Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, is set to fire around 3,600 employees, which is a part of its 5% of its workforce. Notably, this decision is a part of the companys efforts to eliminate the low-performing employees and accelerate its performance management process.

In a memo to employees, the companys CEO explained that the company would be moving more swiftly to remove low-performing staff. This decision has been followed by an earlier decision in 2023 to cut 10,000 jobs in its year of efficiency drive.

Ive decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low performers faster, he stated in a note with an internal message board.

Zuckerberg mentioned that the company usually addresses the underperformance of employees over a year but will now implement more extensive cuts. However, this time, despite the layoffs of the employees, Meta has planned the employees replacements in 2025. This step would help place the company ahead in terms of growth and innovation.

Further, it has been emphasized that this year the focus will be on areas like artificial intelligence (AI), smart glasses, and evolving social media platforms. Zuckerberg described the year as intense..

Additionally, Meta had about 72,000 employees in September 2024. The company will inform affected US employees about the layoffs on February 10, 2025. The employees outside the US market will be informed later. The company reportedly aims to achieve 10 percent of its employees who are not performing well by the end of this year, similar to the previous year’s initiative.

Is Microsoft Also Firing Low-Performing Employees?

In a similar move, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is also preparing to fire employees. This initiative has reportedly been taken to target those who are low performing. Meanwhile, the company hasnt revealed the number of employees to be impacted. In a recent report from Business Insider, it was claimed that several departments, including critical divisions, will be affected.

Microsoft, led by CEO Satya Nadella, is continuing its usual practice of reorganizing the company. The recent layoffs are part of their effort to keep only the best-performing employees.