Is your male co-worker flirting or just being friendly? 15 ways to tell for sure

Flirtation is much harder to detect in the workplace where you’re expected to act professional but also nice.

This gets trickier when they’re your boss or you’re their boss because you’ll both tiptoe around each other and try with all your might to suppress your feelings.

But enough is enough. You simply have to know if he likes you, too!

Here are 15 subtle but clear signs a guy at work likes you and is not just being Mr. Nice Guy.

1) He seems to “light up” when you’re around

When you enter the room, it seems like his mood improves by 1000%.

It’s like he’s bored all the time you’re not around but now that you’re finally with him, he knows it’s going to be a lovely day!

You know what they say that you should be with someone who gets excited to see you like you’re a dish from their favorite restaurant? That it’s as if life is injected into them when they see you?

He feels this way and his excitement shows.

His energy level increases, he gets funnier, his whole being just lights up. He will try to hide how excited he is to see you but he really can’t.

If only you could go check his heartbeat, I’m sure it’s three times faster when you’re around.

When his aura changes when you’re around, it’s a psychic sign that he likes you even if he hasn’t told you yet.

If someone’s just being nice, the level of excitement just isn’t the same.

Or okay, they might get a little excited sometimes too, like when we see certain people we like to hang out with, but it’s not as constant and there’s no trace of lovey feelings.

They’d be excited to see you because they have something to tell you or ask you but not because they just want to be with you.

2) He doesn’t mind working late (but only when you’re around)

So you know he lights up when you’re around but it gets to another level when he seems to be having fun even if work sucks.

Overtime? He doesn’t mind. He’s actually happy!

Strange guy.

But that’s because he sees this as a chance to be with you. He can’t ask you out (yet) but hey, you’re hanging out even if it’s work. Plus, he’s getting paid for it? No wonder the guy is happy!

This is all the more obvious if he’s naturally a grumpy person who complains a lot about work but then he seems all fine and dandy to be with you.

If someone’s just being nice, he’d want to rush home even if he finds your company enjoyable. He’d grumble a lot. He’d want to rush things and he’d be very unenthusiastic.

In other words, he’d act as any normal person would.

3) He stares at you like you’re one hot, forbidden fruit

You know the look of love oh too well because you’ve also done it many times yourself or you’ve seen it in the movies.

You know that kind of stare that says “I want you so bad!”

Or that stare that’s coupled with a smile or laugh that says “You’re the cutest girl in the world to me!”

I don’t have to describe this kind of stare because you know it. It’s the kind of stare that makes us melt. It’s the look of love. And you often catch him doing this to you often!

If someone’s just being nice, you won’t get goosebumps from his stare. His stares would just be so wholesome that it’s more like a fist bump than a warm embrace.

4) He always has an excuse to interact with you

He lost his pen. For the 5th time this month.

Last week, it was his stapler.

He keeps going to your cubicle to ask for something and it’s a little annoying.

If he’s into you, he’ll only use that as an excuse to spend a little more time with you. He might even try to “pay you back” by giving you coffee or buying you a much nicer pen.

Bonus points if you know that he’s not really a forgetful person as he pretends to be.

If someone’s just being nice, he’d treat you like a bro. He’d get what he needed, say thanks (or sorry), and leave. He’d feel like a brother and both of you know it.

But if you’re still unsure about if he’s just being nice or if he’s flirting, have you considered getting a real and genuine psychic reading to find out for sure?

I know how important it is to stay away from fake ones.

That’s why I recommend Psychic Source. They provided me a unique insight into where my life should go, including who I was meant to be with.

Having tried several online psychics, I think they’re the most caring, compassionate and knowledgeable psychic network out there. Not only will a genuine psychic tell you where things stand with your co-worker, but they can reveal all your love possibilities.

Click here to get your own psychic reading.

5) He gets nervous when it’s just the two of you

You see his excitement when you’re near but when it’s just the two of you, he’s like a cat that’s seen a giant dog.

He freezes!

He suddenly doesn’t know what to say and he gets clumsy and awkward. If he can hide, he would!

You want to pat his back to calm him down but you know it will just make him even more nervous.

If someone’s just being nice, being alone with you would not make any difference. He might even watch Tiktoks on his phone while waiting for others. He doesn’t see it as an intimate moment at all!

6) He always wants to have you on his team

You know you’re great and people want to work with you but you know you’re not as great as he says you are.

He seems to be praising you like you’ve invented the cure for cancer!

That’s probably because you’re really great (in his eyes) and even if he doesn’t want to make his move soon, your presence inspired him to perform well.

You can tell by the level of interest he has to have you on his team, like it’s his way to have you in his life.

If someone’s just being nice, he won’t really care so much if you’re on the same team even if you’re brilliant. Guys are pretty basic. Work is work. Even if it’s an exciting project, you’re not really that unique to them. The same way you’re chill with who will be in your team.

7) He finds a way that you eat lunch together

It’s lunchtime and you know you’ll see him again.

You know he’ll sit near you or even sit with you if you’re alone.

Eating a meal together is an intimate moment and guys want it even if you don’t say a lot or there are many awkward minutes of silence. For them, eating food with you is cute and even a little sexy.

It’s also one of the few times when you don’t have to treat each other as colleagues.

You can feel the tension if it’s there. You can slice it with a knife. His attention will be all on you even if there are many other girls around.

If someone’s just being nice, there’ll be no tension at all. Zero! He might even check out the girl on the other table and give her a wink.

8) He asks questions that are a little too personal

A guy who’s interested in you would like to know everything about you. His questions would be more meaningful than usual and a little too personal.

