What does this mean?

15 Comments

1. LauraAugust 29,2025 at 2:10PM UTC

   I think the question should be, what defines "difficult"?

   Are the tasks hard, the people, deadlines, etc.

   That is very open ended and I would definitely get clarification.

2. AnonymousAugust 29,2025 at 2:25PM UTC

   I'm apparently one that thrives on chaos and crazy so I'd be the person to continue in that process. I've been in my currently role for almost 3.5 years now. When interviewing, everyone was up front and honest that it was crazy town there - a lot of change, a lot of unknowns, instability, etc. I took the job because I was going on 4 months of unemployment and also because they were indeed honest with me. I questioned that decision several times in my first few months but at the end of the day, I realized that this is the kind of environment I thrive in. But it's not for everyone. If that's not you, you'll likely crash and burn early.

3. Barb HansenAugust 29,2025 at 2:47PM UTC

   Someone else’s “difficult job” isn’t automatically a difficult job for you.

   The last person in that role may have struggled for reasons that don’t apply to you. Maybe you bring more experience, stronger organization, or the ability to thrive in environments that others find chaotic.

   In your final-round interviews, try to dig deeper so you can decide for yourself:

   What was the experience level of the person who left?

   Has this role always been considered difficult, or did something change recently (processes, leadership, corporate strategy)?

   What support or resources are in place to help this role succeed?

   These kinds of questions can help you separate “hard job because the company is a mess” from “hard job but a great fit for my skills.”

   Since you need to work, keep your options open—but don’t let someone else’s experience define whether you can succeed. If the answers you get raise too many red flags, you’ll know. And if the challenges sound like things you’re equipped to handle, the role could actually be a great opportunity to stand out.

4. AnonymousAugust 29,2025 at 2:51PM UTC

   Ask how performance is evaluated. Be sure there’s alignment between role definition/job description, performance expectations and KPI’s deliverables.

5. AnonymousAugust 29,2025 at 3:37PM UTC

   This is an opportunity for you. They are giving you permission to know the truth. If it were me I would ask tough questions. Prepare them in writing and go through them meticulously. Ask what specific things caused the person to quit. Ask how in 30-60-90 and beyond they will measure the persons success in the role. Ask them why you should take on a role that 2 other people quit. Ask them to describe for you who the right person WOULD be and what about you makes them want to consider you for that. Listen for what they say.

   Let them know you are up for a challenge but also that you need to be supported in these areas (list them) let them know how you take direction, and also feedback. Let them know how you ask for help when you need it and find out from the direct manager how they like to manage. Take notes while speaking on all of this. Let them know you don't take making a career decision lightly and that is why you also are sharing truths and asking the tough questions. You want to know what you are getting into. When you get home think hard about the details they shared. If all things line up and you need a job, then you can decide with real information if you want to take on the role.

   I have a ton of respect for companies that are transparent about these things because hard work and challenging situations are not for everyone. Walk in confidence into the new role at either place if you get what you need in those conversations.

6. OLIVIA JOHNSONAugust 29,2025 at 3:45PM UTC

   Hi there,

   First congrats on having 2 different opportunities on the horizon for you. I always say make decisions with offers, so do as you are and continue on with the process until you have offers in hand. Then the pros and cons comparisons begin.

   I am a strong believer in what works or happens for others does not mean that it will be the same for me. Several times I had people share with me that an organization or leader will not do something, meanwhile I knew they had already done it for me and mums the word!

   In your upcoming interviews I would completely disregard the prior commentary and continue to evaluate the role for yourself. Don't get me wrong, these are great potential flags to note and we appreciate the transparency but they should not to be a factor in your evaluation process of the opportunity.

   Some questions to consider:
   What are your expectations of a successful candidate in this role? Within the first 30 days?
   What are some of the challenges that the organization/your team has been facing and looking for someone in this role to contribute to resolving?
   What would be 2-3 of the immediate needs required of someone in this role to step right into?
   What advice would you give to someone starting off in this role and work environment?

   Unless you are meeting with someone that shared the daunting info about the prior employees who left the role, I would not bring this up in any future conversations. One, it really doesn't mean that it will be the same for you and two, you don't want to accidentally throw anyone under the bus who shared the information with you.

   Last but not least, what you do want to do with this information, if you decide to move forward, is to walk in with your eyes and ears open, be very observant when it comes to your initial evaluation and assessment of the internal happenings, build relationships and rapport quickly as this often will be the wrench in being able to overcome challenging work environments and BE YOURSELF!!!

   Final Note: There is no rule that you have to stay there forever either. So, if in need of work, go with the best of the two, see what happens and worst-case scenario you continue or resume your job search when needed. Best case scenario YOU are the right fit for the job!

