- Meta unveils new Checkpoint performance program with higher bonuses for top employees.
- The updated system introduces four performance ratings and rewards exceptional impact at Meta.
- Changes take effect in 2026 and aim to simplify reviews and boost high-performance culture.
Meta is overhauling how it grades workers and rewarding top performers with up to 300% of their base bonus, according to internal screenshots of a memo sent to employees on Monday that Business Insider obtained.
The social media giant is rolling out a new performance program called Checkpoint, which reshapes ratings into four buckets, according to the memo. It will start in “mid-year 2026,” aiming to make performance reviews less bureaucratic and more focused on outcomes.
“The new scale reflects what we know to be true: most people at Meta are high performers who consistently deliver meaningful impact,” the memo said.
In particular, Meta said its new system will incentivize the strongest performers with higher bonuses.
Here’s how the memo outlines the new distribution and pay multipliers for base bonuses.
- 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
Additionally, Meta is introducing a new Meta Award — a 300% individual multiplier for a small number of top performers who deliver “truly exceptional impact.”
“We’re evolving our performance program to simplify it and placing greater emphasis on rewarding outstanding performance,” a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider. “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.”
The memo says most employees will fall into “Excellent” because “most people at Meta are high-performers who consistently deliver meaningful impact.”
The company plans to host a companywide meeting on January 22 to walk employees through the changes and answer questions. The memo says the updates apply to the 2026 performance year and do not affect the current cycle.
This is a developing story.
