Meta, formerly known as Facebook, has come under scrutiny for maintaining an internal “do not rehire” list of former employees who are not welcome back at the company. This revelation came to light after a former Meta engineer, who was laid off during the company’s downsizing in 2022, shared their experience with Business Insider.
Despite having over four years of experience at Meta and consistently exceeding performance expectations, the engineer was shocked to discover that they were deemed “ineligible for rehire” even after submitting around 20 job applications within the company. The engineer had even been promoted to a senior technical position the year before and their contributions were considered crucial by senior management.
However, a pattern emerged as hiring managers would show initial interest in rehiring the engineer, but communication abruptly ceased once the recruiter screening stage was reached. It was only after the engineer inquired about the lack of response that they were informed of their status as “ineligible for rehire.”
According to Business Insider, Meta uses internal lists and tracking systems to enforce these rehire restrictions, including designations such as “non-regrettable attrition” and “do not rehire” flags. While the existence of these lists is not illegal, employment experts suggest that they are uncommon and can create barriers for even high-performing former employees seeking reemployment.
Since the mass layoffs in the tech industry in 2022, companies like Meta have tightened their performance standards while competing for top talent in fields like AI. This has made it even more challenging for former employees to navigate the job market, especially when facing unseen barriers like rehire restrictions.
Several former Meta employees shared similar experiences of being deemed “ineligible for rehire” despite their past performance evaluations. Meta insists that these designations are applied fairly and based on clear criteria at the time of departure, such as policy violations and performance metrics.
A company spokesperson stated that checks and balances are in place to prevent single managers from unilaterally barring former employees from rehire. Meta denies claims that former employees in good standing are barred from rehire due to internal lists or manager discretion, emphasizing that the rehire eligibility process is transparent and fair.
