Office romance is certainly nothing new. Many people have stories about how they met their significant other in the workplace.
While it is true that finding love on the job isn’t uncommon, it is fraught with its own set of obstacles and peril. How can you tell if that male coworker is into you? What is the difference between being friendly and being interested? When it comes to dating in the workplace, you want to make sure that he wants to explore things romantically before you make things awkward at work. No one wants to be that person who made things unprofessional because they couldn’t read the signs correctly. The good news is that there are several ways that you might be able to distinguish flirtation from just being nice.
Is He Trying to Spend Lots of Time Alone with You?
At work, things can get quite hectic. Between meeting deadlines, working on projects, and attending meetings, it can often seem like you are always surrounded by people. In that environment, a male co-worker who is into you may try to show you he’s interested in getting into situations where the two of you can be alone.
Does he often take his lunch in the breakroom at the same time as you? Is he always the first volunteer to help you with a project or task? Working out situations where the two of you can be alone together might be a sign that he has more than a professional interest in you.
He Wants to Become Friends on Social Media
There is a joke that nothing is real until it is on social media. While that statement is often made tongue in cheek, a friend request on Facebook or Instagram from a male co-worker does send a message. It says that they at least want to get to know about your life outside of the workplace. In the end, becoming friends on social media makes it easier for him to have a conversation with you that is not work-related. Indeed, he may just want to be friends, but if you notice him liking all of your statuses and photos, it may be a sign that he wants to take your friendship to a whole new level.
The Power of Body Language
Often, our body language can give up feelings that we may not want to disclose. If a male co-worker has romantic feelings for you, they may be telling you with their body. There are many different ways that men often give up the fact that they like a woman by the way their body moves. For example, do you notice that he always has his body facing when you chat?
Does he make it a point to make eye contact with you when he is talking? By doing these things, he may be signaling that his focus is on you alone.
Biting, tugging, and licking their lips is another way that a man may show that he is attracted to you.
Does He Compliment You?
Compliments are given for many reasons. Some people know that, by complimenting someone, it will make them feel good and brighten their day. In other cases, it may also be someone trying to tell you that they have romantic feelings toward you. A male co-worker may be trying to tell you that he wants you by complimenting your clothes or the new hairstyle you have. They may be using work-appropriate ways to call attention to the fact that they like your appearance.
Coworkers Are Picking Up on Something
If coworkers are coming to you and asking what is going on between you and another employee, it may be a sign that sparks are flying. If coworkers are picking up on romantic energy between you and one of your guy co-workers, there is a pretty good chance that the two of you are putting out some pretty distinct energy toward each other.
What to Do?
If you think that a male coworker is into you, you have some questions you need to address. Do you like them back? Would you be okay with the potential challenges of dating someone at the workplace? There may also be issues with company policies regarding workplace romance. By determining whether a co-worker likes you and answering the questions above, you’ll be able to make a good decision on how you want to proceed.
