• Some Meta employees were caught off guard by the recent job cuts, claiming their performance history was strong.
• The layoffs, which affected 5% of the workforce, left several higher-rated staff feeling “blindsided.”
• CEO Mark Zuckerberg is focused on optimizing the company’s workforce.

A number of Meta employees who believed they had received positive evaluations in their mid-year performance reviews faced layoffs on Monday, as the company let go of nearly 4,000 workers in its latest job reduction effort.

According to interviews with eight dismissed staff members, they were rated “At or Above Expectations” in Meta’s mid-year performance assessment system for 2024. However, these employees expressed shock upon discovering that their ratings were downgraded to “Meets Most,” indicative of only partially meeting expectations, potentially making them targets for the layoffs. They requested anonymity due to company policy regarding internal discussions.

The layoffs reflect Meta’s initiative to release approximately 5% of its lowest-performing employees, as per direction sent to managers earlier this year. While the company portrayed these layoffs as aimed at underperformers, a memo from Hillary Champion, Meta’s director of people experience, revealed that managers could include higher-rated employees if they needed to meet dismissal targets.

Some affected employees were taken aback by their inclusion in the layoffs, especially as this specific guidance was not communicated to all employees, merely to managers.

“When I received the notification, I was mostly surprised because I have a solid performance history and encountered no indicators of issues in my recent performance,” stated one individual affected by the layoffs.

Meta started its 2024 year-end performance evaluation process in December, although most employees would not receive their final ratings for several weeks.

As the company invests significantly in artificial intelligence and virtual reality, CEO Mark Zuckerberg is working to streamline the workforce. The reductions could become a regular occurrence as Meta continues to eliminate what it views as its least effective employees. Meanwhile, the firm plans to accelerate hiring for machine learning engineers to support AI initiatives.

Meta did not provide a comment when contacted by Business Insider.

Meta Adjusts Performance Ratings for Some Employees

Numerous employees expressed dissatisfaction with Meta’s portrayal of the layoffs as targeting consistently low performers, noting that many affected had previously received commendable reviews.

Several laid-off staff took to Workplace, Meta’s internal communication platform, to share their performance histories through screenshots reviewed by Business Insider. One individual, who stated they were terminated “unexpectedly,” presented evidence showing they had consistently met or exceeded expectations for four years before being downgraded to “Meets Most” in late 2024. Another employee reported being let go shortly after returning from parental leave, despite having an “At or Above Expectations” rating earlier in 2024.

“I am extremely confused as to why I was terminated,” they commented. “I still believe this to be an error.”

The abrupt downgrade of performance ratings has left many feeling misrepresented by Meta in the context of the layoffs. Some staff expressed concerns that being labeled a “low performer” could adversely affect their future job opportunities.

“What’s hardest is that Meta publicly claims to be cutting low performers, making it feel like we have a scarlet letter on our backs,” one former employee commented. “People need to recognize that we are not underperformers.”

“I would certainly dispute Meta’s narrative regarding the elimination of only low performers,” another impacted employee added. “I find it incredibly difficult to accept that I was a low performer based on the positive feedback from my manager.”

Another individual remarked that their supervisor had given no warnings that their position was at risk.

“Leadership stated that if anyone were to be impacted, we’d already have been made aware based on discussions with our managers during weekly one-on-ones,” one affected staff member noted. “Instead, I was completely blindsided. My manager consistently told me that my performance was strong and provided no areas for improvement. They even assured me that I wouldn’t be affected.”

Similarly, another employee who received an “Exceeds Expectations” rating in their mid-year review expressed disbelief at being dropped two rating tiers to “Meets Most” without any explanation.

“We do not even have access to the feedback our manager provided for us,” they explained.

If you are a current or former employee of Meta or have insights to offer about the company, please reach out to Pranav Dixit securely on Signal at +1-408-905-9124 or via email at pranavdixit@protonmail.com.

Contact Jyoti Mann via email at jmann@businessinsider.com or through Signal at jyotimann.11. For inquiries, reach out to Hugh Langley at hlangley@businessinsider.com or via Signal at hughlangley.01