Head of product at X, Nikita Bier, has launched a public recruitment drive aimed at Meta employees, promising to match or exceed the company’s snack budget. The push comes as Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth admitted on an internal call that staff morale is near its worst ever, and the company just cut 8,000 jobs in May 2026 — roughly 10% of its workforce.
A public recruiting pitch
Bier posted openly about the roles, which include openings for web and data engineers and data scientists. He specifically targeted what he called ‘neglected’ Meta employees, dangling the snack-budget promise as a lure. It’s a direct jab at a company already reeling from layoffs and internal upheaval.
X’s move isn’t subtle. Bier previously defended Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg after backlash over a whistleblower documentary trailer, but now he’s actively poaching from the same ranks. The message is clear: if Meta won’t treat you right, X will.
Morale ‘dead and depressing’
On internal Meta forums, workers describe the culture as ‘dead and depressing’. That’s not just griping. Bosworth’s own admission on the call — that morale is near an all-time low — confirms the depth of the problem.
The numbers tell part of the story. Besides the 8,000 layoffs, Meta forced roughly 7,000 workers into AI units with little choice in the transition. The Applied AI division formed in March 2026 absorbed about 6,500 engineers and product managers, many of whom had no say. Some employees compared the experience to a labor camp. That language, while extreme, reflects the frustration of people who feel their careers are being steered without consent.
Polymarket odds and what’s next
Betting platform Polymarket now puts odds of more tech layoffs in 2026 at 67%, with Meta’s situation cited as a factor. Investors and analysts are watching closely.
For now, Meta’s workforce faces an uncertain path. The forced transfers to AI are ongoing, and the company hasn’t signaled any shift in strategy. Meanwhile, X is openly recruiting from the ranks of the disgruntled. Whether Meta can stem the outflow or improve morale remains an open question — one that workers on the inside are asking every day.
