15 signs he likes you but is hiding it at work

If your intuition is telling you that a male coworker likes you but is hiding it, that’s probably true. 

But, if you want to know for sure, here are 15 signs he likes you but is hiding it at work.

Let’s jump right in!

1) He spends more time with you than with any other coworker

“Many people spend more time with their colleagues than anyone else in their lives. Ensuring that you get along with your coworkers can increase your job satisfaction, productivity within the workplace, and overall happiness,” according to Indeed’s Editorial Team.

But what if one of your coworkers spends more time with you than the rest of his or her coworkers? 

That might be a sign he likes you.

However, there are exceptions, such as if his age is closer to yours than others, and if you two got hired at the same time. Or, if something else brought you closer such as working together on a project.

Even so, the feeling of familiarity plays a big role in attraction, as explained by Bryan Lufkin, a writer at BBC:

“The more a person sees something (or someone), the more they are disposed to like it. This favoring of familiarity is a psychological bias called the mere-exposure effect.”

In other words, just because he sees you every day at work, he will start to like you more and more.

Even so, this is something you can observe over time. If he likes you and he’s hiding it, he won’t be too obvious about it.

2) His body language indicates he’s attracted to you

“If you see this guy can’t take his eyes off you as he’s talking to you, it’s an obvious sign he’s interested in you. Especially if he’s doing something that requires his attention, like clearing a printer jam, or making some coffee,” says Carlos Cavallo, a dating guru.

However, there are many other body language indicators that you should observe to confirm his interest.

According to Vanessa Van Edwards, the Lead Investigator at Science of People and the bestselling author of Captivate and Cues, there are many body language signs that give a man away as follows:

• When he is talking to you and he looks into your eyes, his pupils dilate
• He makes longer eye contact with you than with other people
• He isn’t hesitant about getting physically close to you
• He might touch your shoulder when he’s talking to you
• His feet will point in your direction when he’s standing next to you
• He tends to bend towards you lightly when you two talk
• He might blush when he talks to you
• When he talks to you, his nostrils might flare

While there are many other body language signs a man could unknowingly display, the ones above are the most common. So, it should be pretty easy for you to notice them.

3) He offers his help with work-related issues

Let me ask you this:

Is he offering his help with work-related issues?

The reason I’m asking is that if he likes you, but is hiding it, then he’ll try to keep things professional. 

But, at the same time, if he likes you, he will feel a sort of impulse and need to offer his help.

How so?

According to Jenny Muscolo, a relationship writer, here are some reasons why a guy might offer to help you:

• He is expressing his affection to you: If a guy at work is starting to volunteer to help you out, and he’ll go out of his way to do it, chances are he really likes you.
• He wants something in return: If he’s offering to help you but he’s trying to get something out of it, then chances are he is not interested in you.
• It’s part of his personal values: If a male coworker genuinely cares about the people around him, then he might offer his help.
• He wants to impress you: If he’s offering to help you with your work and he wants you to think of him as a hero, then maybe he likes you.

So, if this happens to you, think about his motives – that’s how you’ll discover whether or not he likes you.

4) He always laughs when you make jokes even if they’re not funny

Remember the last time you cracked a joke at work? 

If you do, then do you remember what he did next?

Most likely he laughed. 

Now, is that a sign of interest? The ReGain editorial team seems to think so:

“Another great way that you might know someone is interested in you is by their laugh. People tend to laugh more when trying to show they are happy, positive, and interested. When you make jokes or comments, and they laugh or giggle, it could be a sign of nervousness and interest.”

In other words, even if he’s trying to hide the fact that he likes you, he might still laugh at your jokes.

He can’t help it because it’s not something that he does on purpose. It’s something that comes from within.

Laughing is actually a good sign. But, at the same time, it’s not a sure thing that he likes you. To make sure, read further to discover other signs.

5) It’s like he remembers everything you ever say

The next sign of interest a man might display is that he remembers everything you ever say.

