- Microsoft and Meta say they plan to cut jobs, targeting “low performers.”
- Layoffs can be traumatic for workers, and the added tag of “low performer” can make it worse.
- Such labels can also create additional barriers for those searching for new jobs, experts say.
Targeting “low performers” might seem like a logical tactic for big companies looking to streamline their workforces.
But when Meta and Microsoft recently announced performance-based cuts, it sparked a debate online about the potential impacts of publicly labeling someone a “low performer” — a term loaded with negative connotations.
Layoffs can already be traumatic for workers, and experts say such tags only compound the issue, creating new obstacles for those back on the job hunt.
“Here’s the real deal — a ‘low performer’ at Meta could be a rockstar anywhere else,” Jan Tegze, a Czech Republic-based tech recruiter, wrote in a post on LinkedIn. But now, these “people have to job hunt with this label hanging over them. Every recruiter, every hiring manager will see these headlines.”
Jennifer Dulski, the founder and CEO of Rising Team and a management lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, said on LinkedIn that it was “reasonable to let people go for lower performance than others on the team, and to share that reasoning with them.”
“However, publicly branding employees as low performers serves no one — not the individuals, not the remaining team, and not the company’s reputation,” she added.
“That will stick with and damage many people’s careers. It’s unnecessary and punitive,” Jonathan Shottan, chief product and content officer at Tonal, said.
Previous research has suggested that finding a job may be more difficult for laid-off workers due to the stigma they may encounter among potential employers.
And with job seekers also facing a slowing job market and new hurdles such as the ever-expanding rollout of AI in workplaces, the added “low performer” tag may make the job search even trickier.
Others have defended Meta and Microsoft’s announcements, however.
“Who would you fire? Your top performers?” One LinkedIn user wrote in response to Tegze’s post. “There isn’t a company in the world who would let go of anyone that they didn’t think was their lowest performers.”
“What if…. they ‘are’ actually low performers,” another said. “Stop jumping on the let’s bash Zuk bandwagon.”
In an internal memo seen by Business Insider earlier this week, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg told employees that he had “decided to raise the bar on performance management” and act quickly to “move out low-performers.”
The cuts will affect 5% of the company’s workforce, equivalent to about 3,600 roles. Microsoft has not announced the number of employees it plans to let go.
For those who do find themselves caught in the layoffs, experts have some tips to help ensure they give themselves the best chance of getting back to work.
Writing on X, Ethan Evans, a former Amazon vice president, advised those hit by cuts targeting low performers to carefully and openly explain their situation to hiring managers.
Evans said it can be natural for recruiters to wonder if an interviewee has performance problems that they should avoid and that “your ability to respond calmly and confidently will matter just as much as the actual content of your answer.”
“If your entire team or division was cut, this is the strongest story. Be clear about that and say, ‘My entire team was cut.’ Point them to a news story that verifies your claim if you can,” he said.
He added: “Never badmouth your old boss or company.”
“Just like dating, no one wants to start a relationship with someone who isn’t over their ex.”
Business Insider contacted Meta and Microsoft for comment.
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