{
  "id": 6640691,
  "title": "Meta is asking some of its employees to become managers again in a new reorg",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/meta-is-asking-some-of-its-employees-to-become-managers-again-in-a",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-10T20:39:51.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/meta-asks-some-ai-employees-to-become-managers-again-2026-9"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Meta, the social media giant, is asking some of its employees in the Applied AI division if they would like to revert back to management roles. The company had previously converted these individuals from management positions as part of a previous reorganization. This new initiative is an opt-in program, according to sources familiar with the matter. The Applied AI division, launched this year, focuses on training AI models and encompassed approximately 7,000 employees. Prior to their transition to individual contributor roles, some of these employees had been managers within the division. Meta has not commented on the matter. This move represents a partial reversal for Meta, which has been aggressively downsizing its middle management ranks and promoting smaller, flatter teams as a more efficient organizational structure. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expressed support for lean startup-style organizations, particularly in light of AI's increasing role in the company's operations. In 2023, Meta conducted significant layoffs, cutting about 10% of its workforce to streamline operations and manage the costs of its AI investments. The layoffs disproportionately affected managers, as revealed by a Business Insider analysis of public layoff notices. This situation is not the first time Meta has changed its approach to internal restructuring. The company had previously allowed some employees reassigned to the Applied AI unit to leave the organization following criticism that they had been \"drafted\" into the role. Not all tech companies have fully embraced the manager-lite, small teams model. Uber recently announced it was cutting half of its \"micro-teams\" as part of recent layoffs.",
  "summary": "Meta is asking some Applied AI staff to move from individual contributor roles back into management after the company flattened teams.",
  "key_points": [
    "Meta asking Applied AI employees to return to management roles.",
    "Applied AI division, launched this year, had ~7,000 employees.",
    "Meta downsizing middle management, promoting small, flat teams."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Fast Company",
        "title": "Meta just told some of its former managers to become managers again",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/meta-just-told-some-of-its-former-managers-to-become-managers-again",
        "published": "2026-09-11T20:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}