--- title: "Angry Zuckerberg Complains About Employees Who “Shouldn’t Be Here”" description: "During a Q&A session with Meta staff, Zuckerberg announced that he's \"turning up the heat\" over performance goals, according to Reuters." date: "2022-07-01" modified: "2022-07-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/zuckerberg-employees-performance-goals" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "facebook" - "mark zuckerberg" - "Meta" - "the digest" --- # Angry Zuckerberg Complains About Employees Who “Shouldn’t Be Here” ![During a Q&A session with Meta staff, Zuckerberg announced that he's "turning up the heat" over performance goals, according to Reuters.]() *\Image: Drew Angerer/Getty Images\* ## Cut the Fat In a [further sign]() of tough times, [Meta-formerly-Facebook]() CEO Mark Zuckerberg is ready to root out the stragglers among his employees. During a Q&A session with Meta staff, Zuckerberg announced that he's "turning up the heat" over performance goals, according to recordings [obtained by *Reuters*](). He's hoping the pressure will make them leave, rather than having Meta's managers fire them. Instead of conducting mass layoffs, Zuckerberg appears to be coaxing them into leaving on their own behalf, telling staff that "some of you might decide that this place isn't for you, and that self-selection is OK with me." "Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn't be here," he added. ## Financial Headwinds The timing of Zuckerberg's comments is striking, given the massive economic slowdown and Meta's [own preexisting woes]() — a reality that's certainly on the CEO's radar. "If I had to bet, I'd say that this might be one of the worst downturns that we've seen in recent history," he told staff, as quoted by *Reuters*. The news comes after Meta's chief product officer Chris Cox [warned in a memo]() on Thursday that the company will need to "prioritize more ruthlessly" and "operate leaner, meaner, and better executing teams." Other companies like Tesla, Amazon, and Microsoft are also bracing for tough times ahead, [cutting hiring targets](), and [laying off employees by the hundreds](). ## Just Leave Meta has already had to cut back significantly as of late. Meta has [met financial headwinds](), especially in its efforts to [establish the metaverse](), a controversial gamble that [hasn't exactly paid off]() for Zuckerberg so far. That said, trying to freeze out those who aren't meeting performance targets seems like an iffy solution. We'll see. **READ MORE:** [Exclusive: Meta slashes hiring plans, girds for 'fierce' headwinds]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on Meta:** *[Zuckerberg Shows Off VR Headsets Designed to Be "Indistinguishable From Reality"]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()