Here’s the confirmation:

“When a guy remembers details and specifics about you and uses them as a way to talk to you, it’s clear that he likes you, even if he doesn’t want others to know.”

To be more precise, when a male coworker remembers your birthday, the place you went on vacation with your family, or something else that’s personal and specific, it’s a sure sign he likes you.

However, he won’t be obvious about it. Instead, he’ll try to hide it.

He’ll be subtle, and that’s why you cannot ignore this sign of interest. If you do, then you might miss an opportunity to date him.

But would it be wise to date a coworker? 

Paul R. Brian, journalist, author, and writer, and Renée Shen, author and editor share their advice:

“Be careful and smart if you’re thinking about having a romantic relationship with someone at work. Be aware that your employer might view a relationship with a coworker as disrespectful or even a firing offense in some cases if it goes against regulations.”

So, if he remembers a lot about you, take it as a sign that he likes you.

6) He is your number one fan on social media

Want to know if he likes you but is hiding it at work?

Then, observe how he acts on social media.

This sign is pretty straightforward as follows:

One of the ways that a guy shows interest in a girl is by checking out her social media profiles. 

If he’s commenting on all of your posts or liking all of your pictures, this can be an indicator that he’s interested in you.

Even if he’s not really your number one fan, he reacts to what you post on a constant basis. He’s trying to send you some sort of sign.

But, if he’s also trying to hide the fact that he likes you, he might react selectively to your posts and pictures.

However, it’s not a sure thing. Because there are other reasons he could be doing this. Maybe he likes your posts and wishes to encourage you, or maybe he’s just being nice.

But if there are other signs that I mentioned in this article, then those will confirm his interest.

7) He starts to wear perfume and looks better every day

Does he like you, but is hiding it at work?

Well, he’s not really hiding it if you notice that he started grooming himself, picking up better clothes, and wearing perfume.

“Men impress the women that they like by adjusting their posture. No one wants a slouched guy, you know. They also fix their hair. And since he wants to get closer to you, he dabs the best-smelling cologne on him. They also make sure that they look good in their clothes,” says the Art of Mastery.

So, to find out the truth, see if he fixes his hair, adjusts his posture, and picks up some nice clothes.

If he does, then there is a good chance that he likes you – even if he’s not expressing it verbally.

However, if since you met him, he’s always looked good and smelled good, you can’t count this as a sign.

Instead, if you notice any of his habits changing, it’s a sign that he likes you. If a guy’s habits change in the first couple of weeks of knowing you, there is a definite chance that he likes you.

8) He takes your side in front of the boss and other colleagues

This one is a little tricky, but if you give it some thought, you might figure it out.

When a male coworker takes your side in front of the boss and other colleagues, he is showing that you are important to him. 

A guy will usually not make a scene for just any girl. He will, however, do so for the one he considers important to him.

But, also take note that he might not defend you if he doesn’t agree with you. 

Even if he doesn’t agree with you, there’s still a chance that he likes you. He might be trying to play the peacemaker between other people and yourself.

So, pay attention to any signs of him defending you or standing up for your opinion. You’ll be surprised how often this can happen at work.

9) He always picks you as part of his team to work on projects

Another sign he likes you at work but is hiding it is when he finds ways to spend more time with you, such as on a project.

If he always picks you as part of his team, then you can be sure that he likes you. 

Of course, he could have other reasons to want you on his team like if you’re really good at your job. But, if he always chooses you, then there is a good chance that he likes you – even if he’s not saying it.

Maybe he’s trying to spend more time with you to see if he really likes you or he’s simply attracted to you.  He might want to know if he can really get you and keep you.

Well, if he’s always finding ways to spend more time with you and can’t get enough of you in the office, it shows that you sparked his interest.

10) He is curious about you and he is asking you questions

John Keegan, a dating coach, explains why being asked questions is a sign someone likes you:

“When a guy is into you, he’ll want to learn about your life. Take note if he asks you many personal questions about anything and everything, including your likes, dislikes, and background. It means he’s trying to get to know you better – down to the tiniest details.”

