How to Ask a Coworker to Hang Out Without Being Awkward?
As adults, we spend most of our time at work in the office. Having friends at your workplace is essential, as office friendships help you boost your performance and are crucial for your mental well-being.
We spend eight hours on average at work, and having good social connections at work reduces our chances of burnout. But what if a relationship starts seeming deeper than you expected, and you feel you have more in common with this person?
So, how to ask a coworker to hang out without being awkward? You could see this person as just a friend, or it may become a workplace romance.
Let us explore some incredible ways of asking a coworker to hang out.
Amazing Ways on How to Ask A Coworker To Hang Out
Let’s quickly browse through some interesting tips.
1. Find out if the coworker is single
If you are attracted to a particular coworker and want the relationship to be more than office friendship, first, you need to figure out if they are single.
You can look for hints on social media or ask a reliable coworker to give you this information. Ensure that the person you ask for the information is trustworthy before confiding in them.
Else, you can ask the coworker about their status directly, but do it carefully and try to bring it up casually in a conversation. Finding out their relationship statuses is significant before you think of jumping into something more serious.
2. Check your company policies
Before you start working on your ‘‘asking out’’ game, ensure that your company policy allows you to date your coworkers. Some employers have a strict no-dating policy, and dating coworkers can lead to dire consequences. Some offices even discourage having close friends in office.
However, as long as your relationship does not violate company policy, it is okay to date coworkers. Make sure that your office romance doesn’t get in the way of your professional duties.
3. First, become their office friend
Start with being friends first. Greet them when they arrive at work, and have a small talk with them by the water cooler. Sit next to them and chat about work or some other non-personal stuff to get to know them better.
If your professional relationship with them is strong, you can go ahead and get on the personal level as the next step.
4. Follow them on social media
The next step to making friendships stronger is following them on social media. This way, you can build a rapport with your office crush and get to know their likes and dislikes. You can like or comment on something they posted and start a meaningful and more personal conversation with them.
5. Start with something small—such as lunch
Start slowly by asking them out for lunch. You can just casually ask them whether they want to grab a bite during lunch break and talk about work and related stuff before going into deeper conversation.
A casual lunch date is an excellent way to find out whether they are interested in you and should you be pursuing this matter further.
6. Gauge their reaction and probe their intentions
Now that you are having a more personal conversation with them try to find out if they feel the same about you. Are they also asking you personal questions? Are they also engaging in meaningful discussions and texting you regularly? Are they also commenting on your social media posts and asking you out to grab a coffee?
If the answers to these questions are ‘‘yes’’, then chances are that they might be interested in you too.
7. Wait for the right time and opportunity
If you want them to respond positively to your hang-out request, you have to ask them out at the right time. If they feel overwhelmed with work or distressed due to something at home, it may not be the right time to ask them out.
If they look comfortable and cheerful, then it could be the right time to ask them. Please ensure they are at ease, and only a few people are around overhearing your talk before you ask them out.
8. Ask them out casually
If you are too shy to ask them out for lunch or coffee directly, you can start by asking them for an event where you are going along with a few other people. You can still be with them, and it won’t look like a date.
You can ask them: “Hey! I’m going to this (event) this Saturday evening. Wanna join in?” or “Hi! I’m doing this (activity) on Friday evening. Wanna hang out?”
There will be no room for doubt in their minds, and they will respect you for your honest approach.
9. Keep in mind the power dynamic
Asking out a colleague who is a peer won’t be much of an issue, but if your office crush is your junior or senior, then it might pose a problem.
If there is an imbalanced power dynamic between you two, it may cause many issues later in your relationship with them. In some workplaces, dating a subordinate or a superior or being over-friendly is a strict no-no and can lead to a hostile working environment.
10. Give them time to reply
One of the key rules on how to ask a coworker to hang out is to give them time to respond. Many people take time before committing to anything, and putting pressure on them will only worsen things.
Be patient and wait for their reply. Sometimes, people are not comfortable engaging in office relationships or have had bad experiences in the past. It is a good idea to talk it out with them patiently and find out what they really are looking for.
11. How to ask a female coworker out
Make sure that you establish a rapport with them first and that they are comfortable with you. Spend time and effort in getting to know them better before asking them out.
Once they know you better, they are more likely to go out with you, or if their answer is no, they will let you down slowly. Be ready to take ‘‘no’’ as an answer, and don’t bother them further if they show no interest.
12. How to ask a male coworker out
If your male coworker is hesitant to ask you out and you are also interested in them, you can ask them out casually. They might feel confident about hanging out with you.
Spend time getting to know them better and be direct with them. Ensure that your intentions are clear so that it helps them navigate the situation. Be ready to take ‘‘no’’ as an answer and respect their views.
13. Be ready to deal with rejection
Tread carefully and be ready to deal with rejection. Don’t feel embarrassed, and treat the matter as professionally as possible. Know that you will see this person often, if not daily, and work with them often.
You don’t want the rejection to impact your professional life and your focus on work.
Closing Thoughts
We hope we could cater to your query of ‘‘how to ask a coworker to hang out.’’ Well, getting attracted to a coworker is very normal. When you work together, there is a shared social context, and you also face many daily challenges. So, sometimes attraction is a given.
Take care of not violating any company policies and handling rejection decently and maturely. A failed workplace relationship could have many negative implications.
It is imperative to consider all these factors before you go ahead and ask them out. Workplace relationships are challenging, but it is worth the challenge if you both are compatible and want to be together.
