Meta's efficiency strategy triggers layoffs at Messenger - Here's how many are fired
The continuous drive for efficiency at Meta is resulting in recurrent layoffs. This week, Messenger, the widely-used direct-messaging app under Facebook's umbrella, experienced a wave of job cuts.
According to Business Insider, the layoffs, impacting fewer than 50 employees, were a component of Messenger's operational restructuring. These job cuts mirrored a previous round of job cuts that impacted certain Instagram employees.
Both entities reportedly axed numerous technical-program-manager positions, integrating such responsibilities into the role of product managers. Business Insider reported that after Instagram's elimination of TPM roles, other divisions within Meta, including the Facebook sector encompassing Messenger, were anticipated to follow suit.
A spokesperson for the company opted not to provide further comment, stating only that Meta's efforts to improve efficiency were still ongoing. Despite CEO Mark Zuckerberg's declaration of 2023 as the "year of efficiency," which involved significant layoffs, role eliminations, and a shift away from hyper-growth, Meta has opted to maintain this approach for the foreseeable future.
This decision has triggered a cultural shift within the company, with certain managers now taking pride in identifying cost-cutting opportunities or streamlining teams. Consequently, ongoing reorganisations have fostered a pervasive sense of anxiety among some employees.
Last year, the Facebook business underwent a structural overhaul aimed at simplifying its operations, which included significant layoffs. This year, further cuts are anticipated within the organisation as part of Meta's ongoing efficiency drive.
Despite these changes, the Facebook division remains Meta's largest organisation in terms of headcount and houses the most mature tools and platforms within the company.