Meta, led by Mark Zuckerberg, has reportedly increased the number of employees categorized as “low performance” during mid-year reviews.
In a memo dated May 14, the company informed a manager overseeing a team of over 150 employees that more individuals would be marked as “below expectations.” This change will likely affect 15% to 20% of team members, a rise from the previous 12% to 15% last year.
The midyear review process commenced on June 16, with ongoing meetings scheduled through August.
The memo indicated that, unlike earlier this year, there wouldn’t be a company-wide performance cutoff. However, it also described the reviews as holding potential for “exit decisions.” The change impacts not only current employees but also those who have exited under what the company refers to as “irresilient attrition,” meaning roles deemed non-essential.
Those who left, whether through resignation or termination due to underperformance this year, are also included in this assessment.
It’s uncertain if there will be further reductions beyond the 4,000 layoffs carried out in February.
Meta chose not to comment on the situation.
“I decided to elevate the performance management bar and quickly move on from low performance,” Zuckerberg said during that time.
He added that while the company typically manages underperforming individuals over a year, they intend to implement a more significant performance-driven reduction this cycle.
Notably, many affected employees have raised concerns regarding Meta’s classification, stating they received positive feedback from their managers last year.
Meta had already laid off thousands of workers in 2023, which Zuckerberg had framed as an “efficiency year.”
