- A former Meta employee was employed in 2022 and had positive assessments for two years.
- They were shocked when they received an “low interpreter” rating and were fired from February 10.
- The former employee said they were worried that the label could hurt their work search and feel betrayed.
This strong essay is based on a conversation with a former Meta employee who has worked in the company for 2 years. They spoke on condition of anonymity due to concerns about future employment. Business Insider has verified their identity, employment and support documents. The following is edited for length and clarity.
I was hired by Meta at the end of 2022. During my time there, I received performance ratings every six months, in which my ratings were always “in or more than the reception” or “constantly fulfilled expectation”. Of course, I have received small changes and reactions that are normal in any summary, but I never received any signals that I was a low performer or that I was shaking down.
When Zuckerberg announced that Meta would extend 5% lower of the performers, I felt a general feeling of anxiety, but I looked at the criteria they would apply and thought, “This is not worth me. I have received really good ratings to this point.” I didn’t consider that I would be in that bucket.
I woke up in a job email from work at 5am, and by 8am I would lose all the approaches to the conversation
They sent an email at 5am PST, and by 8am we would have been closed from our conversations. I did not bid farewell to my colleagues. The morning of my rest, I felt desperate. I would really work, really hard to get this job, I had worked for long hours and made a lot of effort to support my team. I just felt this deep feeling of loss.
And then I was angry. I was alive, as a transcendental alive. I can’t even say really with words how you felt. I would lose so much – my confidence, my reputation, a considerable amount of unintended shares. I just remember I was in bed, screaming at a pillow.
I felt betrayed by the company I would work for, and they destroyed my trust in the process.
I don’t know how they decided I was a low performer
I have not received any documentation explaining how they received my “low interpreter” rating, so I don’t have any official idea of why this happened. I didn’t get a signal from my manager. I just got the rating and the conclusion letter saying I was being released.
I am very scared of how this “low interpretive” label will affect my ability to find a new job.
Right now, Zeitgeist is charming to those of us who have been fired, but I know it will affect future employment. It is already a difficult job market, so I’m afraid. I’m really, really scared.
Because Meta clearly labeled people affected as a low performer, any employment manager who looks at my last date will know. We are uniquely unfavorable because this notice was discovered and widely published.
For the first week after resting from my vacation, I couldn’t even understand the idea of updating my resume or looking for work. I felt so hopeless that I could hardly motivate myself to get out of bed. I have already fought with the imposer’s syndrome, and it felt like Meta threw salt into the wound. I will have to rebuild my self -esteem, and that will take time.
I think this will be a moment to take a step back, last time and think about what I really want for myself and my career. For now, I know that I appreciate a sense of stability. I know that no work is sustainable, but I really want my other role to be somewhere where I feel like leadership at least does not seem to have an openly hostile position on its employees.
My opinion on Mark Zuckerberg has completely changed
I protected people Mark Zuckerberg. I thought he was personalized in enterprise meetings and really funny. Now, I feel like this was just a facade.
Among the dismissal, the removal of Dei’s initiatives and changes on content modification, Mark Zuckerberg seems to be testing how many decisions can make without punishment. Because Meta is such a big player in the technology industry, I am worried that the company is creating an environment where other employers will follow the lawsuit.
Technology was once a place where companies cared for their employees and where we supported, but now we feel like we are all in a meat grinder. Really really sad I see.
Meta can already be restoring these roles
Meta fired thousands of employees and said they would start filling many of those roles with new people.
I joined at a time when meta shares were lower, and like many of my associates, part of my compensation is related to the value of the company’s shares. I questioned whether the low -performance label was a way to let the expensive employees go.
I am worried about talking for fear of punishment. I hope people are empathetic to those affected by the holidays from work six months or a year on the road.
No one knows how long we will look for a new job. I have heard stories of horror of people applying in hundreds of jobs for over a year. I don’t think it will be my position, but it shows how difficult the market is now.
I had a phone call with my dad another day and told him that I just don’t know what to hope now. The carpet pulled from below me. I don’t know how to move forward from this.
Meta did not respond to a comment request from Business Insider.
If you are touched by the Big Tech vacation and want to share your story, email kiera Fields to kfields@businsinsider.com.