He’d like to know how you see the world.

He’d like to know about your childhood, your first heartbreak, the things you’re passionate about.

His questions would get deeper and deeper and he’ll remember everything you tell him.

If someone’s just being nice, even if he’s the most curious person in the world, he’d like to know but he won’t be DYING to know everything about you. You’re cool to him but not that special! And he won’t remember a lot of what you tell him.

9) He does favors just for you

You forgot something?

He will get it for you (so you can focus on your project, of course!)

You needed a ride on your way to your company event?

He’s the first one to volunteer!

If a man is in love, he wants to be your hero. In fact, you can make him fall in love with you by triggering his hero instinct!

Sure, he could just be a nice person with a heart of gold but if he does these favors to you often, maybe your suspicion that he’s into you is totally true.

If someone’s just being nice, even if he’d be willing to give you favors, he won’t be as excited and it won’t happen too often. He doesn’t want you to think he likes you, after all.

10) He shares his “love interest” and asks you for dating tips

This is a classic.

Some guys just want to “disclose” that they’re in love with someone else so you won’t be scared of hanging out with them. But that’s their way to get closer to you!

In fact, they might even tell you this to gauge your reaction. If you’re a little too transparent and would show a bit of jealousy, then they’d have the confidence to go a step closer.

But how can you tell if he really just means it and he isn’t trying to make you jealous?

You can just feel it! You can sense how crazy he truly is for this girl by his facial expression and body gesture. He can’t fake it for a long time unless he’s a psychopath.

If someone’s just being nice, that means he’s not faking it. He’d actually want to know your tips and give you updates on how it went. You can tell when a man is in love and this man is clearly in love, but not with you.

11) He tries to have things in common with you (and try to make it “your thing”)

Kindred spirits fall in love faster.

You mention that you like The Smiths?

He’d say “No kidding. I LOVE them!” and look at you as if you’re meant to be together!

Just because you share the love for the same band. He sometimes plays it at the office when you’re a little stressed.

He hates ketchup on fries and you say that you hate it too?

He’d bring fries the next day to work and when your colleagues ask for ketchup, he looks at you and smiles.

If someone’s just being nice, he’d probably still get thrilled when you both like or hate the same things but he would not make any effort to remind you a lot of your bond.

In the example above, he’d update you if The Smiths has a new album but he will definitely not play it when you’re feeling blue, or else you’d suspect that he likes you and ewww, he doesn’t want that. You’re just friends!

12) If he has a wife or girlfriend, he won’t mention her a lot

If he’s into you, he will act single.

I know, I know. But this applies to women, too.

The fact that he has a wife or girlfriend becomes an obstacle to your “love story.”

He will check his phone but then turn it off.

He will avoid talks about relationships.

He wants to buy time until he’s sure you also have feelings for him.

Or maybe he’s also trying to convince himself that he just sees you as a friend.

Unless you push him in a corner, he will try to delay or cover the fact that he’s not single.

However, as you become a little closer, he’ll drop hints that someone is waiting for him at home. And if you already know that he has a girlfriend or wife? He won’t talk about them a lot even if you ask him.

If someone’s just being nice, he won’t talk about his relationship because he knows it bores people. It’s none of their business. But if you ask him, he’d be glad to share about his personal life. There’s no sign of hesitation whatsoever.

13) He remembers a lot of details about you

Aside from the things you have in common, he will remember almost everything you tell him—from the name of your first pet to the first country you visited.

The memory of a man in love is so powerful. It’s like he has a video camera of all of your interactions and they’re forever stored in his mind.

You’ll be surprised that he’d give you chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla because you mentioned once, months ago, that your favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate.

If someone’s just being nice, even if he’s got a good memory, he will miss a lot of details that you tell him that’s because sure he cares, but he doesn’t really care that much! You know this because that’s what you do to someone you’re not interested in romantically.

14) He finds a way to touch you

When he hands you something, his fingers touch you ever so slightly that you’re not even sure if they truly happened or it’s just your imagination playing tricks on you.

When you do something good at work, he’d pat your back and even let his hand linger a second longer.

His reason to touch would all be appropriate but you can tell he’s making the most out of this opportunity.

If he doesn’t do this to anyone else, then a-ha! He might just like you and is already flirting with you.

If someone’s just being nice, and if he’s a touchy person, he’d do this to everyone. If he’s a regular joe and just sees you as a friend, he would even feel creeped out when you touch each other. Most guys nowadays prefer not to get too touchy, especially if you’re colleagues, or else they’d be in a #metoo scandal.

15. If it’s been a while, you’ll notice him getting more and more frustrated

If you sense that your male colleague likes you and it’s been months or years (poor guy!), you’d notice him getting more and more frustrated that he can’t express his feelings for you.

You will hear him sigh more often.

You will notice him trying to control himself.

Even your other colleagues know that he likes you!

All of his being screams he likes you except that those words don’t come out of his mouth and it’s already driving him crazy.

If we have romantic feelings for someone, somehow we want to work on it. We want to have a certain goal.

Even if it’s just a kiss. Even if it’s just to tell them we like them.

We need this release. We want to know they like us, too! Thus, the frustration.

If someone’s just being nice, this is totally absent. If you assume he likes you but he doesn’t get frustrated after months of being close, he probably likes you but just as a friend.

If your male coworker does many of the things mentioned in this list, it’s very likely that he’s head over heels in love with you.

If you like him too, go give it a shot. Flirt back!

When the time is right that you can express your feelings, don’t be too scared. If the love is right, you’ll find a way to do things right, even if you’re colleagues.