Comment by gregdoesit | Hacker News Reader

Comment by gregdoesit | Hacker News Reader

I cover what's happening inside Facebook for software engineers, and I have confirmed that the 15% needs improvement target was not set as guideline for engineering teams, based on talking with several engineering managers within the company. However, this article is making its round amongst software engineers as well, creating lots of fear and uncertainty.

Right now, for engineering, what is happening is the revamped performance review process running its course. As with every year, the target for "needs improvement" is 10%, which is not new. Those going on "needs improvement", in the past, did not all go on PIPs. Also, PIPs at Facebook have not been nearly as draconian as at Amazon. With all these details, I find it a very strong stretch to say that "15% of Facebook's workforce may lose jobs."

Originally I wrote in a lot more detail about all of this - and why the Business Insider article likely doesn't apply to engineering - behind a paywall. Seeing this trending on Hacker News, which article I find misleading - an article referencing a public Blind post! - I un-paywalled my reflection, and my own analysis on the situation at Facebook. I personally doubt there is a need for layoffs at Meta, and I'm surprised no other publication points this out. Analyzing the financials gives a very different picture on whether or not any form of layoffs would be needed.

My response / reflection: https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/meta-layoffs/

Engineering managers and even directors have no knowledge of large changes like this until the very last minute.

These sort of information is strictly VP+/SVP+. Unless you have talked to a few VPs, your prediction is as good as reading tea leaves.

The original Business Insider article - referenced by the article linked on this post - writes [1]

"Executives told directors across the company that they should select at least 15% of their teams to be labeled as 'needs support' in an internal review process, one of the people who spoke with Insider said."

So, as per Insider - and the article this post is about -, this information should be below the VP-level now, at director levels, and widespread in the organization as per Insider's reporting. I talked with people who supposedly should have been told about this 15% target. In engineering, I could not find any sources (including at director-level people).

We'll see soon enough if the Business Insider article is right, as the article claims:

"Several employees told Insider that as much as 15 per cent of the workforce could be cut within the next few weeks."

Let's check back mid-November to see if this did happen by then. If it would, there will be plenty of news on it.

I would not see the business sense. It does not mean that I am right. I offer my analysis, and I cannot predict what will happen, beyond assigning likelihoods to events. I assign a low likelihood of engineering layoffs happening at Meta the coming months. I see an even lower likelihood when considering that right now Business Insider reported about the performance review touchpoint happening - as previously planned - which tends to not be a trigger for letting people go, at least not in bulk.

[1] https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-quiet-layoffs-will-...

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