   I hope this was helpful. Again, congrats and I wish you the best!

   Coach Olivia

7. AnonymousAugust 29,2025 at 4:18PM UTC

   I would recognize that their descriptions of the current situations might be due to hiring the wrong people without the necessary skills and organizational abilities. Also they probably haven't found the right people because they don't know what the need truly is. Make sure to ask what type of training you will receive and if the person doing the training ever performed the job.

   I applaud them for trying to be honest about the situation but I'm wondering if the current role is several roles rolled into one. Companies are doing this nowadays. To save money without understanding the amount of work they are expecting and the level of expertise required. As a candidate, you need clarity and to communicate your desire to be successful in the role. Be passionate about your desire to deliver excellence. Ask a lot of questions to help you get there.

   So bottom line, I would not be passive. I would come up with a list of thoughtful and practical questions about the work expected and the support required to be successful.

8. maria roseAugust 29,2025 at 7:45PM UTC

   You , the OPanswered part of what you want to ask this company in your post. But if seems you didn’t verbally out loud ask that question statement. I think you are holding back your true expectations of what you want any job to offer you regardless of the real reasons and the job performance skills that this position needs to be filled. At least, the company is being pretty honest as best as they can be considering the job requires a lot of multi tasking which may need an in hands doing to understand the why it is necessary for the job position. We were not given any description of whether the position is physically hands on job or a type of coding office job either but we can assume that whatever it is falls within the criteria interest of what the OP wants to be working in. So what should the OP asking should be blunt and direct to avoid misunderstanding communication.?it’s okay to present what you, the OP, could offer to better the situation and what you might need to accomplish the tasks and see if you can come to an agreement understanding. But remember that you, the OP are the employee not the employer

9. AnonymousAugust 30,2025 at 1:21AM UTC

   Ask specific questions about the challenges and opportunities of the role, as well as about how they knew the previous person was not a good fit for the role. Ask them for what they are looking for in an ideal candidate for the position. After you get those answers, look within; what is your gut feeling telling you? If your intuition says they are honest about what they expect and it's a good opportunity, take the offer. However, if your intuition says "RUN!" ignore it at your peril.

10. GirlBossanova934974August 30,2025 at 1:10PM UTC

    This one is pretty simple. I wouldn't read the moon and stars into this.

    First off, people quit jobs for all sorts of reasons these days. Hey, they may have been interviewing for another job for a long time to get more pay and that job finally came through. And another thing. Some employees are just not very stable and mature. They expected a big promotion the minute they walked in. They had some grand dream and when it got a little hectic, they bolted.

    In your case, it boils down to 2 things. A) Can you do the tasks that the employer has described that need to be done? B) Are you interested in doing these things in your next role? In my world, the "right person" means someone who actually do the tasks needed in the role.

    In the old days, we referred to these sorts of interviews as "realistic job previews". Some hectic job environments can be good learning environments. You learn valuable time management skillsets. You may be exposed to multiple levels of management and different parts of the company.

11. Erica NicholasAugust 30,2025 at 2:00PM UTC

    My director always tries to talk people out of the role. If they've heard the worst and still want to proceed, then he'll move them on to the next round. He doesn't need to talk anyone into the position. The right person will be the one that hears this and talks him into hiring then.

12. AnonymousAugust 30,2025 at 5:18PM UTC

    Make your list of pros & cons to this particular role and pray about it.

13. AnonymousAugust 31,2025 at 12:45PM UTC

    First wait until you have offers in hand (unless you learned something about the role that you would not move forward under any circumstance).

    Second, people don’t work out in roles for lots of reasons. So just because someone else did not work out doesn’t mean that you won’t be a great fit for them and they won’t be a great fit for you.

    However, it does sound like there may be more here. Is this a general feeling you were getting about the interview or the culture?

    if invited back for an interview, bring up what previous interviewers have said. Ask them specifically what they think makes the role hard. Drill into what expectations and skills they are looking for.

    Sometimes companies don’t do a great job of interviewing to find the right fit. You may have to lead the conversation and dig in a little deeper so you can get the right info you need to make a decision.

14. AnonymousSeptember 1,2025 at 12:44PM UTC

    Get the offer and take the job. Things are always soooooo different when you actually work somewhere than the interview process. Trust me it’s always a shock. Some for better some for worse. The constant is you get a paycheck. This is not the time to have illusions about the economy or workforce! Good luck!!

15. AnonymousSeptember 5,2025 at 2:36AM UTC

    I disagree. When they are telling us who they are and what it is, it's probably worse once you get there.