Meta just told some of its former managers to become managers again

Meta may have been a bit too enthusiastic in its highly publicized campaign to reduce middle management. The social media giant has reportedly been asking some individual contributors in its Applied AI (AAI) division if they would like to return to managerial roles, according to Business Insider, citing four people with “knowledge of the matter.” Meta declined a request for comment. Meta formed the AAI division in March to support its superintelligence efforts. Meta said the division’s teams would have a “flat” structure, with up to 50 individual contributors for each manager. Some individual contributors in the 7,000-person unit had previously been in management. The return of some of those workers to supervisory roles is particularly noteworthy given that Meta is closely associated with the corporate trend toward reducing bureaucracy, known colloquially as the “Great Flattening.” Claiming “flatter is faster,” it aggressively eliminated management layers during its Year of Efficiency in 2023. Managers were also targeted as part of its 10% workforce cuts earlier this year, according to an analysis by Business Insider. Across the economy, companies have made similar changes in rece…