If you’ve ever thought about going back to a former employer, you’d expect your past performance to speak for itself. But for some ex-Meta employees, that’s not the case. According to a Business Insider report, Meta maintains a secretive “do not rehire” list—meaning that some former ex-employees, no matter how well they performed during their stint, will never be welcomed back.
A former engineer, who had spent over four years at Meta and had even been promoted after consistently exceeding expectations, was in for a shock. After being laid off in 2022, he applied for nearly 20 roles at the company. Hiring managers were initially interested, but conversations suddenly stopped at the recruiter screening stage. When they pressed for answers, they learned they were “ineligible for rehire.”
“That was the first time I had a real indication that I was on some kind of list,” the ex-employee told Business Insider.
What is the ‘Do Not Rehire’ system?
This isn’t an isolated case. Five former employees, including two managers, confirmed to Business Insider that Meta has internal lists that bar certain ex-employees from returning. The company uses multiple tracking systems, including a “non-regrettable attrition” designation and a “do not rehire” flag, to enforce these restrictions.
What’s more concerning is that even high performers have found themselves locked out without explanation. In one case, a former hardware engineer—who had also exceeded expectations—was encouraged to apply for a contract role with his old team. At first, things seemed promising. But later, he was informed that Meta’s HR had flagged him as “ineligible to be hired.”
What Meta said
Meta in its defense claimed that these policies are applied fairly. A company spokesperson stated that rehire eligibility is determined at the time of exit based on performance metrics and policy violations. They also claim that “checks and balances” prevent individual managers from blacklisting employees.However, for former workers struggling to return, the process feels anything but transparent.
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