Tech

An internal Facebook memo calls for managers to cut workers who fall short of Meta's 'increased intensity'

Mark Zuckerberg stands with his hand clenched in front of his mouth.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Drew Angerer/Getty Images
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Facebook's head of human resources sent out a memo laying out increasing expectations for employees, driving home the message that low performers could be transitioned out.

As Insider first reported on Tuesday morning, Meta plans to operate with "increased intensity." Its HR chief, Lori Goler, sent out a memo earlier this month laying out expectations for managers to build high-performing teams, ruthlessly prioritize, and make the most of synchronous and asynchronous time with teams, according to an employee who viewed it.

Those who fall short of the new expected intensity should be transitioned out of the company, Goler said, calling it the "right thing to do."

Goler's note aimed to clarify comments made by Mark Zuckerberg at a weekly Q&A. The CEO said the company, which last year changed its name to Meta Platforms, would set "more aggressive goals" and that he welcomed people choosing to leave the company. He had previously said fewer employees would make Facebook "a better company."

Other executives have made internal comments and written notes alluding to job cuts, including Maher Saba, the head of engineering, and Chris Cox, the head of product. On top of that, Facebook internally announced a hiring freeze in May, which left employees on edge and expecting the worst. Cuts this year could affect 10% of the company's 78,000 workers, one employee said.

"It hasn't started yet," another employee told Insider, "but it's coming." 

Read more: Facebook employees brace themselves for job cuts as high as 10% as Meta cracks down on low performers in what one staffer says feels like a 'witch hunt'

Are you a Facebook employee or have insight to share? Contact Kali Hays at khays@insider.com, through the secure-messaging app Signal at 949-280-0267, or on Twitter DM at @hayskali. Reach out using a nonwork device.

Contact Ashley Stewart at astewart@insider.com, or send a secure message via Signal to 425-344-8242.

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Ashley Stewart Business Insider
Ashley Stewart
Ashley Stewart reports on technology companies including Microsoft from Seattle.Get an alert whenever I publish a story.Do you work at Microsoft or have insight to share? Contact this reporter via email at astewart@bjinnox.com or Signal at +1-425-344-8242.Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
Kali Hays was a Tech Correspondent at Business Insider covering the major social media platforms like Meta, Twitter, and Snap. Her reporting covered major changes and the internal culture at these companies, the founders and executives who run them, and business developments and products. Hays also wrote frequently about AI and emerging trends and shifts in the tech industry overall. Her work has been widely cited, including by the FTC in an investigation into Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter, and she has appeared as an expert on NBC, CBS, the BBC and elsewhere. Her exclusive reporting and scoops include:Meta's Facebook Messenger hit with layoffs amid ongoing 'efficiency' pushLayoff angst looms over Meta employees as they face tough performance reviews and ongoing reorgsMeta aiming to reveal and demo Orion, its first true AR glasses, at its fall developer conferenceMeta's Responsible AI team shrinks amid layoffs and restructuring, even as the company goes all-in on AIMeta updates RTO policy with stricter mandate, saying workers may lose their jobs if they don't show up 3 days a weekLeaked documents from Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan's charity include a tacit admission that their biggest bet on education reform was a flop'He is in war time': Mark Zuckerberg's desperate, last-ditch attempt to remake himself — and MetaOpenAI is expected to release a 'materially better' GPT-5 for its chatbot mid-year, sources sayOpenAI's employees were given 2 explanations for why Sam Altman was fired. They're unconvinced and furious.AI is killing the grand bargain at the heart of the web. 'We're in a different world.'Jack Dorsey warns Block employees of coming job cuts: 'The growth of our company has far outpaced the growth of our business.'Elon Musk is considering taking X out of Europe amid EU compliance investigationLeak: Elon Musk said he wants X to be a dating app, too, in an all-hands meeting on the anniversary of his Twitter takeoverLinda Yaccarino, Elon Musk, and the most difficult CEO job on earthElon Musk's Twitter races to build a live video service as it woos right-wing media personalitiesElon Musk is moving forward with a new generative-AI project at Twitter after purchasing thousands of GPUsSnap begins a new round of layoffs with staffers expecting more next weekEvan Spiegel proclaims 'social media is dead' in leaked memo, predicts Snap is about to 'transcend' the smartphoneSnap workers say they're being closely 'tracked' to enforce compliance with the RTO mandateHow Snap misread big threats from TikTok and Apple and lost its chance at becoming an advertising giant