Google is ending its diversity goals, joining other tech companies in revising their hiring strategies amid recent political shifts. The move is evident in Alphabet’s latest annual report, which omits language previously included about integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the company’s operations.
Fiona Cicconi, Alphabet’s chief people officer, communicated to employees that changes are necessary due to new regulatory requirements.
“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 wrote in the memo. “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,” she added.
In 2020, Google established ambitious hiring objectives to improve representation by expanding offices beyond California and New York. The decision follows President Donald Trump’s early actions as president when he signed an executive order ending government DEI programmes.
Tech companies have been adjusting their policies under pressure from political shifts. Amazon recently halted some of its diversity initiatives, while Meta planned to end several internal programmes focused on increasing diverse hires. Other companies like Target and Walmart have also made similar adjustments.
Google had previously committed to increasing leadership representation from underrepresented groups by 30% by 2025 and more than doubling Black workers at non-senior levels.
The company began reducing its DEI efforts as early as 2023 by eliminating roles focused on recruiting diverse candidates.
“We’re committed to creating a workplace where all our employees can succeed and have equal opportunities, and over the last year we’ve been reviewing our programs designed to help us get there,” a Google spokesperson emphasised.