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Meta maintains an internal “do not rehire” list of former employees who are not welcome back at the company — even on the recommendation of a vice president, according to a report.
A former Meta engineer who was among the 10,000 employees laid off during the company’s 2022 downsizing told Business Insider that they were shocked to learn that they were deemed “ineligible for rehire” even though hiring managers spoke to them after submitting some 20 applications.
With over four years at the company and a consistent performance rating of “exceeded expectations,” the engineer had even been promoted to a senior technical position the previous year.
Their contributions had been acknowledged as “crucial” by a senior manager, and multiple hiring managers had initially expressed interest in rehiring them, according to the Business Insider report.
However, after submitting nearly 20 applications, a concerning pattern emerged.
Hiring managers would initiate conversations, but once the recruiter screening stage arrived, communication abruptly ceased.
Seeking clarity, the engineer inquired with a hiring manager and learned they were deemed “ineligible for rehire.”
“That was the first time I had a real indication that I was on some kind of list,” the engineer, who remains anonymous while seeking reemployment at Meta, told the news site.
Five former employees — among them two managers — told Business Insider that Meta maintains internal lists that prevent some ex-employees from being rehired.
While such lists are not illegal, employment experts suggest they are uncommon. Even high-performing employees can find themselves barred without a clear explanation.
Meta employs multiple tracking systems to enforce these restrictions, including a “non-regrettable attrition” designation and a “do not rehire” flag, according to the report.
Though no one has been able to confirm seeing a comprehensive list, internal documents cited by those who spoke to Business Insider suggest managers face systemic obstacles when attempting to rehire certain individuals.
Since the tech industry’s mass layoffs in 2022, companies have tightened performance standards while competing for top talent in AI and other fields.
For those hoping to return, such rehire restrictions create unseen barriers in an already difficult job market.
Several former Meta employees shared similar experiences.
One ex-hardware engineer who had also previously rated as having “exceeded expectations” during his time at Meta was encouraged to apply for a contract role with their former team.
Initially, the staffing agency was optimistic, but later, responses turned vague.
Eventually, the agency revealed that Meta’s HR had flagged them as “ineligible to be hired,” according to Business Insider.
Meta insists these designations are applied fairly.
“There are clear criteria for when someone is marked ineligible for rehire that are applied to all departing employees,” a company spokesperson told The Post, adding that checks and balances prevent single managers from unilaterally barring former workers.
Meta denies claims that former employees in good standing are barred from rehire due to internal lists or manager discretion.
The company states that rehire eligibility is determined at the time of departure based on factors such as policy violations and performance metrics.
Meta asserts that clear criteria and checks and balances prevent any single manager from independently marking someone as ineligible for rehire.