How Facebook parent Meta switching to ‘permanent efficiency mode’ means more job cuts at these levels

Facebook-parent Meta is reportedly looking to cut short some of vice president-level staff as the company continues its cost-cutting measures to balance the books. A report has said that CEO Mark Zuckerberg is continuing efforts to simplify the company’s reporting structure, which includes implementing a stack ranking system and stricter performance evaluations for some high-level executives.
Citing three people with knowledge of the situation, a report by Business Insider says that Meta is looking to reduce the number of VP-level executives.
The “year of efficiency” initiative – in which more than 20,000 Meta employees were laid off – includes implementing stricter performance evaluations for some high-level executives, leading to additional team cuts on top of the layoffs.
Meta had approximately 300 vice presidents (VPs) in 2023, a significant increase from the previous years’ count of around 180. The company witnessed some VP departures in 2023 as it prepared for another round of layoffs. Zuckerberg reportedly aims to reduce the total number of VPs at Meta to around 250. It’s important to note that there are five distinct VP levels within the overall title.
“The overall goal is still to reduce the people in the middle and at the top and increase people on the bottom. It’s getting middle-heavy and top-heavy again,” one of the persons was quoted as saying.

‘Don’t want managers managing managers’

Last year, Zuckerberg said he no longer wants a company in which “managers [are] managing managers.” The company went on to lay off 20,000 people in multiple rounds and some were offered to look for other roles inside the company.
Meta conducts performance reviews twice a year – one happens in the middle of the year and functions as a less formal evaluation. Meta VPs usually undergo “stack ranking,” a system where colleagues are compared against each other to determine better performers.
Now, the work and impact of Meta VPs are being more intensely examined, and managers are required to categorise 10% to 12.5% of their teams into lower performance groups. This often leads to a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
“Some people are leaving because they’re getting other jobs, some people because of their performance. Some people are struggling with changes or getting caught up in changing priorities,” one of the people said.