AIBU to wonder whether anyone really truthfully want to work in a ‘fast paced environment’?

[DimebagDarrell]

I guess with the caveat of doctors working in emergency medicine, broadcast journalists etc whose jobs by definition are going to be fast paced.

But I’m talking more about your standard office type role - ‘emails, writing reports and meetings’ kind of jobs. I’m looking for a new role and virtually every job ad highlights being able to thrive in a fast paced environment. From my 15 years in various workplaces (charities, civil service, universities) I can honestly say I’ve met very few people who enjoy a fast paced work environment. Yes we all have a really busy day now and then and it’s fine, but surely no one actively wants to be constantly inundated with conflicting priorities and hundreds of emails!

So why is there this pretence where I have to pretend I like and thrive in a fast paced workplace? And where the people interviewing me about working well in a fast paced environment probably don’t even want to be in one themselves.

To me the phrase ‘fast paced workplace’ just sounds like a euphemism for a very heavy workload, unrealistic deadlines, competing priorities etc. And not being able to do anything to a decent standard as there’s so much else to do.

So, is it just me who’s constantly pretending that a fast paced work environment is absolutely fine for me, when I actually hate it! Or are there people out there who genuinely enjoy this type of workplace?

I'm a mix, if it's mission critical information, I prefer accuracy,

My old job i was in complaints for an energy company. That was definitely fast paced, high pressure, target driven and drove people insane. I LOVED it. I'd go back tomorrow. I was made redundant last year, my colleagues went onto similar roles, I couldn't find anything in that sector part time. By then I'd had my son and couldn't cope with a full time roll like that.
My current role is part time and was advertised as fast paced. In my opinion it's easy, too easy.

I love working in a fast paced environment-

With respect, the reason you’ve never met anyone who would enjoy it is that you’ve worked in slow paced environments and are therefore surrounded by people who also like to work in that way. It doesn’t mean that other people don’t love it and thrive in it.

I briefly took a job in a charity because I believed in their vision. It was awful. The boredom was physically painful. I could have done my job in 3 days a week 9-5.

I like a fast paced environment cos I am terrible at procrastination

However in reality most businesses are not fast paced, they are slow, bureaucratic, too heavy and throw words around like “good culture!” “Commitment to D&I!” which mean absolutely nothing once you ask them to demonstrate what they mean by those

I've worked in a really fast paced environment. It was due to the nature of the job (emergency services) and so fair enough to warn people that there are some days where things change so quickly you won't have time to think! It was a very supportive place to work though so you never felt on your own.

I need to be in a fast paced environment
I left my busy constantly changing evolving projects and deadline driven role for a new opportunity

It was slow. Boring. Took AGES to get any change over the line. No teams wanted to pick up any new work or tasks so meant everyone came in- plodded along- and went home.
I managed a team of young professionals mostly made up of recent graduates and they wanted more- I left after 1 year to go back to my old place and again there isnt enough hours in the day again and I love it!

@Doubleraspberry

I agree that it can be a bit of a code in job adverts. To be honest though I have a really low boredom threshold and a genuinely fast pace that leads to outcomes quickly is the sort of environment I thrive in. Slower and I find it really hard to motivate myself. Short, sharp deadlines if possible. It doesn’t mean I want to be overworked, but I like to be busy while I’m at work.

Totally agree and I disagree with the premise of this post that no one wants to work hard.

I am a bit of a workaholic and I genuinely prefer to be busy. Being idle and not having enough direction really stresses me out.

I though the comment about people only signing up to this ethos if they are young and inexperienced was quite snide and nasty

Some of us have to work super hard to support our families and don’t have the luxury of figuring out how to coast at work. Oh and some of us actually enjoy our work!

It describes my job and I love it. Like others I have a low boredom threshold and enjoy the buzz of lots of things going on at once. I'd struggle with motivation in a slower paced 'take your time' environment.

My ability to produce quality work at this pace has hugely improved though in the course of my career. It's something you get used to.

To be honest though I have a really low boredom threshold and a genuinely fast pace that leads to outcomes quickly is the sort of environment I thrive in. Slower and I find it really hard to motivate myself. Short, sharp deadlines if possible.
Couldn’t have put this better. I have adhd and I need to hyper focus to get jobs done, I need to work at a fast pace and if it’s a slow day I’ll get incredibly bored and frustrated.

