- Meta plans to cut 5% of low-performing employees.
- The reductions are part of a strategy to improve performance.
- Meta is aiming for “non-regrettable attrition” of 10%, combining last year’s and this year’s targets.
A memo from one of Meta’s human resources managers on Tuesday explained to managers how the company performance-based job cuts would work in the coming weeks.
Hillary Champion, director of people development programs at Meta, asked managers to rank employees into performance levels based on their contributions over the past year, according to the memo, a copy of which was obtained by Business Insider .
Champion wrote in the memo that Meta aims to achieve 10% “non-regrettable attrition” by the end of this performance cycle, combining last year’s 5% with an additional 5% this year. These are employees that the company would not consider a loss if they left.
She reported that Meta was increasing pressure on underperformers and trying to decide more quickly who stayed and who went.
“We have very ambitious targets, so we need to manage our workforce in a way that ensures we have the strongest talent working here and can move more quickly in managing the underperformers so we can recruit new talent. new people,” Champion said.
His advice to managers came soon after Meta told employees it was preparing to cut about 5 percent of its lowest-performing employees as part of an effort to “raise the bar.” Meta said it intends to fill these roles in 2025.
Meta Performance Ratings and Who Will Be Removed
BI also obtained a copy of Meta’s internal performance guidelines on Tuesday. This document describes several categories, one of which is “met most expectations.” Other ratings include “met some” and “did not meet.”
“Anyone who receives a rating of ‘Have met some’ or ‘Have not met’ will automatically be added to the performance termination list,” Champion told Meta officials.
“The number of people in the ‘Best Answers’ category who will be terminated will vary,” she added.
Part of this depends on whether Meta’s goal of 10% non-regrettable attrition is achieved. Champion shared a theoretical example: If a team had 5% non-regrettable attrition in 2024 and then placed 3% of employees in the “encountered some” rating, an additional 2% of workers in the “encountered most” group would have to be reduced to reach the total of 10%.
The upcoming job cuts are part of a broader strategy to reshape Meta’s workforce and become more efficient amid huge investments in AI, VR and the future social media.
Last week, the company rolled back its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and disbanded its third-party fact-checking program.
Here is Champion’s memo:
Updated the manager for the Performance@ process Following on from Mark’s announcement today, I want to share some details about the role you will need to play throughout this performance cycle, and offer some advice on how to successfully complete this cycle. What is happening
- We have very ambitious targets, so we need to manage our workforce in a way that ensures we have the strongest talent and can move more quickly in managing underperformers so we can recruit new people. about 5% of our worst performers.
- Benchmarks continue to be our process for differentiating performance, recognizing impact, and making promotion decisions. In addition to the process overview shared in December, we will use the benchmark window to identify poor performers in termination performance.
- Company-wide, we plan to achieve 10% non-regrettable attrition by the end of this performance cycle, including approximately 5% non-regrettable attrition starting in 2024. This means that We aim to leave approximately an additional 5% of our current employees who have been with the company long enough to receive a performance rating. The exact percentage will vary between organizations depending on their non-regrettable attrition in 2024.
- Those terminated due to performance will receive generous severance packages, consistent with previous reductions.
- Organization leaders will share more about the backfilling process specific to your organization.
How performance benchmarks will work Below is an overview of what to expect. The HRBPs will guide the teams in this process and provide more details during calibrations. – This will be a normal benchmarking process and we will use the time to identify our top performers in addition to our weakest. We will discuss all notes, flags, edge cases and promotions as usual.
Per our distribution guidelines, teams will need to identify 12-15% of eligible employees to receive a performance rating as Highest or Lowest Achievement (“MMB”). This includes any non-regrettable attrition from 2024, which will be visible in the performance tool and shared with team leaders during calibrations.
- Example: If your organization’s 2024 NR attrition was 5%, then your team would need to identify 7-10% to receive MMB ratings to reach the 12-15% total.
- As you perform calibrations, your HRBP will also help you differentiate performance using the Met Some rating more than in the past.
- Anyone receiving a rating of “Have met some” or “Have not met” will automatically be added to the performance termination list.
Later in the benchmarking process, your director and vice president will review those who scored “Most Achieved” to determine who will be fired to meet the required 10% target. The number of people in the “Achieved Most” category who are laid off will vary depending on your organization’s non-regrettable attrition rate in 2024 and the number of people classified as “Meet Some” or “Have Not Met” .
- Example: If your organization experienced a non-regrettable attrition rate of 5% in 2024 and, through calibrations, placed 3% in the “Achieved Some” rating, directors and managers will need to select 2%. additional in the “Achieved the most” group in order to reach the total of 10%.
- You should use the performance tool’s indicator and rating features to make recommendations about whether or not an individual with a Met Most rating should be included in performance terminations.
Do you work at Meta? Contact BI journalists from a non-work email and device at jmann@businessinsider.com And pdixit@businessinsider.com.
You can also reach them via Signal at jyotimann.11 and +1408-905-9124.
