Google will no longer pursue hiring goals tied to representation, Business Insider confirmed. The change makes the tech giant the latest US company to pull back on DEI-related policies.
The company is also evaluating its DEI programs and initiatives.
“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 told Business Insider.
The spokesperson said the company had updated language in its annual 10-K report to reflect the change.
“As a federal contractor, our teams are also evaluating changes required following recent court decisions and executive orders on this topic,” the spokesperson added. The Wall Street Journal first reported the change to Google’s hiring targets.
Business Insider obtained an emailed Q&A with Google’s Chief People Officer Fiona Cicconi, which expanded on the plans.
Google staff will be “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,” read the Q&A.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump swiftly signed an executive order terminating DEI “mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities” in the federal government. Trump also criticized DEI programs and diversity-related hiring goals at private companies on the campaign trail and since taking office.
Google set a goal in 2020 to increase leadership representation of Black+, Latinx+, and Native American+ employees by 30%. It reached that goal in 2022, according to the company’s annual diversity report.
Google’s decision to shift its hiring goals reflects a growing number of companies pulling back on DEI initiatives, beginning before Trump was reelected. Some of the companies that scaled back diversity efforts before his inauguration include Walmart, Ford, John Deere, Tractor Supply Company, and Lowe’s.
Meta also announced last month it will no longer have a team focused on DEI and Target recently said it will end multiple programs related to DEI.
Some companies have defended their DEI programs and policies in recent weeks, including Costco and JPMorgan.
Here’s the full text of the Google memo obtained by Business Insider:
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 US 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 US — 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.
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