I Was Labeled a ‘Low Performer’ at Meta and Laid Off. I am Devastated.

• A former Meta worker was employed in 2022 and had optimistic evaluations for 2 years.
• They had been shocked once they acquired a “low performer” score and had been laid off on February 10.
• The previous worker stated they’re nervous the label might damage their job search and felt betrayed.

This as-told-to essay relies on a dialog with a former Meta worker who labored on the firm for 2 and a half years. They spoke on situation of anonymity resulting from considerations about future employment. Enterprise Insider has verified their identification, employment, and efficiency evaluations at Meta. The next has been edited for size and readability.

I used to be employed by Meta in late 2022. Throughout my time there, I acquired efficiency evaluations each six months, through which my rankings had been all the time ‘at or above expectation’ or ‘persistently met expectation.’ After all, I acquired small tweaks and suggestions which can be regular in any assessment, however I by no means acquired any sign that I used to be a low performer or that I used to be trending downwards.

When Zuckerberg introduced Meta could be shedding the bottom 5% of performers, I felt a normal sense of tension, however I checked out the standards they had been going to use and thought, “This does not apply to me. I’ve gotten actually good rankings up up to now.” I did not contemplate I might be in that bucket.

I woke as much as a layoff e-mail at 5 a.m., and by 8 a.m. I might misplaced all entry to chats

They despatched an e-mail at 5 a.m. PST, and by 8 a.m., we might been locked out of our chats. I did not get to say goodbye to my colleagues. The morning of my layoff, I felt despondent. I might labored actually, actually exhausting to get this job, had labored lengthy hours, and had put a number of effort into supporting my workforce. I simply felt this deep sense of defeat.

After which I obtained offended. I used to be furious, like transcendentally furious. I can not even actually put into phrases the way it felt. I might misplaced a lot — my confidence, my repute, a considerable quantity of unvested inventory. I simply bear in mind being in mattress, screaming right into a pillow.

I felt betrayed by the corporate I might labored for, and so they destroyed my confidence within the course of.

I don’t know how they determined I used to be a low performer

I have never acquired any documentation explaining how they obtained my “low performer” score, so I haven’t got any official thought of why this occurred. I did not get a sign from my supervisor. I simply acquired the score and the termination letter stating I used to be being let go.

I am so scared about how this “low-performer” label will have an effect on my capacity to discover a new job.

Proper now, the zeitgeist is sympathetic to these of us who’ve been laid off, however I do know it should influence future employment. It is already a troublesome job market, so I am scared. I am actually, actually scared.

As a result of Meta clearly labeled individuals affected as “low performers,” any hiring supervisor who seems at my finish date will know. We’re uniquely deprived as a result of this announcement was leaked and extensively publicized.

For the primary week after my layoff, I could not even fathom the thought of updating my résumé or searching for jobs. I felt so hopeless that I might hardly even encourage myself to get away from bed. I already struggled with imposter syndrome, and this felt like Meta threw salt within the wound. I’ll should rebuild my self-confidence, and that is going to take time.

I believe that is going to be a second to take a step again, recenter myself, and take into consideration what I really need for myself and my profession. Proper now, I do know I worth some sense of stability. I do know no job is secure, however I really need my subsequent position to be someplace the place I really feel like management at the least does not appear to have an brazenly hostile place towards its staff.

My opinion on Mark Zuckerberg has utterly modified

I used to defend Mark Zuckerberg to individuals. I assumed he was personable in firm conferences and actually humorous. Now, I really feel like that was only a facade.

Between the layoff, eradicating DEI initiatives, and modifications round content material moderation, Mark Zuckerberg appears to be testing what number of selections he could make with out retribution. As a result of Meta is such an enormous participant within the tech trade, I am involved the corporate is creating an setting the place different employers will comply with swimsuit.

Tech was a spot the place corporations took care of their staff and the place we had been supported, however now it appears like we’re all in a meat grinder. It is actually unhappy to see.

Meta might already be backfilling these roles

Meta laid off hundreds of staff and stated they had been going to start out filling lots of these roles with new individuals.

I joined at a time when Meta’s inventory was decrease, and like lots of my coworkers, a portion of my compensation is tied to the worth of the corporate’s inventory. I’ve questioned whether or not the “low efficiency” label was a solution to let costly staff go.

I am nervous about talking out for worry of retribution. I hope individuals are empathetic towards these impacted by layoffs six months or a 12 months down the street.

No one is aware of how lengthy we’ll be searching for a brand new job. I’ve heard horror tales of individuals making use of to a whole lot of jobs for over a 12 months. I do not suppose that is going to be my place, but it surely signifies how exhausting the market is true now.

I had a name with my dad the opposite day and instructed him I simply do not know what to hope for proper now. The rug was pulled out from underneath me. I do not know the best way to transfer ahead from that.

Meta didn’t reply to a request for remark by Enterprise Insider.