Meta Secretly Keeps 'Block' Lists of Ex-Employee, Former Google HR Chief Calls It 'Unheard Of'

Bibhu Pattnaik

March 8, 2025

Benzinga

Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:META) is said to be maintaining a clandestine ‘do not rehire’ list of its former employees, who are barred from rejoining the company, irrespective of a vice president’s endorsement.

What Happened: A recent report has revealed that a former engineer at Meta found themselves deemed "ineligible for rehire" after submitting nearly 20 applications. The engineer was among the 10,000 employees who lost their jobs during the company's 2022 downsizing.

The engineer had been associated with the company for more than four years and had consistently exceeded expectations in performance ratings.

They had also been promoted to a senior technical position the previous year. However, after applying for multiple positions, they noticed a worrying trend. Initial conversations with hiring managers would suddenly cease once the recruitment screening phase was reached, reports the Insider.

Five ex-employees, including two managers, confirmed to Business Insider that Meta maintains internal lists that bar certain former employees from being rehired. Employment experts suggest that while such lists are not illegal, they are not common practice. Even high-performing employees can find themselves on these lists without a clear reason.

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Meta reportedly uses several tracking systems to enforce these restrictions, including a "non-regrettable attrition" designation and a "do not rehire" flag.

The company asserts that these designations are applied fairly, and rehire eligibility is determined at the time of departure, based on factors such as policy violations and performance metrics.

Meanwhile, former Google HR chief Laszlo Bock has shared his thoughts about Meta’s internal “block” lists, which can prevent certain former employees from being rehired.

In a LinkedIn post he wrote, “I’ve never heard of anything like this. I’ve sometimes heard an exec say, ‘don’t ever re-hire this person’, but never seen a large scale, systematic approach like this. Have folks seen this elsewhere?”

Why It Matters: This revelation could potentially raise questions about Meta’s hiring practices and treatment of its employees. The alleged ‘do not rehire’ list, if proven true, could impact the company’s reputation and its ability to attract and retain talent.

It also raises concerns about the transparency of the company’s policies towards its employees. The impact of this development on Meta’s stock performance remains to be seen.