you

The workplace is one of the most common places where people form romantic relationships. When men and women are thrown together for around eight hours every day, it is inevitable that bonds other than strictly professional develop. So it may be possible that you have a secret admirer at your workplace or are desperate to know whether the co-worker you have a crush on feels the same way about you - if so, here are a few ways to know if a coworker likes you.

Eye contact but in a different way

While it is normal for a person to make eye contact with a person you are speaking to – and as coworkers you will be doing this a lot – someone who likes you will definitely look at you in a different way. He/she may look at you more than usual and hold your gaze longer than normal. Sometimes you may feel his/her eyes on you from afar but he/she may dart their eyes the other way when you catch them looking at you - this could mean that the person secretly likes you but is gathering up courage before making the first move.

A ready smile

If the eye contact is accompanied by a natural and ready smile, it is a definite sign that the person at your workplace finds you attractive and likes you. No matter how bad things are at the office, it is likely that he/she will always have a smile for you. It is easy to spot a natural and sincere smile which is neither too strained nor too effusive and most importantly reaches up to the eyes.

Finding reasons to be near you

If a coworker is constantly at your desk and seeking you out discreetly, it's a guarantee that the person likes you. He/she may be going to the water station or to the office copier all too often if your desk or cubicle is on the way. Or he/she may regularly come over – supposedly to clarify details about a project even though you may have discussed it thoroughly earlier. Finding any reason to have contact with you is an obvious sign of affection or admiration.

Little gestures that convey thoughtfulness

A coworker with a secret crush on you may not bring you flowers on a Monday or chocolates on Valentines’ Day but he/she will make use of other gestures to indicate that you are special to him or her. These could range from bringing you coffee just the way you like it to making sure all your messages are hand delivered. These little signs convey thoughtfulness and could very well indicate that he/she likes you deeply.

Does he/she behave differently with others?

The answer to this question is usually a foolproof indicator how a coworker feels about you. If he/she has an inherently pleasing personality, then he/she will be friendly to everybody else at the workplace. On the other hand if he/she prefers to be by him/herself but seeks out your company, then it could mean a secret crush on you. Even in case of social people, their behavior will depend on how much they care about an object of interest. For instance a coworker may be louder and more socially aggressive with other office personnel but tone down the behavior when you're near. This change could signify that he/she likes you since softer voices are signs of intimacy.

Spending more time at the office

Observe the schedule that this person keeps. If he/she arrives early and leaves late or matches his/her overtime with yours, even though he/she may not be required to stay back, it is possible that he/she wishes to be near you. He/she could be looking for ways to convey their emotions in gestures or else merely trying to snatch a few moments alone with you before others come in and it is no longer possible to treat you differently.

Decode the body language

Even when a coworker’s overt behavior towards may not significantly differ from that towards the others, certain aspects of his/her body language could act as clues to what he/she feels about you. For instance if you find him aiming his upper body at you and leaning slightly forward, it could be a sign of favor since a man’s upper body is the site of all his active energy and its direction signals what holds his interest. A female coworker on the other hand may toss her hair while speaking to you, twirl a few strands with her fingers or runs them seductively through her hair a couple of times – all these are akin to a blazing neon sign which says, “Look at me”. A more discrete woman though may use a more subtle variation on this hint like playing with her earring or softly stroking her earlobe which is also a way of pulling your attention to herself.

Verbal hints

When you speak to this person, does he or she listen casually to you or does he/ she seem to be hinging on your words, agreeing with your ideas. If it is the latter, it's a sure bet they have deeper feelings than co-worker simply conversing. During a conversation with this coworker you can look for other cues which will let you know if he/she is merely being polite or likes you on a deeper level. Usually he/she will laugh at your jokes, a pleasant easy laugh, even if they are not particularly hilarious or well-narrated. Also he/she may ask you open-ended questions like, “What did you think of the new Batman movie?” Or the co-worker may even ask your help like, “Do you know a restaurant around here that makes good ol’ Southern food?” This is a particularly interesting one with double implications since it not only invites your opinion but even allows you an opportunity to go out with him/her. These are all ways of sending the signal across that he/she thinks of you as more than a colleague.