The tech industry is on a rollercoaster, with giants announcing mass layoffs as part of cost-cutting, significant investments in AI, restructuring measures, and now DEI rollbacks. Meta stands out for its strategic 'performance-based layoffs' alongside its DEI rollback announcement.

When Meta announced layoffs, many raised questions about the move, with some openly expressing that many of the laid-off employees were clearly not low performers.

One laid-off Meta employee – Kaila Curry, who held the Content Manager position since March 2024 — shared, “Today, I was impacted by Meta’s layoffs. At first, I hesitated to share this—I didn’t want to be labeled a “low performer.” But after reflecting, I know any future employer can see through the corporate façade. This wasn’t about performance; it was about workforce reduction in favor of AI initiatives.”

“I want to be candid about my experience. I originally applied for a New York-based role, only to be given a last-minute ultimatum: relocate to San Francisco or lose the opportunity. Since the move was covered, I took the chance. When I arrived, I learned I was the only person on my team required to be in the office… Still, I made the most of it. I managed weekend content operations, received an “exceeds expectations” rating in my mid-year review, and navigated a whirlwind of five managers and two reorgs in just one year. I was placed on a project that multiple managers admitted had made me “not set up for success.” I frequently asked for feedback and was always told I was doing a good job. I was never placed on a PIP, never given corrective feedback, and never properly mentored or provided clear expectations. I simply put in the work—often on weekends—while being isolated in an empty office,” shared Kaila.

Kaila’s dilemma is well understood—being labeled a 'low performer' in addition to being laid off is difficult to explain to new recruiters. She has been a high performer throughout her career, yet this move has now cast doubt on her future prospects.

Darren Webster, founder of a U.S-based professional coaching firm, Goalster wrote, “In what I consider an unnecessary and frankly disrespectful move, Zuckerberg has just stamped 4,000 of his former employees with that label right as they’re forced into an unexpected job search. But let’s be clear: being classified as a "low performer" in a mass layoff has little to do with your actual ability, work ethic, or potential. When these layoffs happen, leadership isn’t making careful, case-by-case performance decisions—they’re hitting a number. Leaders are told to rate and rank, and someone inevitably lands at the bottom. That doesn’t mean they weren’t contributing. They were just lower on the list.”

Jamie Herrig, Content Design Lead for nearly four years, shared a post in support of the laid off employees: 

Jared Peterson, Chief Marketing Officer at Steezy wrote, “While the reason behind these layoffs is likely due to the shift of AI replacing human roles, the way it was handled is cringe-worthy,”

“Interesting…Someone still has to train AI.. unless it's coded to be self-taught and have common sense to even replace humans. No way will a company properly function 90% without humans, or could it?,” commented a LinkedIn user. 

U.S.-based Matt Gale, Chief Strategy Officer at Lawfully shed light on the consequences of Meta layoffs on the laid-off visa workers, adding, “Let's have more empathy for visa workers who have been laid off, and if you are a hiring manager, HR leader, executive, or founder, consider doing more visa sponsorship!”

"While the layoffs story continues, users on the Reddit platform are sharing their experiences of being contacted by recruiters for open positions at Meta. 

The 'candidate' questioned the Meta recruiter:

'Meta recruiters keep contacting me right after Zuck says something stupid or news like this hits. It makes me want to reply with the article and say, “Now why would I want to come work for you?”' wrote one Redditor. 

'They are also hiring more in Latin America offices,' commented another.

One more supported the comment, writing, 'FYI, the layoffs are not a cost-cutting measure, as Meta has said they are hiring thousands of new staff later this year, particularly in AI and machine learning.'

'They're actively hiring because they're trying to replace all the people laid off. Sadly, this will be a vicious cycle of always laying off the bottom 5%, with a toxic culture of everyone trying to save their own skin,' added a user.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Meta's CEO has hinted on many occasions that the company’s focus is shifting towards AI and automation, with an expedited hiring process for machine learning engineers and other key roles. Peng Fan, VP of Engineering for Monetisation, supported this by underlining in an internal memo the 'urgency of strengthening AI capabilities between February 11 and March 13.'

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The layoffs were part of a strategic restructuring, as Meta is making big investments in artificial intelligence and seeking individuals with AI expertise.

Meta’s CEO has been a strong advocate for AI. He once stated, 'AI has reached a point where it can write code, debug applications, and even design entire systems with minimal human intervention. The implications are enormous,' hinting at how gen AI & ML can transform software development without humans.