Google is removing its previous goal of increasing hires from underrepresented groups and is reevaluating some of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, reports Reuters. In a memo, Google-parent Alphabet’s Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi, said “In 2020, we set ambitious hiring goals and aimed to expand representation by growing offices outside California and New York”.
“However, moving forward, we will no longer set aspirational goals.”
Additionally, Google is assessing changes to its policies in response to federal guidelines introduced during Donald Trump’s presidency, which sought to limit DEI efforts in government and among federal contractors.
“Because we are a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes to our programs required to comply with recent court decisions and U.S. Executive Orders on this topic,” Cicconi said in the email.
Despite these shifts, Google stated it would maintain internal employee groups like “Trans at Google,” “Black Googler Network,” and the “Disability Alliance,” which contribute to product and policy decisions.
Read the full memo
With new U.S. Executive Orders, court decisions, and many companies making changes to their DEl programs in recent weeks, we sat down with Fiona Cicconi to learn how Google is thinking about this.
Can you tell us how we’re thinking about this across the company?
First, I want to be clear: we’ve always been committed to creating a workplace where we hire the best people wherever we operate, create an environment where everyone can thrive, and treat everyone fairly. That’s exactly what you can expect to see going forward. Our users come from all across the U.S. and around the world, and we serve them better when our employees do, too.
Every year, we review the programs designed to help us get there and make changes. And because we are a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes to our programs required to comply with recent court decisions and U.S. Executive Orders on this topic. For example, in 2020, we set aspirational hiring goals and focused on growing our offices outside California and New York to improve representation. We’ll continue to invest in states across the U.S. — and in many countries globally — but in the future we will no longer have aspirational goals.
You mentioned we’ll evaluate our programs. Can you share more about that?
Melonie Parker and her team will lead on closely and carefully evaluating programs, trainings, and initiatives, and will update them as needed — including those that raise risk, or that aren’t as impactful as we’d hoped. She’ll work with senior leaders across the company.
And is there anything else you want Googlers to know now?
While there will be changes, our central Employee Resource Groups will remain, as will our work with colleges and universities, and our work to build products to help all our users and partners. That is all vital work for our business and our Googler community.
Statement omitted from SEC filing
In its latest annual filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Alphabet also omitted a statement previously included in reports from 2021 to 2024, which read that the company is “committed to making diversity, equity and inclusion part of everything we do and to growing a workforce that is representative of the users we serve.” A company spokesperson explained that the line was removed as part of its review of DEI initiatives.
For years, Google had been a leading advocate for inclusive policies, especially following the 2020 protests against the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans. That same year, CEO Sundar Pichai announced a target for 30% of Google’s leadership to come from underrepresented groups by 2025. At the time, 96% of the company’s US leaders were white or Asian, and 73% of leaders globally were men.
Google not only company to end DEI program
Other major companies are also scaling back DEI programs. In January, Meta, Facebook’s parent company, announced it was discontinuing some DEI initiatives, including those related to hiring, training, and supplier selection. Similarly, Amazon stated in an internal memo that it was phasing out “outdated programs and materials” tied to diversity and inclusion.