Ask HN: Interview tomorrow – How to learn whether an org is “healthy”?
They are conspiring to replace an existing employee.  That says enough.  If the organization were &quot;healthy&quot; they would be upfront with the existing manager and allow him&#x2F;her to gracefully exit.<p>That they won&#x27;t do this suggests that there is a lot of mistrust going on, or possibly optics with the investors around turnover -- not sure which is worse.<p>By taking the role, you will be viewed as having taken sides with the people recruiting you, but if anyone else on the team thinks it was done unfairly, you&#x27;ll be dealing with the morale consequences, which you may paradoxically also be blamed for.<p>Look at it this way, the people recruiting you are one or more of the following:<p>- Afraid to have a grown up conversation with the manager they want to replace.<p>- Afraid that if they are upfront with the problem manager he&#x2F;she will leave and it will take them a long time to find a replacement, during which time things may deteriorate. If you think this is the case, be sure to increase your salary&#x2F;equity requirements substantially.<p>- Trying to sneakily get the upper hand on the problem manager by recruiting you behind his&#x2F;her back.  Anyone on the team you&#x27;d inherit who respected the former manager will likely assume you are part of the problem.<p>Also, sometimes when a manager is viewed negatively it&#x27;s because someone on the team has the ear of higher-ups and is badmouthing the manager.  So while it&#x27;s possible that you would be getting a role that was inhabited by someone who couldn&#x27;t quite pull it off, it&#x27;s also possible that you&#x27;re stepping into a situation with a lot of politics and a mutinous atmosphere. Perhaps ask if they are considering anyone on the problem manager&#x27;s team for the role.  If they are that might be a tell.<p>I&#x27;d approach it with caution, especially if considering leaving a role that you enjoy.  At the very least, there are enough warning signs that you should only accept if you are ready to re-enter the job market if the culture is truly broken.