- A former Meta employee was hired in 2022 and had positive reviews for two years.
- They were shocked when they received a "low performer" rating and were laid off on February 10.
- The former employee said they're worried the label could hurt their job search and felt betrayed.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a former Meta employee who worked at the company for two and a half years. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns about future employment. Business Insider has verified their identity, employment, and performance reviews at Meta. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I was hired by Meta in late 2022. During my time there, I received performance evaluations every six months, in which my ratings were always 'at or above expectation' or 'consistently met expectation.' Of course, I received small tweaks and feedback that are normal in any review, but I never received any signal that I was a low performer or that I was trending downwards.
When Zuckerberg announced Meta would be laying off the lowest 5% of performers, I felt a general sense of anxiety, but I looked at the criteria they were going to apply and thought, "This doesn't apply to me. I've gotten really good ratings up to this point." I didn't consider I'd be in that bucket.
I woke up to a layoff email at 5 a.m., and by 8 a.m. I'd lost all access to chats
They sent an email at 5 a.m. PST, and by 8 a.m., we'd been locked out of our chats. I didn't get to say goodbye to my colleagues. The morning of my layoff, I felt despondent. I'd worked really, really hard to get this job, had worked long hours, and had put a lot of effort into supporting my team. I just felt this deep sense of defeat.
And then I got angry. I was livid, like transcendentally livid. I can't even really put into words how it felt. I'd lost so much — my confidence, my reputation, a substantial amount of unvested stock. I just remember being in bed, screaming into a pillow.
I felt betrayed by the company I'd worked for, and they destroyed my confidence in the process.
I have no idea how they decided I was a low performer
I haven't received any documentation explaining how they got my "low performer" rating, so I don't have any official idea of why this occurred. I didn't get a signal from my manager. I just received the rating and the termination letter stating I was being let go.
I'm so scared about how this "low-performer" label will affect my ability to find a new job.
Right now, the zeitgeist is sympathetic to those of us who've been laid off, but I know it's going to impact future employment. It's already a tough job market, so I'm scared. I'm really, really scared.
Because Meta clearly labeled people affected as "low performers," any hiring manager who looks at my end date will know. We are uniquely disadvantaged because this announcement was leaked and widely publicized.
For the first week after my layoff, I couldn't even fathom the idea of updating my résumé or looking for jobs. I felt so hopeless that I could hardly even motivate myself to get out of bed. I already struggled with imposter syndrome, and this felt like Meta threw salt in the wound. I'm going to have to rebuild my self-confidence, and that's going to take time.
I think this is going to be a moment to take a step back, recenter myself, and think about what I truly want for myself and my career. Right now, I know I value some sense of stability. I know no job is stable, but I really want my next role to be somewhere where I feel like leadership at least doesn't seem to have an openly hostile position toward its employees.
My opinion on Mark Zuckerberg has completely changed
I used to defend Mark Zuckerberg to people. I thought he was personable in company meetings and really funny. Now, I feel like that was just a facade.
Between the layoff, removing DEI initiatives, and changes around content moderation, Mark Zuckerberg seems to be testing how many decisions he can make without retribution. Because Meta is such a big player in the tech industry, I'm concerned the company is creating an environment where other employers will follow suit.
Tech used to be a place where companies took care of their employees and where we were supported, but now it feels like we're all in a meat grinder. It's really sad to see.
Meta could already be backfilling these roles
Meta laid off thousands of employees and said they were going to start filling many of those roles with new people.
I joined at a time when Meta's stock was lower, and like many of my coworkers, a portion of my compensation is tied to the value of the company's stock. I have questioned whether the "low performance" label was a way to let expensive employees go.
I'm worried about speaking out for fear of retribution. I hope people are empathetic toward those impacted by layoffs six months or a year down the road.
Nobody knows how long we'll be looking for a new job. I've heard horror stories of people applying to hundreds of jobs for over a year. I don't think that's going to be my position, but it indicates how hard the market is right now.
I had a call with my dad the other day and told him I just don't know what to hope for right now. The rug was pulled out from under me. I don't know how to move forward from that.
Meta did not respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.
