the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is set to lay off more than 3,000 employees globally, starting February 10. The move targets employees with underwhelming performance, according to the company.
Action on Underperformance
Meta’s Vice President of Human Resources, Janelle Gale, stated that employees identified as underperforming will be notified via email, and their access to company systems will be terminated within an hour. In an internal forum, Gale wrote, “If any team members or managers leave on Monday, it could be a challenging day. This might cause temporary disruptions and short-term impacts on daily operations.”
CEO Zuckerberg’s Initiative
In January, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced stricter performance management standards, with a focus on quickly removing employees who do not meet expectations. As part of this initiative, the company plans to reduce its total workforce by 5%, or approximately 3,600 employees. This follows Meta’s earlier cuts, which saw 21,000 employees laid off between 2022 and 2023.
Regional Impact of Layoffs
The layoffs will begin in the Asia-Pacific region and proceed in waves across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and finally North and Latin America.
New Opportunities in Engineering
While reducing its workforce, Meta is expediting recruitment for key roles such as machine learning engineers and other business-critical engineering positions. The company aims to fill these roles between February 11 and February 13. Meta has emphasized prioritizing its workforce planning to align with its strategic goals for 2025.
” Meta’s decision is seen as part of its effort to streamline operations and focus investments on strategically important areas. However, the move could cause short-term disruptions within the organization. “