As part of an ongoing downsizing and restructuring initiative that involves several rounds of layoffs resulting in a reduction of 10,000 jobs, Meta, the parent company of Facebook, will disclose information on new job cuts on Wednesday.
On Tuesday evening, an internal memo obtained by The Washington Post revealed that Meta's Head of Human Resources, Lori Goler, announced that the company will begin informing employees in its technical departments about the elimination of their positions. Simultaneously, Meta is preparing to disclose newly restructured teams and management hierarchies to optimize its operations.
Goler stated that various departments, including those accountable for Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Reality Labs, among others, will be impacted. In the memo, she also advised some employees to avoid coming into the office unless it is absolutely necessary for their work. The decision to implement these layoffs was made by the senior leadership team as part of the broader restructuring effort, Goler added.
Lori Goler wrote that the impending job cuts will be a challenging time as the company bids farewell to friends and colleagues who have made significant contributions to Meta. She acknowledged that it will take time for everyone, whether leaving or staying, to come to terms with the news and expressed confidence that teams will support each other with empathy, encouragement, and attentiveness.
Within one hour on Tuesday evening, thousands of employees commented or reacted to Goler's note on an internal forum. According to sources, numerous workers posted emojis of both salute and crying faces.
Insiders report that the company is likely to lay off thousands of highly skilled employees, such as engineers and other technical staff, who contribute to the development of the company's products. These cuts represent a rare instance of vulnerability for engineers at Meta, who have historically enjoyed job security, generous salaries, autonomy, and the liberty to work on their preferred projects, all amid intense competition for talent in Silicon Valley.
Meta spokesman Dave Arnold acknowledged that the memo was sent but declined to provide any additional comments.
According to Goler's memo, employees affected by the layoffs will receive notifications on Wednesday morning, although the process may vary for workers outside North America. On Wednesday, Meta leaders are also expected to disclose how their divisions will be restructured in light of the job cuts. The company will inform employees if they will be receiving a new manager, as stated in the memo.
In the previous month, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared that the company would unveil job cuts and a reorganization of technical teams towards the end of April, followed by cuts to supporting business roles at the end of May.
Meta anticipates eliminating approximately 10,000 positions and abandoning 5,000 job openings that were previously planned. In March, Zuckerberg hinted that the cuts would unfairly affect business support personnel, explaining that the restructuring would establish an "ideal proportion of engineers to other roles" to guarantee that "our company remains primarily technologists."
These new job cuts expand on the November workforce reductions, which saw 11,000 positions or roughly 13% of Meta's workforce terminated in the company's first widespread layoffs.
The potential job cuts at Meta have caused distress among its employees, resulting in several questioning the company's leadership and direction in recent months, as reported by The Washington Post. Some employees who are still working for the company are actively seeking new employment opportunities, while others are worried about the future of their roles.
Meta is dealing with a range of business risks, including competition from TikTok for advertising revenue and users. Additionally, new Apple privacy regulations have impacted the company's ability to provide targeted advertising, while some digital advertisers have reduced spending due to inflation and a slowdown in e-commerce demand. To address these challenges, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has prioritized making the company more streamlined and efficient. As part of this effort, top executives, along with individuals in HR, legal, and finance departments, have been asked to reorganize internal organizational charts. This will include reducing the number of management levels between Zuckerberg and interns, as well as cutting lower-priority projects. The company's hierarchy will also be deflated. People familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss internal matters, shared these details.
Despite facing economic challenges, Meta (formerly known as Facebook) claims that it is still committed to innovation. In February, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the formation of a new internal working group aimed at accelerating the company's investment in generative artificial intelligence. Additionally, the company is focusing on its short-form video product, Reels, to compete with TikTok. Meta is also exploring the possibility of building another decentralized social media network that would rival Twitter.
Despite its financial difficulties, Meta, formerly known as Facebook, remains committed to investing in innovative projects. In February, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the formation of an internal group aimed at accelerating the company's investment in generative artificial intelligence. Additionally, the company is promoting its short-form video product, Reels, to rival TikTok, and is exploring the development of a decentralized social media platform that would compete with Twitter.
Furthermore, Meta continues to pour resources into the development of immersive digital realms, known as the metaverse. Zuckerberg believes that people will use augmented and virtual-reality-powered devices to work, shop, and socialize in the metaverse, which he believes will become the next great computing platform. However, Meta anticipates losses in operating expenses for its Reality Labs division, which is responsible for virtual reality projects. The company has struggled to gain traction with virtual reality and acknowledges that building the necessary technology for the metaverse will take years.