by - A group of international engineers missed out on working on Meta just 3 weeks before their start date.
- Some had already given up their jobs and flats to move to London for the role.
- Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently said the company will reduce headcount growth and shrink budgets.
A North African tech worker had packed his belongings and was about to move to London for a “life-changing opportunity” at Meta when he received a call that brought his plans to a screeching halt.
A Meta recruiter told him his job offer had been rescinded. He was ready to start work in three weeks.
“There was nothing to suggest they were reconsidering their decision, so it came as a shock,” he told Insider. “They called me on Monday and my flight was supposed to be on Friday.”
He said he was part of a group of engineers who had been accepted into Meta’s Discover Production Engineering program, which the company describes as a 12-month program that provides systems and software engineering training to people with non-traditional backgrounds that can lead to a full-time role. for some participants.
He’s one of two tech workers who told Insider that Meta canceled their program offers before they planned to move to London. The employees asked to remain anonymous because they signed documents preventing them from disparaging Meta. Insider verified their identities and reviewed their offer letters.
The canceled job offers come as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced plans earlier this year to implement a hiring freeze and shrink budgets as he faces slowing advertising and revenue. A Meta spokesperson also confirmed that the company recently withdrew internship offers.
Meta declined to comment on how the company’s hiring slowdown affects the Discover Production Engineering program.
The North African tech worker described the opportunity to work at Meta as a “dream come true”. He said he didn’t yet have the experience to land a “real software engineering role.” He believed that Meta’s program would open the door to future opportunities.
“I was very excited to move,” he said. “Being from [my country], it’s not exactly easy to get a UK visa. You have to travel to Tunisia, so they were very helpful throughout the process.”
He hadn’t quit his job yet and he owns his house in Libya, so he won’t need to find a new job or housing.
But another Italian engineer living elsewhere in Europe was not so lucky. “Everything was planned and I basically uprooted my life. I quit my job and moved out of my apartment,” she told Insider.
He said he turned down job offers from Amazon and Skyscanner in favor of Meta’s Discover Production Engineering program.
“When I was finally offered, I was ecstatic,” he said.
The recruiter who called to cancel the offer attributed the cancellation to “financial circumstances,” the Italian engineer said.
He said he is unlikely to consider an opportunity from Meta in the future after the way the company handled his job cancellation.
“I was interested in working at Meta for the prestige, compensation, and interesting engineering challenges, but after seeing how uncaring the leadership is and the fact that they clearly don’t seem to care about their employees and their future employees.” he said.
The North African tech worker, however, said he would be open to reapplying to Meta. when the company lifts the hiring freeze.
“My experience with them was – until that phone call – very positive. I have no ill feelings towards them,” he said.
If you’ve had a job offer canceled due to a hiring freeze at Meta or another major tech company, email [email protected].