In other words, if he’s trying to dig deeper and learn more about you, chances are he really likes you.

So, give this sign some thought. If he’s always asking you questions, then he might be trying to figure out if he really likes you.

And remember that there’s always a possibility that he’s just curious about you because of your good qualities such as your work ethic and kindness.

If his questions are more professional than personal, then he might just be curious about you because of what you do and how you can help him to succeed.

However, if he’s trying to find out if your attitudes and values match his, then it might mean he likes you but is hiding it at work.

11) He tries to find out if you’re single without asking you

Does he like you, but is hiding it at work?

Maybe he likes you but is afraid to express his feelings.

Or maybe he’s just curious but doesn’t want to come across as too forward and rude.

Either way, he needs to know whether you’re single or not. And to find out, he doesn’t ask you directly.

Instead, he may try to obtain this information by asking other colleagues. Of course, if he’s hiding his attraction for you, he’ll be subtle about it. He may ask everyone about their relationship status just to find out what yours is.

Or, he might say something like, “Oh, single life… it gets lonely sometimes”, just to see how you’d react. If you were single, you’d reply with something like, “Oh yes… one can get really lonely sometimes…”

Or, if the opposite was true, you’d say something like, “I wouldn’t know. I am involved in a long-term relationship.”

So, pay attention to any signs in the office that he’s trying to find out about your relationship status.

12) Other coworkers talk to you about this guy’s interest in you

Does he like you but is hiding it at work? 

If your colleagues talk about him being interested in you, then chances are good he likes you.

When a guy is into a girl at work, it’s common for his colleagues to notice – even if he’s trying to hide it. And if they do, they’ll either talk about it with you or him.

So, pay attention to any signs that other people in the office are gossiping about him and you. And if you hear that he likes you, then there is a good chance that it’s true.

13) He finds excuses to walk you to your car or home

According to relationship expert Carlos Cavallo, “another good sign is when he shows up wherever you are on a regular schedule to talk. For instance, every day after lunch, or first thing in the morning.”

Or, maybe he shows up at the end of your schedule to walk you to your car or even home. In other words, he finds ways to be near you and talks to you in person. He could be doing this to spend more time with you and because he wants to learn more about you.

If he’s doing this, then you wind up with a direct, face-to-face conversation with him.

So, pay attention to any signs of him spending more time with you or wanting to talk to you more often. They could reveal his real feelings for you.

14) He smiles when he sees you at work

Is smiling when we see someone a sign of attraction?

According to the Women’s Health Mag, “genuine smiles communicate the desire to be close; lip movements convey passion.”

Let me explain:

When a guy likes you and has feelings for you, he will genuinely smile when he sees you. However, if he’s sexually attracted to you, he’ll mainly lick his lips or bite them when he interacts with you.

So, think about it:

When he sees you at work, does he smile at you? Or does he often lick his lips or bite them when he speaks to you?

With this in mind, it’s much easier to tell if a guy at work likes you – even if he’s trying to hide it.

15) He uses social situations to put himself in a good light

The last sign of his attraction to you at work is that he uses social situations to appear in a good light to you.

In other words, he might make an effort to come across as witty, charming, and/or funny when he talks to others and you hear him. He might even use these tactics in the office.

So, pay attention to any signs that he’s making an effort to come across as a good person. If he is, it could be because he’s interested in you and trying to show you what a good person he is.

He chooses this indirect way of showing his interest in you because he doesn’t want to come across as too forward.

Summary

When a male coworker likes you, it can be hard to tell – especially if he’s trying to hide it. The signs of his attraction are subtle and not always easy to spot.

However, there are a few common signs that indicate he likes you but isn’t sure how or if to show it.

So, pay attention if he…

… regularly asks questions about your life or hobbies.

… tries to find out if you’re single.

… uses social situations to appear in a good light.

… comes to you frequently and walks you to your car or home.

If he does any of these things, then it’s possible he’s trying his best to come across as a good person and a nice guy because he likes you but is hiding it at work – for now.