Meta Gives Thousands of Workers Subpar Reviews

Facebook parent Meta Platforms Inc. gave thousands of employees subpar ratings in a recently concluded round of performance reviews, a signal that more job cuts may be on the way, people familiar with the matter said.

The Wall Street Journal reports the company also cut a bonus metric, the people said, one of several steps senior executives are taking after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg declared 2023 would be a “year of efficiency.” 

Meta’s leadership expects the ratings to lead more employees to leave in the coming weeks, the people said. The company will consider another round of layoffs if not enough depart, the people said. About 11,000 workers, or about 13% of employees at the company, were recently laid off.

Meta’s performance review process is in keeping with what the company has communicated to employees, a Meta spokesman said. “We’ve always had a goal-based culture of high performance, and our review process is intended to incentivize long-term thinking and high-quality work, while helping employees get actionable feedback,” he said.

The recently wrapped performance reviews were seen as a return to form for Mr. Zuckerberg, who before the pandemic had developed a reputation for delivering direct feedback to workers, people familiar with the process said.

Since last year, Meta executives have suggested that low performers wouldn’t last at the company. “Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here,” Mr. Zuckerberg said at a town hall in June.