As Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META) reportedly moves to boost employee morale following layoffs and organizational changes with improved office perks, an X executive appeared to joke about poaching the company’s engineers by promising even better "snacks."
X Uses Meta’s Morale Push To Recruit Engineers
The latest jab in the battle for tech talent came after Meta Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth said the company would improve snacks and beverages in its office kitchens as part of a broader effort to boost employee morale, Business Insider reported earlier this month, citing a memo.
On Thursday, Nikita Bier, a product executive at Elon Musk’s X, quickly turned the development into a joke recruiting campaign.
"Neglected Meta employees: X is hiring web and data engineers & scientists," Bier wrote on X. "We will match or even exceed any snack budget offer."
He also joked that applicants should include the word "snacks" in their applications for software engineering roles.
Although Bier characterized the post as a joke, he accompanied it with a link to an open Software Engineer — X Core Product position offering between $180,000 and $440,000 in annual compensation.
AI Talent War Between Meta And X Intensifies
While the comment was clearly lighthearted, it highlights the increasingly fierce competition for engineering talent as major technology companies race to expand their artificial intelligence capabilities.
Meta has undergone multiple rounds of layoffs and strategic shifts in the past few years as CEO Mark Zuckerberg pushes the company deeper into AI development.
X, meanwhile, has been actively recruiting engineers and data scientists as it deepens its integration with Musk’s artificial intelligence ambitions.
The company is part of Musk’s xAI, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:SPCX). Following SpaceX’s record-breaking IPO last week, more than 4,000 employees reportedly became millionaires.
Price Action: Meta shares closed at $577.22 on Thursday and slipped 0.40% to $574.89 in after-hours trading. SpaceX shares closed at $185 and fell 1.84% to $181.60 in after-hours trading, according to Benzinga Pro.
Meta stock scores in the 88th percentile for growth in Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, even as its stock continues to face pressure across short, medium, and long-term price trends.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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