But the opposite is a slow paced environment and christ that’s boring. Nothing drags like a day where you don’t really have enough to do and it’s the same as the week before and the week before that.

I have some seasoned, extroverted colleagues who very much miss our "fast paced" working environment and have left our company for one that's maintained that style in the pandemic!

I have ADHD and so a fast paced environment (even if that's code for whatever) is mandatory. I've tried to work in places where there just wasn't enough workload, or the workload wasn't too much, and I never last longer than 6 months - 1 year. It's soul destroying. I need to feel swamped and a sense of urgency to be motivated.

I'm with you, OP.
I have worked in several places over 25 years, that have been a mixture of both.

I'm currently looking at jobs, and am discounting any that say 'fast paced'

My current role is fast paced because they're too tight to employ anybody else, so work soaks into my evenings and weekends. It's very reactive and been like this for the 8 years I've been there. It's ground me down and I know it's not right, as I have worked in genuinely fast paced environments previously, but with a team, and this makes all the difference. In comparable roles and organisations there are 10 people sharing my current role, just to put it into context!

Also, when I was younger with no kids, I thrived on fast paced. Now I'm nearly 50 with teens and a busy house,I get enough of that at home!

With respect, the reason you’ve never met anyone who would enjoy it is that you’ve worked in slow paced environments and are therefore surrounded by people who also like to work in that way. It doesn’t mean that other people don’t love it and thrive in it.

This was exactly my thought on reading the post

I assume ^fast paced environment" = understaffed.

That's my experience anyway.

A couple of years ago, I got what I thought was my dream job

But a few months in, it became apparent that the organisation moved at glacial speed
It wasn’t just personally frustrating, it genuinely stopped them doing good work
Every decision took an age to make, the company structure around procurement, recruiting etc was so slow it meant we lost out on work and candidates
I had to leave after a year…

But the company was full of people who had been there for 10+ years so horses for courses

Thanks for the replies everyone. It’s really interesting to see the range of views, and that for quite a few people a fast paced environment is exactly what they need.

I think it has confirmed my suspicion though that jobs advertised in my kind of areas as fast paced (charities, civil service, higher education) are probably only fast paced if they’re badly organised or understaffed, or both. Unlike some sectors that are genuinely fast paced as that’s the nature of the work. As someone said above - it’s horses for courses

YANBU 99% of the time a fast paced environment translates as "there is too much work and not enough people and management don't care and are twats"

I can't work in a slow paced environment, I get really frustrated when things aren't done quick enough. I like to keep busy so fast paced jobs and environments are much better for me.

I think the reason why you don't like fast paced working environment is because you spent 15 years working in charities, civil service and universities that are typically quite slow paced although presumably they must have some dynamic roles, perhaps you've found a dynamic bit. I couldn't cope with the stultifying boredom of a slow paced work environment. Come in, plod along, get lunch, plod along, have a chat, no one is too bothered about the work I'm doing, leave, next day: same same.

I have friends in charitable jobs that have a buzzy dynamic nature but that's fundraising organisation. I think admin side is generally more relaxed.

Why don't you just go to the interview and talk about your expectations and theirs.

Absolutely depends on the type of work. I work in hospitality (FOH Manager) in a busy seaside town. It would definitely be described as fast faced. Give me that over slow anytime. I enjoy it though and would not thrive in a slow paced environment, especially sat at a desk all day. That's my idea of hell. If things are fast paced you have to manage it really well so it doesn't get overwhelming.

I have to do an internal eye roll when people say their job is fast paced.

I used to work for the emergency services, like actually having someone dying on the other end of the phone while they spoke to you emergency services. That was face paced. I actually enjoyed it. The adrenaline can get addictive. But it does start to get too much after a while, especially when I had kids.

You win Themouseandthemat

Why are people thinking that the opposite of 'fast paced' is 'slow and boring'?
I think the same as you, OP, I think 'fast paced' is code for 'under-resourced and understaffed'.

Note to any HR reading this. I find 'fast paced' in an advertisement is off-putting. I am organised, resilient and professional; I don't want to work with headless chickens frantic people.