Meta is overhauling its employee performance process, introducing a new review program called Checkpoint and lifting bonus payouts for top performers.
The changes are slated to begin in “mid-year 2026”, according to an internal memo obtained by Business Insider. Meta says the new approach is designed to simplify reviews, reduce admin, and put more weight on outcomes.
What is Meta changing in its performance reviews?
Checkpoint will move Meta to a four-tier performance scale, with updated bonus multipliers tied to each rating.
In the memo, Meta said: “The new scale reflects what we know to be true: most people at Meta are high performers who consistently deliver meaningful impact.”
New performance ratings and bonus multipliers
Under the new model, Meta’s ratings and individual bonus multipliers are outlined as follows:
• Outstanding (~20%): 200% individual multiplier, for “outsized impact” above expectations
• Excellent (~70%): 115% individual multiplier, described as the “high-performance culture baseline”
• Needs improvement (~7%): 50% individual multiplier, for employees with performance gaps who are expected to improve
• Not Meeting Expectations (~3%): 0% individual multiplier, for those who “do not meet” Meta’s standards
Meta also plans to introduce a new Meta Award for a small number of employees, delivering a 300% individual multiplier for “truly exceptional impact”.
In a statement to Business Insider, a Meta spokesperson said: “We’re evolving our performance program to simplify it and placing greater emphasis on rewarding outstanding performance. While our employees have always been held to a high-performance, impact-based culture, this new direction allows for more frequent feedback and recognition in a more efficient way.”
A push to save time in the review cycle
Meta positioned the redesign as a time-saver. The memo said managers spend about 80 hours a year on performance-related tasks, while employees collectively spend 330,000 hours per cycle on peer feedback.
It added that fewer than 25 per cent of managers say the peer feedback is helpful.
Two cycles a year, bonuses paid twice
Checkpoint will shift Meta to two review cycles each year: mid-year and year-end. The company will use the same rating scale in both cycles.
Bonuses will be paid twice annually. Meta will still issue equity refresher grants once a year, but they will be based on the average of the two ratings rather than a single annual rating. Merit increases will remain annual, following the second cycle.
Meta will hold a company-wide meeting on January 22 to walk employees through the changes and answer questions. The updates apply to the 2026 performance year and do not affect the current cycle.
Tighter performance management
The shift follows comments from Mark Zuckerberg that 2025 would be an “intense” year, alongside a tougher stance on performance management, including a plan to cut about 5 per cent of low performers.
Top image: Mark Zuckerberg