Microsoft Moves To Poach Meta AI Staff By Matching Compensation: Report

Microsoft has reportedly compiled a most-wanted list of Meta engineers and researchers, marking the latest move in the battle among tech giants for AI talent.

According to internal documents seen by Business Insider, the company has also put in place a new hiring strategy to make its offers more competitive. This includes a requirement to match Meta’s compensation for top talent. The report noted that Microsoft has been making big-ticket offers, with insiders saying that multimillion-dollar on-hire bonuses for AI talent are becoming more common within the company.

Microsoft’s stock rose 1.3% in afternoon trade on Tuesday, with retail sentiment on Stocktwits in the ‘neutral’ zone. Meanwhile, Meta’s stock gained 3.5% with retail sentiment also in ‘neutral’ territory. 

The recruitment drive reportedly involves Microsoft AI, led by former Google DeepMind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman, and CoreAI, run by ex-Meta engineering chief Jay Parikh. Both teams have dedicated recruiters authorized to make aggressive offers.

The report also said that the spreadsheet shared among hiring managers lists targeted Meta employees by name, location, and role, with tabs for priority teams such as Reality Labs, GenAI Infrastructure, and Meta AI Research.

It noted that Microsoft has also introduced a new fast-track process for “critical AI talent.” This involves recruiters flagging candidates so top executives can respond with the company’s best offer within 24 hours. The process includes preparing an “offer rationale” outlining the candidate’s skills, running pay estimates through a private “compensation modeler,” and working with a compensation consultant.

For exceptional cases, the documents note, recruiters can seek approval for offers above the usual range to secure standout AI hires.

Read also: Trump Tells Goldman CEO David Solomon To ‘Focus On Being a DJ’ Over ‘Bad’ Tariff Predictions

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