Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, has announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs in a second wave of layoffs. The decision comes after the tech giant laid off 11,000 employees in November 2022. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg called the cuts a “year of efficiency” and admitted they would be “tough.”
Zuckerberg sent a memo to employees, explaining that the company received a “humiliating wake-up call” as sales plummeted in 2022.
While the firm still achieved a profit of nearly $23 billion for the whole year, Meta’s earnings in the last three months of 2022 were down 4% year over year. Zuckerberg listed a number of causes for the slowdown, including rising US interest rates, instability in world geopolitics, and more regulations.
In addition, Zuckerberg warned his staff to be ready for the potential that this new economic reality would last for many years. It appears that the unstable economy has had an effect on more than just Meta, a tech business.
Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has cut 12,000 jobs, and Amazon has announced plans to cut more than 18,000 jobs due to rapid hiring due to the pandemic.
Almost 128,000 jobs have already been lost in the tech industry in 2023, according to layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks employment losses in the sector. This astounding figure shows that the tech sector is not exempt from the economic slowdown that has affected other sectors.
Slashing Jobs
The decision to cut jobs is always a difficult one, but it appears to be necessary for Meta to remain competitive and viable in the long term. As Zuckerberg said, it is a “year of efficiency,” and the company must make tough decisions to ensure its survival.
Meta is set to announce further restructuring and layoffs in the coming months. CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in a memo to staff that the recruitment team would be the first to find out whether they were affected by the cuts, with other teams to follow in late April and May.
It’s no secret that tech companies are tightening their belts due to falling ad revenues and a user base with less money to spend. Meta is no exception, as the company makes most of its money from advertising. The pandemic has made a perfect storm for the industry, as companies cut back on their advertising budgets while users have less disposable income to spend.
Interestingly, Meta is targeting its recruitment team in the latest round of cuts. Silicon Valley companies have a reputation for over-recruiting, but this is a luxury they can no longer afford. Companies hire extra staff to handle sudden growth or to retain top talent that they don’t want working for their rivals.
However, with the current economic climate, over-recruiting is no longer sustainable.
Meta’s situation is further complicated by Mark Zuckerberg’s ambitious plan for the metaverse. The metaverse is an immersive, shared virtual space that is seen as the next big thing in tech. Zuckerberg has invested over $15 billion in the project so far, but there is no guarantee that it will be a success. If the metaverse fails, it could be a significant blow to Meta’s financials.
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Zuckerberg and Meta
Meta’s announcement of further restructuring and layoffs is not surprising given the current economic climate. Tech companies are facing a tough time, and they must make tough decisions to remain competitive. Meta’s focus on its recruitment team is an indication that the days of over-recruiting are over.
The company’s gamble on the metaverse is a risky move, but it could pay off if it’s successful. Only time will tell whether Meta’s strategy will be a success, but for now, the company must navigate the uncertain economic landscape to remain viable.
Zuckerberg has announced plans to make the company “flatter” and remove multiple layers of management as part of a restructuring process that will involve laying off 10,000 employees and leaving 5,000 vacancies unfilled. This marks the second wave of mass layoffs from the tech behemoth, which cut jobs of 11,000 employees in November 2022.
Zuckerberg said the cuts are part of a “year of efficiency” after the company experienced a dramatic slowdown in revenue in 2022. In a memo to staff, he cited higher interest rates in the US, global geopolitical instability, and increased regulation as some of the factors contributing to the slowdown.
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Restructuring the Management
In addition to the job cuts, Zuckerberg also stated that there would be no new hires until the restructuring was complete, and that he wanted to make the company flatter by removing multiple layers of management.
In addition, he allocated a portion of his message to discuss the concept of hybrid work, indicating that software engineers who commenced work with Meta in person performed more effectively compared to those who joined the company remotely.
The move by Meta follows similar cost-cutting measures by other tech giants such as Amazon and Google’s parent company Alphabet, who have announced plans to close thousands of jobs due to the unpredictable economy and rapid hiring during the pandemic.
It’s worth noting that many Silicon Valley firms tend to over-recruit to handle sudden growth and to retain top tech talent. However, with the current economic climate, these luxuries are no longer affordable, and companies are now looking to streamline their operations to remain competitive.
Meta’s CEO has also highlighted the potential impact of hybrid work on productivity, with engineers performing better in person. This suggests that hybrid work may come under scrutiny during the current “year of efficiency”, and employees may be encouraged to find more opportunities to work with their colleagues in person.
Photo: The CEO Magazine
